Bridget Marquardt supports Jessica Biel taking on the role of Hugh Hefner’s wife in an upcoming movie despite Crystal Hefner’s public plea for the actress to reconsider.
“I don’t think Jessica probably even knows who [Crystal] is. She might know now, but I don’t think that Jessica should respond,” Marquardt, 53, shared on the Thursday, October 15, episode of “The TMZ Podcast” hosted by Charlie Neff. “I think that they are looking for attention, and I don’t think she should respond to it. I think she should totally do the role.”
Earlier this month, Variety reported that Biel, 44, had been cast in the Playmates film as a fictionalized version of Hugh’s wife.
The movie is written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson, the daughter of Oscar winner Jack Nicholson who spent much of her childhood visiting the Playboy Mansion. It also stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Pullman and Indiana Elle. Pullman, 72, will be playing the late Playboy founder.
“I think [Crystal] might be confused on the time frame that is happening, or there just might be confusion,” Marquart shared about her reaction to the project. “Maybe I’m wrong about the time frame that’s happening but … as far as I know, this has nothing to do with her time period.”
The former Girls Next Door star continued, “I’m happy for Lorraine, and I’m excited to see what she comes up with. I believe that her time at the mansion was in the early to mid-‘90s, and she was kind of a teen, preteen. It’s such a unique time to be there. Hef was married with small kids. I’ve heard that the lifestyle and everything at the mansion was totally different back then. So, I’m excited to see the movie.”
In a recent Instagram post, Crystal, 40, shared a message she had written to Biel, asking her to reconsider playing Hugh’s wife. (Crystal was married to Hugh from 2012 until his death in 2017. She has described the Playboy Mansion as a toxic environment.)
“I hope everyone involved in this film takes the time to listen to the women who lived it before helping Hollywood turn it back into nostalgia,” she wrote via Instagram.
From Marquardt’s point of view, every woman who experienced the Playboy Mansion should be able to tell their story.
“The mansion is a fascinating place because so many people have come and gone and everybody has unique stories,” she shared. “There’s not two stories that are similar. Everybody has their own experiences that they had there.”
Marquardt continued, “What bothers me is if somebody doesn’t want other people to tell their story. I don’t like that she doesn’t want Lorraine to tell the story or Jessica to be a part of it. I feel like everybody should be allowed to tell their story — positive or negative.”
In a separate interview with TMZ, former Girls Next Door star Holly Madison also supported Biel’s role in the upcoming film.
“I can’t wait to see it,” she shared on October 10.
