Former Playboy twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon have opened up about the emotional scars they say were left behind after living in Hugh Hefner’s infamous mansion.
Since Hefner passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, several women have come forward to share their experiences with the Playboy founder and what life was really like behind the mansion’s glamorous facade.
His former girlfriend, Holly Madison, described the environment as “cult-like,” while Kendra Wilkinson admitted that her time with Hefner left her struggling with “a bit of a sex issue.”
Karissa and Kristina Shannon became known during the final two seasons of The Girls Next Door, the reality series that followed Hefner’s life alongside his girlfriends—Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Wilkinson.
Now 35, the twins were only 19 when they first moved into the Playboy Mansion.
They recently sat down with People magazine to reflect on their time inside the notorious Hollywood estate.
Former Playboy twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Karissa reflected, “It was a total culture shock for us. Honestly… we were clueless. We didn’t grow up with a trendy, young mom who taught us about beauty routines. Makeup, hair, style—we knew none of it. And we were way younger than Bridget, Kendra, and Holly—we were literally just teens.”
Kristina chimed in, “We were genuinely just teenage girls. Totally natural—no veneers, no implants like the others, no extensions. Our skin looked sun-kissed because we were always outside in Florida. We didn’t try to look like anyone else.”
She continued, “A lot of the other Playmates were jealous. I mean, we were twins, and the first to have our own separate centerfold months. That was a first in Playboy history. Plus, we were the youngest Playmates ever, and the youngest of Hef’s girlfriends.”
Kristina also pointed out that “what people saw on TV and the show was completely staged—100 percent different from the reality behind the scenes.”
Karissa opened up about what came after their years of being in and out of the Playboy Mansion, according to People.
“We always say Playboy is part of who we are. We were fans before, and we still are, in a way. Even though it ended up being incredibly traumatic at times, there were still some amazing highs too,” she shared.
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)
Kristina spoke up, saying, “It even goes back to the way we were born. We know we were born three months early… When we were born, we weren’t breathing. Our lungs hadn’t fully developed.”
Karissa shared, “We’ve had to fight for our lives, our entire lives. We’ve been through a lot of trauma. We’re trauma bonded.”
As they worked to adjust to a more peaceful life, the twins realized that leaving Los Angeles might be the key to finding that balance.
“Kristina and I decided to leave. We didn’t know exactly where to go, so we figured we’d return to where we were born and leave LA behind,” Karissa explained.
“We sold the beauty salon we owned, packed up, and said, ‘Let’s get out of here and live a simpler life. Let’s focus on healing.’”
If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or visit 988lifeline.org for webchat support. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
