Crystal Harris, the widow of Hugh Hefner, has publicly called on actress Jessica Biel to reconsider her involvement in an upcoming film centered on the Playboy Mansion. The plea follows the announcement that Biel has joined the cast of Playmates, a Searchlight Pictures production that explores the environment of the infamous estate.
In a message directed at Biel on October 8, 2026, Harris detailed a series of grave allegations regarding her time at the mansion. She stated that she experienced “sexual, emotional, physical, and financial abuse” during her marriage to the Playboy founder. Harris was married to Hefner from 2012 until his death in 2017.
According to reporting from TheWrap, Harris expressed concern that the film risks romanticizing a culture she claims was defined by trauma. Beyond her own experiences, Harris cited broader allegations from other women within the Playboy orbit, including reports of drugging, coercion, and sexual assault, as well as concerns regarding the presence of minors at the mansion.
The film, Playmates, is written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson, who is the daughter of actor Jack Nicholson. Nicholson has stated that the project is a coming-of-age story inspired by her own childhood experiences visiting the Playboy Mansion. Bill Pullman is set to portray Hugh Hefner, while Biel is expected to play a former Playmate and wife of the publishing mogul. The cast also reportedly includes Lily-Rose Depp and Indiana Elle.
Harris has been vocal about the darker realities of life with Hefner since the release of her January 2024 memoir, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself. In the book, she detailed the “coercive control” she says she lived under, describing a highly regulated lifestyle and the psychological impact of the mansion’s environment. Her recent public message suggests a continued effort to challenge nostalgic portrayals of the Playboy era.
The timing of Harris’s plea coincides with a significant career moment for Biel. The casting news for Playmates arrived just as Biel’s latest feature, Matchbox: The Movie, premiered on Apple TV+.
Neither Biel nor representatives for Searchlight Pictures have publicly responded to Harris’s request. The production of Playmates remains in pre-production, as the industry continues to grapple with the legacy of figures like Hefner in the wake of numerous survivor accounts documented in recent years.
