Latest news with #Playmates
New York Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Former Playboy twins expose dark reality behind mansion's glamorous facade: ‘We were teenagers'
For four years, former Playboy playmates – and twins – Karissa and Kristina Shannon were thought to have been living a life of luxury and glamour inside the Playboy mansion with boyfriend Hugh Hefner. But behind closed doors, the Florida natives were fighting to survive a web of trauma-filled experiences ignited by jealousy and betrayal. Coming from 'humble beginnings,' the twins, now 35, were first discovered when they were just 16 years old. Two years later, they moved into the mansion with Hefner and his already-established girlfriends and 'The Girls Next Door' stars Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. 'We were only 18, it was our 19th birthday when we actually hooked up with Hef,' Kristina told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 'We were teenagers,' Karissa added. 'So, it was like we felt out of our comfort zone. We didn't have fake boobs, we didn't have fake teeth, we didn't have the fake hair,' Kristina continued. 'We were all-natural, and we were just trying to make it, and finding out we were going to be Playmates was the biggest deal to us. And then finding out we could be on the TV show was even bigger.' Upon entering the mansion, the girls instantly felt 'very bullied' by the other women. 'These girls are so mean, and we didn't know what to do,' Kristina said. 4 The Shannon twins, now 35, were first discovered when they were just 16 years old. WireImage The luxurious life they once fantasized about quickly became a nightmare when an STD outbreak got passed around. 'Hugh Hefner did not use condoms,' Kristina claimed. 'Once everybody caught chlamydia, we're like, 'No, we're only 18. We were 18, and we caught chlamydia.' 'We were yelling and screaming, crying. We were so mad,' Karissa added. 'And they're such a hippie mentality. . . . They're like, 'Oh, it's normal sexual activity.' They said, 'When you're sexually active, that's what happens.' We're like, no, we were 18, 19. And we're thinking in our heads, 'You guys are nuts.' Just because you're sexually active does not meet with that, you're catching STDs, then we're not okay with it.' 'From what Hef says, when we all caught chlamydia, is that when you're sexually active, that's what happens,' said Kristina. 'That's what he said. So you cannot go by what he says. You cannot trust him. So you have to watch out for yourself.' 4 'You cannot trust him,' Kristina said of Hugh Hefner. Getty Images Kristina claimed that Hefner would have sex with 'anything walking.' 'Hef, he would definitely a hundred percent have sex with anything walking, anything walking. If he found it somewhat good-looking, he would definitely hook up. . . . So, it was just like we had to deal with it. 'It was very embarrassing,' Karissa added. Due to the lack of protection, Karissa found herself pregnant at 20 years old. 'I didn't want Hef to know, because the first thing I thought of, he was going to want to keep it,' Karissa said. 'I didn't want [anyone] else to know, because I felt like I didn't want to be pregnant by him. I didn't want to have to deal with it.' Karissa ended up getting an abortion, a 'big and emotional' decision, she said. 'Juicy J from Three 6 Mafia was the only friend we had, and his dad was a pastor,' Karissa recalled. 'He took us to get her abortion,' Kristina added. 4 Due to the lack of protection, Karissa found herself pregnant at 20 years old. Getty Images After the procedure, the girls had to film promos for 'Girls Next Door.' 'My stomach was so swollen,' Karissa recalled. 'I was not in any way ready to talk about it. And I was so scared that Hef would find out that he wanted it. And I didn't know what was, I didn't know what to do … I was scared. I just didn't want anyone to know. And I was embarrassed and I felt disgusting.' 'I was so confused and dealing with so much stuff, it really trauma bonded me to my sister, and that's why we went through what we went through, and I'm just so happy that I've come out of it,' she added. By the time they were 22 years old, the girls had had enough and were ready to leave Hefner and the mansion. 'When we moved out, we had a couple of years where we went through this individuality phase,' Karissa recently told People magazine. 'I feel like every set of twins goes through it, particularly in your early 20s. We were both into different things and trying to be individuals, because Hef really did force the twin thing on us, more than anyone else had ever. But we've always been extremely close. I believe we're twin flames, closer than most twins.' 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase,'' Kristina told the outlet. 'We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' 4 By the time they were 22 years old, the girls had had enough and were ready to leave Hefner and the mansion. WireImage The twins told Fox News Digital that Hefner had really stripped them of their identities in a lot of ways. 'It was very scary for us. It really was, because we lost who we were,' Kristina said. Now, the women, who now live in Michigan, are focused on the future and taking care of their mental, spiritual and physical health. 'We meditate every day together, and we're into meal-prepping and not eating out, really self-care and just taking time for ourselves and learning how to be selfish, learning how to say no,' Karissa said. 'We went in our hearts, we went through our healing era, which took years. I didn't think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work,' Kristina added. As far as their next professional move, the twins are looking for a creative outlet, whether it be a talk show or a podcast. 'Something honest and real,' said Kristina. 'We won't hold back.'
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Holly Madison makes shock claim about connection between 'sexualized lifestyle' and Playboy Murders
Holly Madison skyrocketed to fame when she starred on The Girls Next Door as Hugh Hefner's 'number one girlfriend' alongside Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt and since then, she's been sharing stories of Playmates from over the decades. Holly, now 45, met Hef when she was 21 and he was 75. She went on to cover Playboy magazine and star on the wildly popular E! show, which ran from 2005 to 2010 and was a hit with millennials, and now, Gen Z. The reality TV star dated Playboy founder Hugh Hefner - who died in 2017 at 91 - from 2001 and 2008 and previously revealed how 'isolated from the outside world' she and her fellow bunnies felt. Holly recently spoke to via Zoom to discuss her podcast Girls Next Level, the third season of her ID show The Playboy Murders, what life in the seemingly glamorous Los Angeles mansion was really like, and the upcoming Girls Next Door anniversary. August 7, 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the show, but don't expect a reunion between all three former girlfriends. 'There's such a difference and a rift between the two of us and Kendra, and I don't know what we would do to celebrate,' Holly admitted, as the pair famously feuded following their time dating Hef. Despite clashing with Kendra, Holly is still extremely close with Bridget, although she had a 'more negative and harrowing' experience than her fellow podcast host. Hosting the podcast together has helped Holly 'reclaim the good memories from that time.' Holly, now 45, met Hef when she was 21 and he was 75. She went on to cover Playboy and star on the wildly popular E! show, which ran from 2005 to 2010 The Girls Next Door seemed alluring to viewers, but Holly has been outspoken about how controlling Hef was throughout her relationship, as well as how ' miserable ' the experience was, whether in her 2015 memoir Down the Rabbit Hole or on her podcast. Holly dealt with 'a lot of pushback from people in the Playboy scene over the years' after sharing her story. While many Playmates were supportive, she found that some people were offended that she wanted to tell the truth 'because it didn't match their narrative of what their story was, or what their experience with Hef was. They've just been mad from day one, so they don't like any of it.' Of course, Holly's isn't the only distressing story coming out of the Playboy mansion over the years. One case that sticks with her is the disturbing death of Kimberly Fattorini, who's featured in the first episode of The Playboy Murders. Holly received messages from Kimberly's friends and family for years about featuring the unresolved case and there's still a pending civil suit. Now, Holly wants closure. As for why there are so many horrific stories - including Hef's former girlfriends the Playboy twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon revealing they were scared they would end up dead like Anna Nicole - Holly blames the 'high stakes lifestyle.' 'When you're involved in a world where you're highly sexualized or sexualizing yourself, and there's a lot of things at stake and things you could possibly gain, like fame, money, opportunities, there's people around you who are jealous of those things,' Holly divulged. 'It's truly living life in the fast lane.' While there aren't enough stories for a season four, she would like to showcase Playboy Bunny Eve Stratford, who worked at the Playboy Club in London in the '70s and was brutally murdered. Next up, she's going to be returning to hosting Lethally Blonde, which highlights cases about people in entertainment or sex work. It took Holly years to open up about what she went through in the mansion. When she first left the house she would try to be positive anytime people asked about her experience, because it was an 'easy way to dismiss everything, and tie my experiences up in a nice little bow.' After a few years, she felt like wasn't being truthful - but she knows it took some of Hef's girlfriends 'decades to come forward.' Holly remembers meeting Hef's ex-girlfriends and she could 'tell something was a little wrong,' even though they were 'trying to have a great experience' and would come to the family events with their husband and their kids. 'I could always see that there was a little bit of sadness behind their eyes, or they seemed a little upset, and I never really knew why, but I always kind of had a suspicion that maybe they had a similar experience to me,' Holly admitted. As the years have gone by, the way Holly views her time in the mansion has changed, especially after she was diagnosed with 'high executive functioning autism' in 2023. Now, when she re-watches the show for the podcast, she sees herself zoning out on camera or playing with her hair, which is her stim - a self-stimulating behavior. 'It provides me with insight into why I leaned into some of the decisions I made,' Holly explained, adding that she's 'grateful' for her diagnosis because it helps her understand why she chose Hef. 'I felt like it was real because he's so good at making a young girl feel like he's connecting with them. I was somebody who never really connected with guys my age and I think that has a lot to do with being neurodivergent. I wasn't destined to fall for some older man, which is kind of how I interpreted back then.' Holly remembers meeting Hef's ex-girlfriends and she could 'tell something was a little wrong,' even though they would come to the family events with their husband and their kids While Playboy has rebranded many times over the years, the Vegas Diaries author isn't sure how the once-iconic brand could have maintained its relevancy, especially with the rise of social media. 'Instagram really stole the thunder of the lifestyle platform that Playboy was and the showcase for beautiful women,' Holly said. 'If you were going to really revive the brand to a point where it was super relevant again, I don't know how somebody would do that.' 'So many of the things that made Playboy special have just been siphoned off by other things, whether it's online porn or OnlyFans, or even lifestyle showcases like Instagram.' Holly continues to be outspoken about the way OnlyFans creators portray themselves on social media and how it influences young women. 'I would like to see people being honest about the industry, rather than just showcasing how much money they're making and what kind of a house they're able to buy,' she told Daily Mail. 'I hope people are being honest about all aspects of the industry and not just trying to make it look cute and fun to do a gang bang with 1,000 guys.' Holly has seen the dark side and knows 'there's a lot of emotional baggage that can come with that.' She thinks 'there's very few people that can go into a profession like that and just be able to handle it emotionally and "have sex like a guy," so to speak.' 'I hope that young people are seeing a more holistic view of that industry, and not just the glamorized version.' Holly, a mom of two with ex-husband Pasquale Rotella, 50, sees people post about watching the show growing up who are now watching with their daughters. 'It's crazy to think that really young girls were watching the show - little kids watching it with their moms when it was out. 'I just hope that everybody's having an open conversation about what the relationship was really like. Even though there were things about the lifestyle that look so fun and glamorous, it's not a relationship I would ever recommend to anyone. It's not just, "Go live with a rich guy and share with other girls."' 'I don't want anybody thinking that's a good idea,' Holly said.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Hugh Hefner forced us into sick threesomes that left us suicidal – now we've got normal jobs after escaping Playboy cult
THEY were Hugh Hefner's ultimate Playmates - stunning teenage twin sisters who made Playboy history. But now Advertisement 11 Kristina and Karissa Shannon say they have been left traumatised by their time in the Playboy mansion Credit: Alamy 11 The twins were just 18 when they joined the Playboy mansion Credit: Alamy 11 The twins quit Playboy in 2010, but their lives spiralled out of control, battling weight gain and substance abuse Credit: AETV.. In an astonishing transformation, the siblings, 35, have now turned their backs on their previous lives of debauchery and have trained as estate agents in a bid to have a normal life. And they say they have found God as they are ready to settle down, start dating again and hopefully become mothers together. In an interview with "We're in the process of getting our real estate licenses," she adds. Advertisement Read More Features "That's our next big thing. And we both really want to be mothers. I mean, our times are ticking here, so if we can't find the husband in the next, what ... then we're totally open to IVF motherhood with just us doing it ourselves.' And Kristina says they would love it if their children were twins too, adding: "We really want to do pregnancy together. We want to be housewives, we want to get married, we want to have children. We want to have big families. "Since all we have is each other, we want to have big families. It'd be so cool if we could have multiples.' Kristina and Karissa were born to teenage parents - their dad was 19 and their mum just 16 when they were born - and were raised by their paternal grandma in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous They felt they had to grow up fast and at the age of just 16 they dropped out of school to work at Ker's Winghouse, a restaurant similar to Hooters. The bar made the twins the focus of their marketing campaign, plastering them on billboards, menus and the annual calendar. They were spotted by a Playboy photographer and he changed their lives overnight. I was emotionally and financially abused by Hef, says Crystal Hefner He submitted their pictures to Playboy and they got a call the very next day saying Hugh Hefner wanted them as playmates. Advertisement Karissa says: "Hef was dying over the photos. They were like giving us behind-the-scenes confirmation that we would be Playmates, during our test shoot. They said, 'He loves you girls. You guys are in.'" Unwelcome attention But although the girls knew the opportunity was going to be life-changing, they were not prepared for the harsh reality of life in the Playboy mansion. "It was such a culture shock for us. We didn't grow up with a young mother, so we didn't know about hair and make-up. We didn't know much about fashion or style. And we're a lot younger than Bridget, Kendra and Holly — we're teenagers," Karissa says of the fellow girls in the mansion. Kristina adds: "We got a lot of jealousy from the other Playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest Playmates and the youngest girlfriends.' Advertisement 11 The twins faced a lot of jealousy from the other Playboy bunnies Credit: Getty 11 The twins' young age meant they were often confined to the mansion Credit: Alamy 11 In the 2022 documentary Secrets of Playboy, they revealed they were forced to have a threesome with Hugh Hefner Credit: Instagram And whereas the other girls were old enough to go out and party, their tender ages meant that Kristina and Karissa were often confined to the mansion or had to go wherever Hugh was going. Advertisement But the special attention they got from Hefner - who In the 2022 documentary Secrets of Playboy, the sisters revealed they were once forced to have a threesome with the pensioner on their 19th birthday. "That was the night that we realised," starts Karissa, with Kristina adding: "What we got ourselves into.' Kristina says: "We had never done a threesome together before, we would never want to.' Advertisement After that night, I didn't feel like my body was mine anymore. Like, I felt used, disgusted Kristina Karissa adds: "And that was our 19th birthday. You're never going to forget that.' Afterwards, the twins waited for Hefner to fall asleep. "We ran down the hall to the spare bedroom we were staying in. We hit the shower, steaming hot. Our skin was red from just trying to, like, sterilise," says Karissa. Kristina adds, "After that night, I didn't feel like my body was mine anymore. Like, I felt used, disgusted." Suicidal spiral Both girls claim they contracted chlamydia during their time in the mansion, and Karissa says she had an abortion after getting pregnant with Hefner's child. Advertisement "I felt disgusted with my body," she says. "I felt like there was something like an alien inside me. I was grossed out. I just wanted to get it over with.' She later added: 'It was like the devil was inside of me. I didn't want anyone to know I was carrying an 83-year-old man's child.' 11 Both girls contracted chlamydia during their time in the mansion Credit: Getty 11 Karissa even had to get an abortion, disgusted with the thought of Hefner's child inside her Credit: Getty Advertisement In 2010, the girls decided they wanted to leave the 'cult' of the Playboy mansion, but their lives spiralled out of control. Struggling with trauma, it led to weight gain and a battle with pills and alcohol, and in 2014 they were involved in a car crash which resulted in Kristina being arrested for DUI. She recalls: 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'. We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us, trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' Advertisement The twins decided that the only way to save themselves was to escape the spotlight and retreat from LA back to their childhood home. "We drove the whole way, without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air .. it was just different," Karissa says. We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up Karissa "Being in nature desensitised us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down.' Karissa explains they took the time "to find out who we are and just be selfish, try and live normally.' Advertisement "We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus," she explains. "We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up.' 'I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us," Kristina agrees. "He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves.' Mental healing The pair's lives are now a million miles away from their Playboy years, focussing on eating organic food, daily meditation, prayer and finding their inner peace. Karissa and Kristina, now aged 35, have shed the weight they gained and are embracing a new, grown-up look which they shared with fans in a new photoshoot. Advertisement 11 The twins appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 aged 22 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 11 Many feared the pair would go the way of Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy bunny who died in 2007 Credit: Getty 11 Now in their 30s, the twins say they have finally found inner peace Credit: Getty "We do believe in Botox and some fillers, but we're reducing our breast implants," Karissa says. Advertisement "We're changing our look. This is our transition in our 30s and you can see it. We're just trying to figure it out like everybody.' "We're healing and listening to our inner selves and keeping God first. We transformed our mental and now you can physically see how much better we are. It starts from within and it's all really connected," she continues. "We're excited to work hard, have fun and continue protecting our peace.' Ahead of the 2022 documentary, Playboy issued a statement responding to the 'abhorrent' allegations made in the programme. Advertisement An open letter posted on its website said: 'First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences. 'As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable.' 'Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy.' Facts you didn't know about the Playboy Mansion Girlfriends vs Playmates Rumour has it that Hugh Hefner would have two to a dozen "girlfriends" living with him at a time. These girlfriends are not to be confused with Playmates. Each girlfriend had their own room, but one 'special lady' was named as girlfriend number one and stayed with Hef in his room. Each girlfriend received a $1,000 (£760) weekly bonus "allowance." Hef's Wild side The Playboy mansion was home to a private zoo. It was one of very few private residences that actually has a zoo license. Hefner was a fan of birds. Among his collection - many of which roamed the grounds - were peacocks, macaws, flamingos, toucans and ducks. The Elvis Legend Within the mansion was a secret room, called 'The Elvis Room.' Legend has it that the King himself, Elvis Presley, had a little slumber party in the room with up to eight eager bunnies.
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Hugh Hefner forced us into sick threesomes that left us suicidal – now we've got normal jobs after escaping Playboy cult
THEY were Hugh Hefner's ultimate Playmates - stunning teenage twin sisters who made Playboy history. But now Kristina and Karissa Shannon say they have been left traumatised by their time in the Playboy mansion with group sex, an unwanted pregnancy and STIs, and feared they could have ended up dead like tragic Anna Nicole Smith. 11 Kristina and Karissa Shannon say they have been left traumatised by their time in the Playboy mansion Credit: Alamy 11 The twins were just 18 when they joined the Playboy mansion Credit: Alamy 11 The twins quit Playboy in 2010, but their lives spiralled out of control, battling weight gain and substance abuse Credit: AETV.. In an astonishing transformation, the siblings, 35, have now turned their backs on their previous lives of debauchery and have trained as estate agents in a bid to have a normal life. And they say they have found God as they are ready to settle down, start dating again and hopefully become mothers together. In an interview with People magazine, Karissa says: 'We're ready for dating and career opportunities. We're a little bit more ready to be out there again. We're healed and ready to find what we want.' "We're in the process of getting our real estate licenses," she adds. "That's our next big thing. And we both really want to be mothers. I mean, our times are ticking here, so if we can't find the husband in the next, what ... then we're totally open to IVF motherhood with just us doing it ourselves.' And Kristina says they would love it if their children were twins too, adding: "We really want to do pregnancy together. We want to be housewives, we want to get married, we want to have children. We want to have big families. "Since all we have is each other, we want to have big families. It'd be so cool if we could have multiples.' Kristina and Karissa were born to teenage parents - their dad was 19 and their mum just 16 when they were born - and were raised by their paternal grandma in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They felt they had to grow up fast and at the age of just 16 they dropped out of school to work at Ker's Winghouse, a restaurant similar to Hooters. The bar made the twins the focus of their marketing campaign, plastering them on billboards, menus and the annual calendar. They were spotted by a Playboy photographer and he changed their lives overnight. I was emotionally and financially abused by Hef, says Crystal Hefner He submitted their pictures to Playboy and they got a call the very next day saying Hugh Hefner wanted them as playmates. Karissa says: "Hef was dying over the photos. They were like giving us behind-the-scenes confirmation that we would be Playmates, during our test shoot. They said, 'He loves you girls. You guys are in.'" Unwelcome attention But although the girls knew the opportunity was going to be life-changing, they were not prepared for the harsh reality of life in the Playboy mansion. "It was such a culture shock for us. We didn't grow up with a young mother, so we didn't know about hair and make-up. We didn't know much about fashion or style. And we're a lot younger than Bridget, Kendra and Holly — we're teenagers," Karissa says of the fellow girls in the mansion. Kristina adds: "We got a lot of jealousy from the other Playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest Playmates and the youngest girlfriends.' 11 The twins faced a lot of jealousy from the other Playboy bunnies Credit: Getty 11 The twins' young age meant they were often confined to the mansion Credit: Alamy 11 In the 2022 documentary Secrets of Playboy, they revealed they were forced to have a threesome with Hugh Hefner Credit: Instagram And whereas the other girls were old enough to go out and party, their tender ages meant that Kristina and Karissa were often confined to the mansion or had to go wherever Hugh was going. But the special attention they got from Hefner - who died in 2017 aged 91 - wasn't always welcome. In the 2022 documentary Secrets of Playboy, the sisters revealed they were once forced to have a threesome with the pensioner on their 19th birthday. "That was the night that we realised," starts Karissa, with Kristina adding: "What we got ourselves into.' Kristina says: "We had never done a threesome together before, we would never want to.' After that night, I didn't feel like my body was mine anymore. Like, I felt used, disgusted Kristina Karissa adds: "And that was our 19th birthday. You're never going to forget that.' Afterwards, the twins waited for Hefner to fall asleep. "We ran down the hall to the spare bedroom we were staying in. We hit the shower, steaming hot. Our skin was red from just trying to, like, sterilise," says Karissa. Kristina adds, "After that night, I didn't feel like my body was mine anymore. Like, I felt used, disgusted." Suicidal spiral Both girls claim they contracted chlamydia during their time in the mansion, and Karissa says she had an abortion after getting pregnant with Hefner's child. "I felt disgusted with my body," she says. "I felt like there was something like an alien inside me. I was grossed out. I just wanted to get it over with.' She later added: 'It was like the devil was inside of me. I didn't want anyone to know I was carrying an 83-year-old man's child.' 11 Both girls contracted chlamydia during their time in the mansion Credit: Getty 11 Karissa even had to get an abortion, disgusted with the thought of Hefner's child inside her Credit: Getty In 2010, the girls decided they wanted to leave the 'cult' of the Playboy mansion, but their lives spiralled out of control. Struggling with trauma, it led to weight gain and a battle with pills and alcohol, and in 2014 they were involved in a car crash which resulted in Kristina being arrested for DUI. She recalls: 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'. We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us, trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' Anna Nicole Smith - who had also been a former Playmate - tragically died at the age of 39 in 2007 and her cause of death was later revealed to have been caused by combined drug intoxication. The twins decided that the only way to save themselves was to escape the spotlight and retreat from LA back to their childhood home. "We drove the whole way, without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air .. it was just different," Karissa says. We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up Karissa "Being in nature desensitised us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down.' Karissa explains they took the time "to find out who we are and just be selfish, try and live normally.' "We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus," she explains. "We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up.' 'I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us," Kristina agrees. "He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves.' Mental healing The pair's lives are now a million miles away from their Playboy years, focussing on eating organic food, daily meditation, prayer and finding their inner peace. Karissa and Kristina, now aged 35, have shed the weight they gained and are embracing a new, grown-up look which they shared with fans in a new photoshoot. 11 The twins appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 aged 22 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 11 Many feared the pair would go the way of Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy bunny who died in 2007 Credit: Getty 11 Now in their 30s, the twins say they have finally found inner peace Credit: Getty "We do believe in Botox and some fillers, but we're reducing our breast implants," Karissa says. "We're changing our look. This is our transition in our 30s and you can see it. We're just trying to figure it out like everybody.' "We're healing and listening to our inner selves and keeping God first. We transformed our mental and now you can physically see how much better we are. It starts from within and it's all really connected," she continues. "We're excited to work hard, have fun and continue protecting our peace.' Ahead of the 2022 documentary, Playboy issued a statement responding to the 'abhorrent' allegations made in the programme. An open letter posted on its website said: 'First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences. 'As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable.' 'Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy.'
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Hugh Hefner forced us into sick threesomes that left us suicidal – now we've got normal jobs after escaping Playboy cult
THEY were Hugh Hefner's ultimate Playmates - stunning teenage twin sisters who made Playboy history. But now Kristina and Karissa Shannon say they have been left traumatised by their time in the Playboy mansion with group sex, an unwanted pregnancy and STIs, and feared they could have ended up dead like tragic Anna Nicole Smith. 11 11 In an astonishing transformation, the siblings, 35, have now turned their backs on their previous lives of debauchery and have trained as estate agents in a bid to have a normal life. And they say they have found God as they are ready to settle down, start dating again and hopefully become mothers together. In an interview with People magazine, Karissa says: 'We're ready for dating and career opportunities. We're a little bit more ready to be out there again. We're healed and ready to find what we want.' "We're in the process of getting our real estate licenses," she adds. "That's our next big thing. And we both really want to be mothers. I mean, our times are ticking here, so if we can't find the husband in the next, what ... then we're totally open to IVF motherhood with just us doing it ourselves.' And Kristina says they would love it if their children were twins too, adding: "We really want to do pregnancy together. We want to be housewives, we want to get married, we want to have children. We want to have big families. "Since all we have is each other, we want to have big families. It'd be so cool if we could have multiples.' Kristina and Karissa were born to teenage parents - their dad was 19 and their mum just 16 when they were born - and were raised by their paternal grandma in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They felt they had to grow up fast and at the age of just 16 they dropped out of school to work at Ker's Winghouse, a restaurant similar to Hooters. The bar made the twins the focus of their marketing campaign, plastering them on billboards, menus and the annual calendar. They were spotted by a Playboy photographer and he changed their lives overnight. He submitted their pictures to Playboy and they got a call the very next day saying Hugh Hefner wanted them as playmates. Karissa says: "Hef was dying over the photos. They were like giving us behind-the-scenes confirmation that we would be Playmates, during our test shoot. They said, 'He loves you girls. You guys are in.'" Unwelcome attention But although the girls knew the opportunity was going to be life-changing, they were not prepared for the harsh reality of life in the Playboy mansion. "It was such a culture shock for us. We didn't grow up with a young mother, so we didn't know about hair and make-up. We didn't know much about fashion or style. And we're a lot younger than Bridget, Kendra and Holly — we're teenagers," Karissa says of the fellow girls in the mansion. Kristina adds: "We got a lot of jealousy from the other Playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest Playmates and the youngest girlfriends.' 11 11 11 And whereas the other girls were old enough to go out and party, their tender ages meant that Kristina and Karissa were often confined to the mansion or had to go wherever Hugh was going. But the special attention they got from Hefner - who died in 2017 aged 91 - wasn't always welcome. In the 2022 documentary Secrets of Playboy, the sisters revealed they were once forced to have a threesome with the pensioner on their 19th birthday. "That was the night that we realised," starts Karissa, with Kristina adding: "What we got ourselves into.' Kristina says: "We had never done a threesome together before, we would never want to.' Karissa adds: "And that was our 19th birthday. You're never going to forget that.' Afterwards, the twins waited for Hefner to fall asleep. "We ran down the hall to the spare bedroom we were staying in. We hit the shower, steaming hot. Our skin was red from just trying to, like, sterilise," says Karissa. Kristina adds, "After that night, I didn't feel like my body was mine anymore. Like, I felt used, disgusted." Suicidal spiral Both girls claim they contracted chlamydia during their time in the mansion, and Karissa says she had an abortion after getting pregnant with Hefner's child. "I felt disgusted with my body," she says. "I felt like there was something like an alien inside me. I was grossed out. I just wanted to get it over with.' She later added: 'It was like the devil was inside of me. I didn't want anyone to know I was carrying an 83-year-old man's child.' 11 11 In 2010, the girls decided they wanted to leave the 'cult' of the Playboy mansion, but their lives spiralled out of control. Struggling with trauma, it led to weight gain and a battle with pills and alcohol, and in 2014 they were involved in a car crash which resulted in Kristina being arrested for DUI. She recalls: 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'. We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us, trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' Anna Nicole Smith - who had also been a former Playmate - tragically died at the age of 39 in 2007 and her cause of death was later revealed to have been caused by combined drug intoxication. The twins decided that the only way to save themselves was to escape the spotlight and retreat from LA back to their childhood home. "We drove the whole way, without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air .. it was just different," Karissa says. "Being in nature desensitised us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down.' Karissa explains they took the time "to find out who we are and just be selfish, try and live normally.' "We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus," she explains. "We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up.' 'I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us," Kristina agrees. "He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves.' Mental healing The pair's lives are now a million miles away from their Playboy years, focussing on eating organic food, daily meditation, prayer and finding their inner peace. Karissa and Kristina, now aged 35, have shed the weight they gained and are embracing a new, grown-up look which they shared with fans in a new photoshoot. 11 11 "We do believe in Botox and some fillers, but we're reducing our breast implants," Karissa says. "We're changing our look. This is our transition in our 30s and you can see it. We're just trying to figure it out like everybody.' "We're healing and listening to our inner selves and keeping God first. We transformed our mental and now you can physically see how much better we are. It starts from within and it's all really connected," she continues. "We're excited to work hard, have fun and continue protecting our peace.' Ahead of the 2022 documentary, Playboy issued a statement responding to the 'abhorrent' allegations made in the programme. An open letter posted on its website said: 'First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences. 'As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable.' 'Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy.' Facts you didn't know about the Playboy Mansion Girlfriends vs Playmates Rumour has it that Hugh Hefner would have two to a dozen "girlfriends" living with him at a time. These girlfriends are not to be confused with Playmates. Each girlfriend had their own room, but one 'special lady' was named as girlfriend number one and stayed with Hef in his room. Each girlfriend received a $1,000 (£760) weekly bonus "allowance." Hef's Wild side The Playboy mansion was home to a private zoo. It was one of very few private residences that actually has a zoo license. Hefner was a fan of birds. Among his collection - many of which roamed the grounds - were peacocks, macaws, flamingos, toucans and ducks. The Elvis Legend Within the mansion was a secret room, called 'The Elvis Room.' Legend has it that the King himself, Elvis Presley, had a little slumber party in the room with up to eight eager bunnies.
