Ex-Playboy Playmate Kristina Shannon Was 'Constantly Being Watched' at Mansion by 'Extremely Controlling' Hugh Hefner
Kristina Shannon has claimed Hugh Hefner was 'extremely controlling.'
July 30 2026, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Kristina Shannon has revealed just how tough it was living at the Playboy Mansion under Hugh Hefner's watch, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The ex-playmate claimed Hefner was "extremely controlling," placing strict rules on all of the women.
'Hef Wouldn't Let Me Go'
Kristina Shannon recalled living at the Playboy mansion, and the strict rules she had to follow.
According to Shannon, Hefner once placed her on "room arrest" after she wanted to travel to Rome, Italy, to work on a project with director Sofia Coppola.
"I remember one time Hef wouldn't let me go to Rome, Italy, to film a bigger part in the movie I was doing with Sofia Coppola," the 36-year-old told OK!. "I was even put on room arrest because Hef wanted everyone back by midnight so he could have his orgies."
She added, "It was a rule he demanded everyone follow." Shannon and her identical twin sister Karissa moved into the mansion after joining the reality show Girls Next Door in 2009. However, there were ups and downs while under Hefner's roof.
"Everything I did, from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep, was on camera while I lived at the mansion," she claimed.
Kristina Shannon on Playboy Mansion: 'Bad Things Happened'
Kristina Shannon lived in the Playboy mansion with her twin sister, Karissa.
"I was constantly being watched. I do appreciate some of the good things Hef did for me, but overall, everything was extremely controlled."
While Playboy helped expose Shannon to a wider audience, the model made it clear she also had something to do with launching her career.
She explained, "First off, he didn't launch my career. I was 15, working at WingHouse, and had already appeared on billboards, menus, and in commercials. But yes, Playboy definitely helped bring me into the mainstream."
"Playboy will always be a part of my life and, in many ways, my family,” Shannon added. "A lot of good things happened while I was there, but a lot of bad things happened too, especially considering how young I was. Therapy and working with my psychiatrist have helped me tremendously."
Kristina Shannon and Twin Sister Karissa Were 'Suicidal'
Kristina Shannon and her sister (L) claimed there was 'bullying' from the other playmates.
However, there were plenty of dark times for the sisters, especially after the mansion in 2010, as they found themselves struggling with alcohol, pills, and weight gain. The two also admitted to contemplating suicide.
"Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole (Smith) phase,'" Kristina previously told People, referring to the blonde bombshell who died at 39 years old from an accidental combined drug intoxication.
She continued, "We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us, trying to figure it out after losing ourselves."
During her time in the mansion with her twin sister, Kristina claimed there was tension, mainly due to "jealousy."
'Bullying' at the Playboy Mansion
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Hefner is said to had given the sisters 'special attention.'
"We got a lot of jealousy from the other Playmates because we were twins," she told the publication, and added, "We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made history. We were the youngest Playmates and the youngest girlfriends."
Karissa speculated the fellow Playmates' envy stemmed from Hefner giving them more "special attention."
"When we're taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture," Karissa recalled. "Or he would be like, 'Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them.' So the girls started getting really jealous."
According to Karissa, her sister would "cry" because "there was so much bullying."
