Hugh Hefner’s widow alleges his foundation stored thousands of sexual photos of women, “possibly girls”

By Austin Turner

The widow of “Playboy” mogul Hugh Hefner says she’s filing two complaints against her late husband’s foundation, alleging they possess thousands of scrapbooks containing lewd photos of women and “possibly” underage girls.

The allegations came to light during a news conference on Tuesday in the Los Angeles office of high-profile attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing Crystal Hefner in the case. Allred said it’s not clear how the foundation gained possession of the photos after Hefner’s 2017 death.

“Crystal [Hefner] has courageously chosen to speak out on this issue today, not only on her own behalf, but on behalf of thousands of other women and possibly girls who are depicted in the scrapbooks and/or referenced in Hugh Hefner’s personal sex diary,” Allred said.

Crystal Hefner claims she was removed as president of the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation on Monday after voicing her concern over the about 3,000 scrapbooks, which she alleges contain images of thousands of female individuals taken before, during and after sexual encounters. She was previously asked to resign, but refused, she said.

“It is critical for the public to understand that I am not referring to images that appeared in magazines,” Crystal Hefner said. “My focus is on how Hugh Hefner’s personal scrapbooks chronicled private moments that took place behind closed doors.”

She said the scrapbooks date back to the 1960s, the second decade of Playboy’s existence, and could contain images of young girls who were underage at the time of the photos being taken. Crystal Hefner and Allred did not outright confirm the existence of child pornography within the scrapbooks.

The current location of the scrapbooks is unknown, but Crystal claims she was told many could be in storage at private facilities in California, and added she was previously told by members within the foundation that some could be inside private residences, where the photos could be digitized.

Allred also says Hugh Hefner’s diary detailing private information about sexual encounters with women, and even details as graphic as the tracking of menstrual cycles of sexual partners, could also be in the foundation’s possession.

CBS LA reached out to the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation for comment, but had yet to hear back as of Tuesday afternoon.

Allred says two complaints will be filed in the case – one in California, where Hugh Hefner resided, and one in Illinois, where the foundation is headquartered. The goal of the complaints, she said, will be to start investigations headed by the attorney generals in each state.

She added that she does not believe the images have been distributed without the consent of the individuals with photos inside the scrapbooks, but digitizing them could leave privacy concerns in the event of a cyberattack or leak.

“We are informed that they are digitizing [the photos] but there are not plans to distribute them,” Allred said. “If they’re digitizing them, which may not be against the law, what are they planning to do with them?”

When asked if destroying the books and photos is her end goal, Allred said she and Crystal Hefner “aren’t against” it, but said assurance that they won’t be distributed is the first objective.

The Hefner family released a Feb. 18 statement in response to Crystal Harris. 

“In response to recent public comments made by Crystal Harris regarding our father, Hugh Hefner, and his scrapbooks, we have personally reviewed these materials extensively over many years, as have numerous historians, filmmakers, and journalists, including those who have both celebrated and critically examined his life’s work.

Over more than a quarter century of familiarity with these materials, we have never seen inappropriate images of minors, as has been suggested. The scrapbooks document decades of personal, professional, and family history. Our father lived much of his life publicly and assembled these materials as a historical record, with the intention that they ultimately be preserved and reviewed in full context, not hidden or concealed. We believe claims of this magnitude should be supported by evidence and precision, not implication without proof. 

We support the preservation of the scrapbooks in partnership with a university or museum, along with responsible public access consistent with his long standing wishes,” Marston and Cooper Hefner wrote in a statement.