Crystal Harris urges Jessica Biel to reconsider Playmates role

Crystal Harris has urged Jessica Biel to reconsider playing Hugh Hefner’s wife in the upcoming film Playmates if the production portrays Hefner or Playboy in a romanticized way, citing what she says was abuse during her marriage to the founder of Playboy magazine. Harris made the appeal in a public Instagram post. She said she experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse in the relationship and referred to allegations by other women involving assault, coercion, drugging and exploitation. She also raised concerns involving minors and called on those making the film to hear from women who had lived through the Playboy world. The film’s premise centers on Elle, a 13-year-old who considers the Playboy Mansion a second home and befriends Anna, a young woman hoping to become a Playmate. The two characters help each other pursue their goals. Biel is set to portray a fictional wife of Hefner; the character is not based on one of his real spouses. Playmates is written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson and is loosely inspired by her childhood experiences visiting the mansion, according to its production description.