The Girls Next Door premiered on E! in 2005 to skeptical viewers unsure how they would feel watching a show based on the luxurious lifestyle of the notorious playboy Hugh Hefner, made rich and famous by the magazine Playboy. However, fans quickly responded to the shows main focus, Hef's bubbly, fun and busty, three girlfriends: Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson.
Each bunny has her own distinct identity: Holly is the Glamor Barbie, Bridget the Girly-Girl and Kendra the Sporty Bunny. And each girlfriend carved a niche in viewer's hearts. You didn't need to be that into Playboy, or what Playboy stands for, to love the girls or the girls next door.
The Breakup Begins
The girls' seemingly idyllic life at the Playboy Mansion seemed like it would never end, until rumors began to spread halfway through 2008 that there was trouble in paradise. Though Holly and Hef, the main couple in this foursome, where supposedly getting ready to have a baby, TMZ posted a video [October 7, 2008] outside of the mansion where Holly confirms that she and Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner are no longer an item. This coming right off an interview with E! late night entertainer Chelsea Lately, in which Holly confirms she and Hef are still an item.
Stories begin to surface claiming that Holly and Hef did in fact try to have a baby together, but Hef's sperm count was too low and therefore, their dreams where never realized. Though it is unclear how the relationship ended, Hugh Hefner tells Us Magazine, "I had planned to spend the rest of my life with Holly...we planned to have a baby together, but it didn't work out," [October 8, 2008].
The Plot Thickens
The plot thickened when Holly Madison moved into a new condo in Santa Monica, Ca. Rumors quickly spread that she left rich Hef for Las Vegas illusionist Criss Angel. And that perhaps, the two had been a couple for longer than just a few weeks.
Finally, on November 7, 2008, after dodging the paparazzi, claiming they were just friends and avoiding one another while continually being caught canoodling behind the scene of Angel's show, the pair made it official at his Cirque Du Soleil "Believe" debut. Walking the carpet together, holding hands and showing public displays of affection sealed the deal that they were indeed a serious couple.
Around the same time Kendra Wilkinson, Hef's youngest girlfriend, announces that she has gotten engaged to football player Hank Basset. The ever gregarious Hef has even offered to throw her a wedding at the mansion and give the bride away. Hef's main squeeze Holly had already packed her bags and now Kendra was engaged to be married.
Through all of this change, however, statements made were brief and along the lines of, "I'm happy for you" and "change happens." On Hef's part at least. With Bridget shooting a special travel feature on the worlds best beaches - her comments were left out of the limelight.
The Girlfriend's Back
All eyes have been to Bridget, the remaining girlfriend to determine the fate of the Girls Next Door as a show on E! and also as a glimmer of hope for fans that thought possibly, just maybe, this was all a misunderstanding, or outlandish publicity stunt to rev up the ratings.
Bridget remained silent, until now. At the start of 2009, as fans waited with bated breath, Bridget announced that she too, will be leaving the Playboy Mansion as one of Hef's girlfriends. She says, "He is excited and happy for me," [Transworldnews, January 15, 2009].
Bridget claims her move has nothing to do with the Holly and Hef scandal or with Kendra moving out to marry Hank Basset. She says that she just felt it was time to move on and pursue other career interests.
More Drama, Drama
For awhile, it seems as if that was the end of The Girls Next Door dating drama. As no surprise to anyone, Hef added new girlfriends to the mansion, including a set of 19-year old twins. Reports surfaced about how amicable it was all going. How the girls still had their stuff at the mansion to sort out and they could come and go as they please while they transitioned out of the millionaire lifestyle.
Mansion Smackdown:
- November 21, 2008 Holly Madison told the Daily Telegraph that she doesn't wear as much makeup now that she is with Criss Angel. She is quoted as saying, "...I barely wear lip gloss anymore because I'm always making out with my boyfriend..." she goes on to say, "Apparently, I wasn't making out with Hef as much."
- Holly has said in numerous articles and interviews that living with Hef was stressful and that he was very high maintenance.
- Hef retaliated when he told reporters he would happily walk Kendra down the aisle, but not Holly.
And it Gets Even Better:
The January 17 edition of US Weekly gives fans and critics alike an inside look at what mansion life was really like as a girlfriend. Straight from the source: Kendra Wilkinson. In her "tell-all" article, she claims she snuck out of the mansion to have sex. She also claims that she and Hef rarely saw each other during the day and only went out once per week.
Will the Girls make a comeback?
Kendra Wilkinson has apologized in person and through the media to Hef and the other girls about her comments. She knows they were hurtful, but that she can't take them back. At this point - the idea of Hef hosting a wedding for a cheater ex-girlfriend seems a little unrealistic. But who knows? Stranger things have happened in Los Angeles.
