Hugh Hefner’s widow claims late Playboy chief’s foundation stored thousands of sexual photos of women: ‘possibly girls’

Crystal Hefner says that she worries that some of the women might not know they were allegedly pictured while at the Playboy mansion The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. CultureHugh Hefner’s widow claims late Playboy chief’s foundation stored thousands of sexual photos of women: ‘possibly girls’Crystal Hefner says that she worries that some of the women might not know they were allegedly pictured while at the Playboy mansionOwen Scott Wednesday 18 February 2026 04:40 ESTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverHugh Hefner marries playmateYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe widow of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has claimed that her ex-husband’s foundation has a tranche of sexualised pictures of women, some of whom could be underage. Crystal Hefner, 39, who married Hefner in 2012, when he was 86, also says that she was removed from her position as president of the nonprofit because of her concerns about the security of the documents. Crystal made the claims during a bombshell press conference at celebrity attorney Gloria Allred’s office on February 17. She told reporters that some of the women allegedly pictured in documents held by the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation might not even know the photographs exist. open image in galleryCrystal Hefner says that her late husband’s estate has sexualised pictures of women, some of whom could be underage (Getty Images)“These materials span decades, beginning in the 1960s, and may include images of girls who were underage at the time and could not consent to how their images would be retained or controlled,” Crystal said. "They may also contain images of women who did not consent to their images being taken in the first place. “The scrapbooks include nude images, images taken before and after sexual activity, and other deeply intimate moments,” she continued. “They contain intimate material involving women who are now mothers, grandmothers, professionals, and private citizens who have spent decades building their lives with no idea these images were still being hoarded.”According to Allred, the documents also include a list of women with whom thePlayboy founder had sexual relations. The list allegedly describes the sex acts that were performed. Crystal added that a security failure or a leak of the documents could “devastate thousands of lives.”open image in galleryCrystal has previously claimed that she was ‘brainwashed’ at the Playboy Mansion (Getty Images for Playboy)Crystal, a former Playmate of the Month from 2009, has distanced herself from the magazine empire in recent years. In January 2024, she published her bombshell tell-all book, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself. In the book, she described an alleged culture of misogyny inside the infamous Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and the treatment that the women who lived there allegedly endured inside its walls. “At the time, I must have been brainwashed or something,” she told The New York Times. Crystal claims that she was told to “tone up” whenever she gained weight and that Hefner would demand that she dyed her hair blonde when her brunette roots began to show. She also alleged that group sex events in Hefner’s bedroom allegedly followed parties at the mansion and that she felt pressured to keep up with goings-on at the mansion because she feared being replaced by a younger woman. open image in galleryHefner was not found guilty of any wrongdoing whilst alive (Getty Images)When Hefner was near death, Crystal claims that he told her to “only say good things” about him. She told The NYT that she planned to do so until watching the documentary series Leaving Neverland. The program follows two men who allege that they were allegedly abused by Michael Jackson.Jackson’s estate has maintained that the late singer was innocent and, at the time of the documentary’s broadcast, noted that he was not found guilty of any wrongdoing. Although Hugh Hefner has been accused of sexual abuse and coercion by some of his former girlfriends, the millionaire has not been found guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. In 2022, however, Play