The sons of Hugh Hefner are pushing back against recent allegations tied to their father’s personal archives, firmly denying claims that the materials include images of minors.
In a statement issued to Canadian outlet Global News, Cooper and Marston Hefner said they have spent decades reviewing the collection in question and have never encountered anything resembling what has been alleged.
“Over more than a quarter century of familiarity with these materials, we have never seen inappropriate images of minors,” they said, adding that the archive has also been examined by historians, journalists, and filmmakers over the years.
The brothers described the scrapbooks as a long-running record of their father’s life, documenting personal, professional, and family history. They emphasized that the materials were never intended to be hidden, but rather preserved with context.
“Our father lived much of his life publicly and assembled these materials as a historical record,” they said, noting that they would support efforts to place the collection with a university or museum for proper review.
They also addressed the seriousness of the accusations directly, stating, “We believe claims of this magnitude should be supported by evidence and precision, not implication without proof.”
The response comes after allegations made earlier this week by Crystal Hefner, the late founder’s widow, who has raised concerns about what is contained within those same archives connected to Playboy.
According to her claims, the archive includes thousands of scrapbooks containing explicit images, along with journals documenting intimate encounters.
Crystal Hefner alleged that some images may have been taken without full consent, including situations where women were impaired. She also raised the possibility that some individuals depicted could have been underage at the time the images were captured.
“The materials span decades… and may include images of girls who were underage at the time,” she said during a press conference.
She further warned about the risks tied to digitizing the archive, pointing to modern threats like data breaches and misuse through artificial intelligence. “A single security failure could devastate thousands of lives,” she said.
Crystal Hefner also claimed she was removed from her leadership role within the foundation after voicing concerns internally. Her attorney, Gloria Allred, has called for a formal investigation into how the materials are being handled.
If you suspect child exploitation or abuse, report it immediately to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at CyberTipline.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST.