Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson says Playboy 'messed her whole life up'

Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson has opened up about how her time at Playboy affected her mental health.

The 38-year-old first stepped foot in the famed mansion at the age of 18 and appeared on the hit reality show Girls Next Door.

In a raw conversation with People, she revealed that she had to "face her demons" after Playboy "really messed my whole life up."

"I was young, fun and dumb. I made a crazy choice to live with an older man," she said, adding that she started developing "deep regret" afterwards and self-esteem issues.

"I hated my boobs, my body, my face. I got to that point where I started hating myself," she candidly shared.

In September 2023, Wilkinson checked herself into the hospital after suffering a panic attack. She began medication and therapy three times a week to tackle unresolved trauma from her time at the mansion and her divorce from Hank Baskett in 2019.

"I had to open up those dark questions like, ‘Why did I do this? 'What really happened to me?’ ‘Is this bad? Did something bad happen to me? Was it a bad thing to do to live at the Playboy mansion?'" she said. "At the end of the day, I had to really face the truth of it all. I had to face myself."

Reflecting back, Wilkinson said she does not want her daughter to have any similar experiences.

"At the end of the day, I don’t want my daughter sexualized at a young age like that. I had to dig deep. I had to really dig deep into my own life and be like, ‘Holy crap,’ at what age did I start to get sexualized and why was it completely okay for me to move in the mansion and not choose college instead?"

She went on to discuss her transformation from doing the work.

"A year ago, I was body-shaming. Now, I feel beautiful," she said. "I’m not wild as in taking my clothes off, partying, drinking tequila wild, but I really faced myself and my demons. I feel like I'm the best mom I can be. I'm giving my kids all I got. I'm giving myself all I got.

"I’m so proud of myself for battling this and finding the solution and getting the treatment I needed."

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