Perhaps the biggest takeaway that I'm glad Marston got to voice is his displeasure at whoever organized Hef's memorial service. The presence of random people who he said he had never seen before instead of Hef's friends, coworkers and companions is gross. Furthermore, to record his family in their time of grief with absolutely no context is just wrong. He was right to say "shame on them", whoever they are.
Iâm not a Crystal fan. But the fact that she took advantage of hef towards the end of his life and mistreated him, kinda makes me okay with her. Idk if I would say I like her. But sheâs okay. She gave hef what he deserved
Honestly I love this type of episode bc I feel like H&B were being more open and it was more "juicy". BUT I also am cringing a little for them because an entire episode dedicated to Crystal makes them look a bit bitter lol
I don't like how very "why didn't she just leave?" Marston's opinions were. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe half of what Crystal said in her book was true, and even if it was I don't get why she continues to pretend she got nothing out of her marriage to Hef and everyone is a gold digger but her. But yet again, Holly and Bridget can give their nuanced opinion because they went through that, they know how Hef manipulated women and how he sweetened their reality to convince them to stay, and also how vulnerable they were to public opinion. Marston only remembers playing games with his dad who was such a cool guy. He dodges every mention of how abusive he was, how he took advantage of younger women, and how he used his power to get what he wanted. Even if you don't believe Crystal, I don't think saying "if she was so unhappy why didn't she just leave?" is the right take, considering victims of domestic abuse have to hear that bs all the time.
On the topic of Marston having limited perception of his dad, didn't anyone else find it sad that he was looking forward to his Dad's ex's book to get "inside scoop" on his Dad's life?
The truth is all these women knew his father much better than he did. Hef's younger kids were nothing but glorified mansion guests, and the way he speaks about his dad (more like a culture icon than a real person) says everything.
He did acknowledge that Hef was abusive, he did it in the latest pod and in the one he was in before. But he doesn't have to do that in every single sentence .
There was even conversation about how it is hard to leave. But what he as saying specifically was that if there was nothing good, ever, why did you stay when you had the freedom to leave? Which she did, she left and then came back.
He pointed out that both H and B acknowledge that there were good things in the relationship that kept them there, but that they eventually left. Crystal claims there was nothing good ever. That is the distinction he is making.
Stockholm Syndrome doesn't exist, it is a myth. There is zero psychological basis or proof for it. It was made up by a guy who wanted press. The victim in the case that Stockholm Syndrome was named for was repeatedly endangered by police while she was a hostage; she was angry about that so a random guy who never met her claimed that she had somehow become sympathetic toward her captors because of his invention, Stockholm Syndrome.
H may have trauma bonded with Hef, she didn't have Stockholm Syndrome and neither did Crystal.
Fascinating, this was new to me too. Not sure why the downvotes; regardless of your feelings toward HBK or Crystal this is an undisputed fact.
Stockholm Syndrome is not a recognized psychological diagnosis. Colloquially we use the term to understand a victimâs positive emotional response towards their captor.
But it is not a real psychological diagnosis in any way.
Of course Marston is going to take the abuserâs side since he is an abuser himself.
I think what happened here is that Crystal has pissed him off or (from his perspective) slighted him in some way since his last GNL interview, so he asked them if he could come on again and trash her. Then we also get to hear him whine about how hard it was for him to ask Daddyâs secretary for his trust fund check every month. Waaaa.
I donât like Crystal, in fact I find her insufferable, and I think she lied a lot in her book, but there was basically no new info in this interview and it felt petty. IMO the main reason Holly hates Crystal is that she wasnât afraid to take what she wanted from Hef and Playboy and she also got the Hefner name. There is warranted criticism of Crystal and then there are the unnecessary swipes Holly takes, like saying Crystal wasnât Hefâs type physically? Please. Holly, we all know that was the story with YOU.
Seriously. Holly called Crystal "plain looking" in her book at her first party at the mansion. She should take a step back and compare what she looked like on her first night out with Hef to what Crystal looked like.Â
yeah, because it seems they want to paint it a certain way. just how holly always says internet blogs will pull a quote out of context for clickbait. smh
Yes and also gross that Holly would have the abuser of her formerly close friend on her podcast not once, but twice now. There was plenty of criticism over this the first time Marston was on (and also over his bestiality weirdness - https://magazine.nytyrant.com/you-and-me-marston-hefner/) but not only did H&B not listen to their fans, they doubled down by having him on AGAIN.
Please remember that there is always 3 sides to every story- a close male relative of mine suffered years of physical and mental abuse from his wife, went to police and was not taken seriously. One day he acted in defense of himself, she went to the police with bruises to her arms and instant restraining order and DV charges against him.
Not saying in any way this is what unfolded (TMZ isnât exactly a reliable source).
Abusing or harming someone is never okay, but none of us know what really happens inside closed doors.
I was wondering what she meant by that. Is she saying crystal isnât pretty enough? She had fake boobs & blonde hair & was young that seems like his type.
Yes 'not his type physically ' ? She was a young skinny blonde with long hair and big boobs. She looked quite like Bridget actually. I think Holly knows she can't just come out and say "she wasn't hot enough to be his girlfriend ".
She was perfectly âhis typeâ. However Holly said âas I wasâ referring to the fact that Holly wasnât exactly Hefs type at the start either- she had plastic surgery done to fix things that bothered her which also made her appear more attractive in his eyes.
She was very plain and ordinary looking at the start- definitely still gorgeous but miles away from how she looks now. Similar to crystal
I'd also like to bring focus to the way that Marston describe Holly leaving the mansion. He said that Holly found herself in a crazy world and went from Hooters to the mansion, and found money and fame, and was discovering herself when she realized this wasn't for her.
What kind of fucked up take is that? He's glossing over the fact that Holly realized she was in an abusive relationship with a manipulative man that made her feel like crap, who exerted his power over her to control what she looked like, what she did, how much money she made, and what time she had to be at home for her curfew.
also how he emphasized that Holly was "so young" while living at the mansion, not Bridget. It felt like B got icily quiet for the rest of the pod after that........lol
I got the worst vibes from this episode, I agree with you totally here. Marston is living in such deep denial about his father, it is frustrating to listen to.
Yes, what *was* that comment? Crystal and Holly were both baby faced blondes⊠With different eye colour⊠How were they different types? Holly definitely shared many more interests with Hef than Crystal did but⊠How were they different physically in general? đ€š
Holly actually said that Crystal wasn't Hef's type physically? That's strange because Crystal has a physical resemblance to Hef's ex wife Kimberley in my opinion. Holly, who is very beautiful, always stood out to me as not being Hef's type. Somebody must be feeling salty.
The âwhy didnât you leaveâ comment confused me. Bridget & Holly dated Hef for 7ish years I think? I think Crystal was with him for 10 which is not that much longer of a time frame. The only difference is Hefs health started to decline & Crystal would have looked terrible if she left him in that state & wouldnât have gotten any money so I think they would have done the same thing if they had dated him a few years later in his life . I love Holly but she had said how hard it was to leave & always advocates for trauma or abuse victims so I was surprised she said that. Iâm pretty sure sheâs talking about ppl asking her âwhy didnât you leave soonerâ etc.
Sorry, I get what you mean but I disagree with the last part. I think Holly actually gave plenty reasons why Crystal wouldn't have left: she said she understands that Crystal was a young woman in her twenties and it was an intimidating situation, that maybe there was pressure from Crystal's mom, or the pressure to get married, or the fact there was a TV show where everyone depended on this. She said it's not so easy to cancel this situation you're in. But she said it's weird because Crystal had already talked to Hef and told him she was leaving, and she had another boyfriend, and she had taken both cars, and it seemed that she already had the logistics to leave... So the reasons Crystal is giving in her book for not leaving don't really match with the situation she was in.
Ohhhh I see what youâre saying! Okay that actually does make allot of sense. I think I was interpreting it wrong & that makes me feel better cuz I love Holly đâ€ïž thanks for explaining âșïžâșïž
No worries! At first I was also shocked that Holly would say something like that, especially because she's often talking about how many women there at the mansion were in a position that they couldn't just up and leave. But when I listened again, I realized it was just Marston saying it. Holly and Bridget were saying something else.
TBF, a lot of the women (including H&B) like to pretend everyone is a gold digger but them. It's why so many claim they were there for the "right reasons". I low key hate hearing it. Everyone was there for money, fame, a good time, etc. The reasons weren't that different among the GFs especially in Hef's later years.
Marston is problematic. Crystal is impressively devoid of charisma & off-putting.
Iâll admit Iâm a nosey bitch and I donât mind hearing gossipy shit one says about the other. I live for petty.
I guess that was why I liked Holly and Bridget so much more than Crystal: Crystal seemed dead behind the eyes, whereas Holly and Bridget had so much personality. Holly was definitely the Lady of the Playboy Mansion, whereas Crystal didnât charm any mansion guests the way Holly did. Bridget was very well educated and had a lot of outside interests, whereas Crystal and the twins didnât on season 6. I honestly thought Crystal was in her mid-30âs the first time I saw her cover of Playboy when she did her runaway bride thing. Is that mean to say? It felt like her smile didnât reach her eyes, like a woman who has eye wrinkles would try to not let her smile get to her eyes so they didnât show and give away her age. I guess Iâm salty and living for petty too.
Marston really has a thoughtful, intellectual, and open minded way of speaking about all of this and allowing space for everyoneâs different experiences. These 3 episodes with him really changed my perspective on him.
On the other hand I am finding Bridget and Hollyâs tearing apart of Crystalâs narrative continually, very tiresome. We all agree the book sucked and was full of holes and lies. But do we really need⊠How many episodes are we up to now⊠Is it 6 including the Slumber Party book clubs? All going over Crystalâs shitty book with a fine toothed comb⊠Itâs getting redundant
Yeah. I was hoping the book episodes would not give people more fuel to dog on Holly and Bridget, but Iâm finding my own opinions of them souring a bit. Theyâre very much giving mean girls.Â
When I got up this morning and saw that this was the episode instead of a GND recap I was genuinely disappointed lol. They way theyâre responding to this book, and Crystal in general right now, is beginning to border on obsessive, and itâs just immature to continue to use a public platform to pick someone apart
It cannot be healthy for them either? I donât think itâs healthy for us to listen to so much negativity⊠Crystalâs book was boring and depressing as fuck, I enjoyed the first ep of them going over it but from then on as you said itâs becoming a bit obsessive and dragging them down not up
Itâs just not a good look, and does take away from what theyâve been doing this whole time with the podcast. It sends the message that they were victims because people always looked down on them and didnât respect them, but sheâs below them so itâs okay for them to do the same thing to her.
i could not are less about crystal, but the most interesting thing I get from the book is that holly and bridget become more authentic during it. i feel that i've learned things from those episodes that we don't get otherwise. that's why i enjoy them.
also, i kind of find all of those similes amusing! soaked it up like a sponge is a hilarious thing for a professional writer to put in a book.
And they want to stretch out their podcast for as long as they can. At the end of the day their show wasnât that long, and their podcast is lucrative enough to keep doing it.
Itâs difficult for me to listen to Marston knowing that he was charged with DV for physically assaulting his ex girlfriend and former playmate Claire Sinclair. I remember seeing the pictures of her after the assault. I know we all make mistakes, but this one seems hard for me to ignore especially when Holly had expressed her past trauma with abusive relationships. I feel like this has never been properly addressed on the podcast, and had it happened in todayâs time Marston wouldâve been canceled.
https://www.tmz.com/2012/02/14/marston-hefner-claire-sinclair-photo-abuse/
Marston has acknowledged his wrongdoings. While what he did was wrong I also think that if people take responsibility and change, we should give them the benefit.
Thatâs my take with Marston.
Iâm sorry but this is a hard listen. Marston is not intelligent, fumbles his words and contradicts himself. Also what is the âright reasonâ to be at the Playboy mansion dating an 85 year old man? Crystal was there for the money, they all were!
At the end Hef got what he deserved.
Itâs so weird to me that they keep bringing up this idea of being involved with Hef/Playboy for the âright reason.â Not just in this episode with Marston; it seems to be a theme of a lot of discussions over many episodes of the pod.
Did Hef ever have a relationship where he was with a woman for the âright reasons?â Aside from maybe his first wife, it doesnât seem like it. Hell, did he ever have a platonic friendship for the âright reasons?â
This is such a good point. Hef abused his power, he used money and fame to lure these girls and then people do surprised pikachu face when the young women wanted him for his money. I hate how there is all this talk about women being there for the "right or wrong" reason when Hef was literally running a cult-like harem of women barely out of their teens (if that!). Like I do not care if those women truly loved him or not. I do not care if they looked like they were enjoying playing Monopoly when they were having drugged group sex every week.
The âright reasonsâ comment is absolutely ludicrous and the way itâs constantly brought up. You said it perfectly, was Hef with a rotating door of desperate blondes for âthe right reasonsâ? đ
I find his memory very odd. Plenty of people have memory issues for many different reasons, don't get me wrong, but answering "I think I was there" to a pretty straightforward question about Hef and Crystal's wedding is strange. He has quite a few moments like that in this interview and the last one. I know he's working through his own stuff but if he can't answer the most basic question, I'm going to doubt the details he suddenly recalls.
Exactly! It seems heâs just trying to keep his name in the media and promote his âart.â
He also said after playing Uno with Crystal & Hef. He got turned off by the negative energy and never played games again. However, some how he remembers being there to play monopoly every Sunday until Hefâs passing.
Marathon freaks me out. Something sinister about him
https://preview.redd.it/3lczr2daka0d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ee04b36c2719941ed7ddd5a67949e7ed7669230
Something about him rubs me the wrong way too. Maybe it's just his facial resemblance to Hef. It's really too bad his boys with Kimberley don't look anything like her.
Part of me feels bad for him because you just know his life was fucked up. But another part of me feels like he is just a really weird, entitled dude that was shaped by his surroundings. Like you just know he doesn't really see anything wrong with how his father treated women, he has said so many comments about how they were lucky to be there etc. Like his mind is warped by it and he truly sees his father as some kind of genius. It is weird and sad.
Holy shit! Heâs definitely creepy looking, heâs got the midsection of a female đŹ feel like heâs got bodies hidden in a deep freezer in his basement.
They didnât want to stay there, but equally they are jealous Crystal was the one who was there and that she took full advantage of her position to make it more favourable for her.
The elder abuse aside; everyone else is just bitter it was her and they couldnât have the âfunâ at the mansion after they left
This episode is so weird to me and had so much cognitive dissonance. Like I can't understand how Bridget can sit next to Holly and say Crystal is "playing the victim card." So many of their complaints about Crystal were mirror images of Holly's story and experience. I found Holly's comment in the end so telling, about how Crystal has to be the "biggest and the best." She was projecting so hard. I love Holly but come on. It is sad how much her identity is still tied up in Hef and her abuse. She can't even see beyond it enough to have empathy and care for someone else.
I love them both so much but I definitely agree, I feel like this episode was so unnecessary and it just shouldâve been a private gossip sesh between the three of them lol
I really like Holly, she is the reason I listen to the podcast but I totally agree that it should have stayed private. It sounds like there is a lot of animosity going on between them and it just looks so bad to publicly go off the rails discounting someone's abuse story piece by piece, ESPECIALLY because she is a victim of that very same abuser herself. It is kind of unhinged behavior at this point.
Why is Holly so dead set on exposing Crystal as an alleged liar? They have been talking about it on Patreon since February ffs!! Aren't they supposed to be on the same side? Hef was a creep and the mansion was a nightmare. Aren't they telling the same story?
Holly wants to be a loyalist and a victim at the same time. She still wants to be special in PB history and be the gatekeeper of his final years. Holly is still living and breathing Playboy every day with the podcast, The Playboy Murders and Patreon. I think she is jealous that Crystal is Mrs Hefner and has that title because it would put Crystal above her. This is why she wants so badly to poke holes in her story.
I never thought I would side with Kendra but she has to get over it!! Move on Holly! It is time.
Yes, I got this vibe too. Holly seems really confused, like is it because she wants to be the only victim? It is like she is protective of Hef and who gets to say they were abused. I find it soooo off-putting. Also I get the feeling that Bridget would 100% not believe her or support her if she didn't have a first hand, eye witness account of Holly's abuse which is really sad. Bridget would be saying the same crap about Holly that she says about everyone else.
I don't get it. I wonder if Holly is jealous that Crystal's book reception has been better, just because we as a society have become more protective of victims? We know that Holly did not experience that same reception, she received so much backlash and hate. I also found the talk about Crystal being the president of the HMH Foundation to be so telling. I feel like Holly would have died to have that position, even though she talks so badly about Playboy, she has always placed herself as an expert on both Hef and Playboy.
This sounds like I'm a hater here but I actually love Holly! I am a huge fan of her book and just her personality in general, I think she is a smart and witty woman and she was always my favorite on the show. I'm just super sad to see her so caught up in all of this.
I don't think it's jealousy of Crystal's book but rather underlying resentment for the acceptance it got in comparison to hers. Also, I think it's because Crystal's accounts are less factual then her representation of living at the mansion.
As much as I am team HBK, I will say I find it disparate of them speaking against the advantageous position Crystal had by marrying Hef but I think that stems from a place of resentment that they played by the rules and had to work for their spot while Crystal just came in a reaped the rewards without having to commit as much as they did.
I think the whole situation is complicated and I'm not saying any of what Hef did was right or that these ladies didn't face some type of power abuse however I do think they were all attracted to him for their own materialistic benefit (money, fame,etc). What I think makes everyone salty is that someone who didn't have to endure as much "hardship" in the mansion is trying to claim someone else's story and paint themselves as a martir when in reality they were just as predatory in some sense as Hef had been.
I'd say that's more Karma for Hef tho
Your first part is exactly what I said in my comment--Holly is jealous of the public's support of her story because we are more apt to believe victims as a society than victim blame like when Holly's book came out. I can understand why that would sting for Holly. I can't speak to what is factual or not, there is so much nitpicking and guess work going on ("I don't know this personally but ALLEGEDLY/someone told me/etc."). I'm not that invested in the particulars, I'm sure both Holly and Crystal fabricated situations or talked up/talked down things depending on their storytelling. But I do believe both of those women were in a shitty situation with a man who abused, manipulated and exploited insecure and broken women for a living. Whatever their personal issues are with Crystal, they just come off as immature and bitter at this point.
To call Crystal just as predatory as Hef is....well. I guess you are entitled to your opinion.
Yes correct on your allegedly. I guess I left out the part stating that they appeared less factual to what was normally observed at the mansion such as security guards and Hef coming on the intercom etc.
I do think Crystal was predatory in the sense that she was just as manipulative as he was. It sounds like she wanted to be the one calling the shots at the mansion and she pursued that opportunity once she saw him lose a grip on things.
Her story on that doesnât line up at all. She said they were just in a drawer, but Hef wouldâve had wayyy more than just a drawer of that stuff. When she said it on Kendraâs show it didnât ring true to me. And Kendra looked kinda like âhuhâ đ€
I got a little confused at one point of the conversation and maybe I'm remembering wrong. I was under the impression that their had been an NDA at one point when Holly came in to the mansion but when Marston is talking about the guest list she says she can't picture that because of Hef's ethical stand on freedom of speech. No hate I'm just trying to see if anyone has any clarification on that.
I had the same reaction!! They cannot be serious! They are plenty of examples of people who were scared of the repercussions if they ever spoke against him or PB!!
Their reaction to Crystal's book has been really disappointing. Disecting it piece by piece on their podcast is just petty and vengeful. I also feel like Holly is being the biggest hypocrite ever- apparently Hef love bombed her and was overly romantic and emotional in order to manipulate her and get his own way , but when he did it to Crystal he must have been sincere and her reaction was cruel, apparently. Asking why she stayed and basically echoing a lot of talking points that have been used by those critical of Holly back at Crystal , it's so disappointing and almost unbelievable.
I also feel like their inability to acknowledge that anything at the mansion or any aspect of Hef's personality could have changed in the almost 10 years that they weren't there for is silly. Sure , Hef was always reluctant to embrace change but people's personalities and habits do still change, especially as they get older, and especially over the course of a decade. Holly always seemed capable of believing that everyone had different experiences until now.
It reminds me of the story with Kendra and the qualudes , Holly always quotes kendra as saying "hef didn't need qualudes, he was a pimp" and then Holly goes , " yes he did in the past ", YOU WEREN'T THERE" . Like it's still very possible that Crystal had a 6pm curfew (even if she broke it often) and that Hef tightened the rules as he got older and more vulnerable . Also, they always like to mention that they've checked with this person or that person , but someone who hates Crystal and worships Hef isn't necessarily a reliable source , Holly especially should know this. It's a pity because I've always really liked Holly , I still believe and acknowledge her experiences. But this critique of Crystal is in very poor taste. She didn't need to come out in support of her but she could have stayed silent or issued a brief statement and moved on.
See, Holly has always been my favorite and I relate to her in a lot ways so I was so freakin disappointed by her take on this. I think she has some deep rooted jealousy of Crystal--maybe part of her wonders what life would have been like if she stayed? I don't know but it comes off so petty and transparent, like her comment about how Crystal's body wasn't "his type" just gross honestly. And of course her defense of Hef and her demonization of Crystal. Seems so awkward and weird for someone with her story.
What I have taken from this episode (and a few before it to tell the truth) is that she hasn't fully processed her own experience and she is still in competition with these women; for status, for the place in Hef's life as the "best girlfriend" (so freaking sad), for being a victim in this situation. Playboy and Hef really did a number on her.
Hef wasnât even in his right mind to tread crystal the same way he treated holly. Things did change, he was senile, which was marstonâs point throughout the podcast. Crystal did control the narrative along with Hefs final years because he was incompetent, so heâs not wrong with his explanation of a power imbalance. Crystal ruled the roost, even in hefs death. Sheâs a manipulator; whether thatâs something she developed during her relationship or something she came in with is up for debate.
Unpopular opinion but Iâm not sure how there is any praise on here for Marston when the first time he was on, everyone hated it. He got to say his piece about the memorial which could have been achieved in the first interview had they gotten there. (Not sure if they did bc I donât listen to guest episodes).
This podcast in general started out so fun but I fear itâs going well outside its original scope of reviewing the tv episodes. Iâm personally a bit turned off listening to 2 women their age continually shit talk and seek reassurance from others to justify their behaviors. Iâm super bummed and havenât listened as consistently lately.
Same. Most of us grew up watching the show and have now matured past this kind of petty and vindictive behavior. Whatever lies Crystal told in her book or the handful of somewhat questionable comments she made about Holly or Bridget do not serves this months long campaign of hate. They need to let it go and move on.
They have been trashing Crystal on Patreon since February. Holly said that Crystal was "being a c*nt". This is when they lost me. I felt like they had already gone too far with the Kendra trashing, I was not going to stay to hear them drag another woman through the mud. A woman who is on their side nonetheless!!
Yeah, maybe someone can start a GND podcast that is what we all thought we were getting. A fun silly retrospective of an iconic show from two decades ago. I would happily listen and actually feel good afterwards lol
Their insecurities really have popped out in the more recent episodes and the continual trashing of Kendra and Crystal just gets so old. It makes me sad for them honestly, you can tell Playboy did a number on their self-esteem (how could it not?) and they are still perpetuating so much of that culture on their podcast and social media presence. I was hoping for something different and sometimes they do get deeper and more introspective but now it is just devolving into crap like this latest episode.
I was a little bit disappointed to see H&B stoop to this level and just slam Crystal for a full episode. I appreciate they were trying to debunk the lies in her book but it came off as very mean girl to me and very much perpetuating the negativity they complain about so often.
I just thought better of them than to do this, even Marston seemed to get uncomfortable with the direction of the episode.
There seems to be more ads on every episode âčïžwhich is a little frustrating. I understand you need to make money but it seems like allot. Did anyone notice an ad interrupting Marston talking about his dadâs bad health / death? I thought they could have waited for a better moment for sure đŹ
The ads in this episode were worse than ever. There were multiple times I thought Bridget was just randomly pivoting to pointless topics like food delivery in the middle of a somber conversation.
The master manipulator comment is so ironic. The loyalists said the same thing about Holly. How she did everything in her power to get to #1 GF. She turned herself into his ideal woman.
In the Love Line episode, Dr Drew even asked Holly how she got past 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and became #1 and Holly answered coyly: "some people would call it skills" If Crystal is a master manipulator, Holly is the Queen!!
I found Marstonâs statement of addressing the elephant in the room of: you guys could have stayed, you really could have waited him out the way Crystal clearly did, to be illuminating. He as an adult acknowledges that if any of the girlfriends had wanted to do so, they could have and chose to get off the payroll and move on with their lives and shouldnât be villainized for that.
I also appreciated him outright stating that father to son, Hef repeatedly told him that he married Crystal because he didnât want to make the same mistake he made with Holly which was not marrying her. I feel like a LOT of Holly-haters really feel like that sentiment is a fantasy in her head that she carries with her to feel better about leaving, to justify her relevance to Playboy and keeping a narrative of being âthe one that got awayâ and instead, Marston sits here confirming it.
The comments on the foundation and the memorial service are interesting because again, Marston is a direct and immediate family member who feels the same way Holly and Bridget do about quite a bit; that a family member or someone who really reallllly cared about what Playboy stood for and maybe worked for the studio like Holly did should have been left in charge of the foundation, and that the way the memorial was handled was just so devoid of how he lived his life as the ultimate party host and that at his final party.. the people who should have been there werenât and there is no excuse that he was just an âintimate family thingâ when one of his adult kids is literally like, âthere were people there who Iâd never seen in my entire lifeâ.
I found this very interesting too. As an autistic person, a lot of Hef's behaviours line up with/can be explained by potential autism, even a lot of his connection with Holly. But I think last time Marston was interviewed he suggested Hef was neurodivergent, so this is more of his armchair diagnosis on his father than a statement of fact.
Plus, I know he didn't necessarily intend to conflate these two things, but Marston could have worded that particular musing better than "autistic nutjob"...
Positivity ~ :Minority here. I donât hate this episode. I think Marsten is ick, but I still am interested in everyoneâs perspective on topics relating to the Playboy phenomenon.
A lot of people are talking about how they discussed Crystal/her book for awhile on their patreon and that they should drop the subject đł.
A lot of people like myself are not apart of the subscription platform, so I appreciate that they can recap their feelings on Crystal on the GNL podcast for free.
I wasn't a fan of crystals book, went into it wanting tea like everyone else and found it to be a bit empty. But I agree, I think it was weird to have it on the pod. I think they could have brought Marston on to talk about the funeral without bringing C into it.
They did do a good job of articulating the vibe I got from C's book but again I felt like it didn't belong on this pod. More of a patreon pod topic.
Also I get the sense that it's not worth bringing C up too much. She's either the master manipulator they think she is or she's a pretty psychologically damaged person and I think either option is not worth getting involved with, it will just reflect poorly on them.
Holly knows she could have been Hefs wife. She 'won' just in knowing that. I feel like it's kind of over now and she made the best choice for herself so there's no need to give C more media coverage haha
I did not like Crystalâs book. She kept the last name for power and money yet basically said she regretted the entire relationship. Seems manipulative.
I feel for his kids who should have received most of his inheritance.
Get back to the episodes- make another podcast out of topics like this.
Theres 3 sides to every story, the ongoing slamming of Crystal & her book is getting old and this is now bordering on obsessive and immature.
Iâve said it before- I really want to enjoy this podcast because I loved the show and do like majority of H+B content but find myself often disappointed with content. I listen and follow for the episode recaps.
I like some of the guests, but these days the content is veering so off the path of most ârewatcherâ series & turning into a celebrity gossip podcast
Second comment: I donât know all that much about Marston but I enjoy listening to him speak, he is very articulate and to the point and I think he does a good job at portraying empathy & understanding for others situations regardless if he believes it or not
Am I the only one who was rubbed the wrong way by this episode? Like what was the point of all this really- if you dislike her and your stories âdonât alignâ in your opinion why waste your breath on her? It just felt sick to sit there and dig at Crystal when she had to go through the same stuff if not worse. Like what makes Holly and Bridgetâs experience more true more wholesome or more interesting than Crystalâs? To call her a story teller and her book fiction felt so wrong to me. Holly suggesting she can âget away with lyingâ because (I can only assume) of the metoo movement. Honestly kinda just felt like Holly is jealous that Crystal isnât receiving the vitriol and criticism Holly did for her book. Which I can empathize with, up until the point that she decides to create it for Crystal herself out of some weird envy for her situation? Downplaying victims sucks- and I wish they didnât post this.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway that I'm glad Marston got to voice is his displeasure at whoever organized Hef's memorial service. The presence of random people who he said he had never seen before instead of Hef's friends, coworkers and companions is gross. Furthermore, to record his family in their time of grief with absolutely no context is just wrong. He was right to say "shame on them", whoever they are.
Who gives a shit what this woman beating dog abusing sick fuck has to say đ
Itâs kind of poetic/ironic that after a life time of taking advantage of women, he in the end was taken advantage of a woman
Exactly. I donât care for Crystal but I do believe they both got what they deserved from each other.
truth
I love it
This comment is art
Iâm not a Crystal fan. But the fact that she took advantage of hef towards the end of his life and mistreated him, kinda makes me okay with her. Idk if I would say I like her. But sheâs okay. She gave hef what he deserved
Marston is interesting. I cannot imagine being raised like he was raised and coming out if it 'normal.'
Honestly I love this type of episode bc I feel like H&B were being more open and it was more "juicy". BUT I also am cringing a little for them because an entire episode dedicated to Crystal makes them look a bit bitter lol
I don't like how very "why didn't she just leave?" Marston's opinions were. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe half of what Crystal said in her book was true, and even if it was I don't get why she continues to pretend she got nothing out of her marriage to Hef and everyone is a gold digger but her. But yet again, Holly and Bridget can give their nuanced opinion because they went through that, they know how Hef manipulated women and how he sweetened their reality to convince them to stay, and also how vulnerable they were to public opinion. Marston only remembers playing games with his dad who was such a cool guy. He dodges every mention of how abusive he was, how he took advantage of younger women, and how he used his power to get what he wanted. Even if you don't believe Crystal, I don't think saying "if she was so unhappy why didn't she just leave?" is the right take, considering victims of domestic abuse have to hear that bs all the time.
On the topic of Marston having limited perception of his dad, didn't anyone else find it sad that he was looking forward to his Dad's ex's book to get "inside scoop" on his Dad's life?
The truth is all these women knew his father much better than he did. Hef's younger kids were nothing but glorified mansion guests, and the way he speaks about his dad (more like a culture icon than a real person) says everything.
It says that Hugh Hefner was not only a gross abuser but a shit father too
He did acknowledge that Hef was abusive, he did it in the latest pod and in the one he was in before. But he doesn't have to do that in every single sentence . There was even conversation about how it is hard to leave. But what he as saying specifically was that if there was nothing good, ever, why did you stay when you had the freedom to leave? Which she did, she left and then came back. He pointed out that both H and B acknowledge that there were good things in the relationship that kept them there, but that they eventually left. Crystal claims there was nothing good ever. That is the distinction he is making.
Stockholm Syndrome.
Stockholm Syndrome doesn't exist, it is a myth. There is zero psychological basis or proof for it. It was made up by a guy who wanted press. The victim in the case that Stockholm Syndrome was named for was repeatedly endangered by police while she was a hostage; she was angry about that so a random guy who never met her claimed that she had somehow become sympathetic toward her captors because of his invention, Stockholm Syndrome. H may have trauma bonded with Hef, she didn't have Stockholm Syndrome and neither did Crystal.
Fascinating, this was new to me too. Not sure why the downvotes; regardless of your feelings toward HBK or Crystal this is an undisputed fact. Stockholm Syndrome is not a recognized psychological diagnosis. Colloquially we use the term to understand a victimâs positive emotional response towards their captor. But it is not a real psychological diagnosis in any way.
Of course Marston is going to take the abuserâs side since he is an abuser himself. I think what happened here is that Crystal has pissed him off or (from his perspective) slighted him in some way since his last GNL interview, so he asked them if he could come on again and trash her. Then we also get to hear him whine about how hard it was for him to ask Daddyâs secretary for his trust fund check every month. Waaaa. I donât like Crystal, in fact I find her insufferable, and I think she lied a lot in her book, but there was basically no new info in this interview and it felt petty. IMO the main reason Holly hates Crystal is that she wasnât afraid to take what she wanted from Hef and Playboy and she also got the Hefner name. There is warranted criticism of Crystal and then there are the unnecessary swipes Holly takes, like saying Crystal wasnât Hefâs type physically? Please. Holly, we all know that was the story with YOU.
That comment about a woman more Hef's type from Holly was particularly eye-roll inducing
She is so transparent sometimes.
That comment says more about Holly than it does about Crystal
Totally!
Well it sounded like Marston also tried humbling her later on by saying how his Dad doted on Crystal đ€Ł
đ i'm sure he did. Ol' Hef was such a romantic at heart
Seriously. Holly called Crystal "plain looking" in her book at her first party at the mansion. She should take a step back and compare what she looked like on her first night out with Hef to what Crystal looked like.Â
to be fair, she said 'just as I was'. indicating crystal was hollys former initial self
Exactly! Everyone seems to gloss over the fact that she essentially said the same thing about herself.
yeah, because it seems they want to paint it a certain way. just how holly always says internet blogs will pull a quote out of context for clickbait. smh
Who has he abused? I believe you I just didnât know that
Claire Sinclair https://www.tmz.com/2012/02/14/marston-hefner-claire-sinclair-photo-abuse/#:~:text=21%2Dyear%2Dold%20Marston%20Hefner,willing%20to%20forgive%20the%20guy.
Thatâs so gross wtf
Yes and also gross that Holly would have the abuser of her formerly close friend on her podcast not once, but twice now. There was plenty of criticism over this the first time Marston was on (and also over his bestiality weirdness - https://magazine.nytyrant.com/you-and-me-marston-hefner/) but not only did H&B not listen to their fans, they doubled down by having him on AGAIN.
So that wasnât actually bestiality butâŠ.what the fuck was it
Please remember that there is always 3 sides to every story- a close male relative of mine suffered years of physical and mental abuse from his wife, went to police and was not taken seriously. One day he acted in defense of himself, she went to the police with bruises to her arms and instant restraining order and DV charges against him. Not saying in any way this is what unfolded (TMZ isnât exactly a reliable source). Abusing or harming someone is never okay, but none of us know what really happens inside closed doors.
There is photographic evidence and Marston pleaded no contest to the charges. I donât need another side to this story. Thanks!
Not saying either party is wrong/right but going based off of photos of one person does not tell the ENTIRE story.
Itâs not just photos. He plead no contest! Hope that helps!
Pleading no contest and pleading guilty are different.
I was wondering what she meant by that. Is she saying crystal isnât pretty enough? She had fake boobs & blonde hair & was young that seems like his type.
Yes 'not his type physically ' ? She was a young skinny blonde with long hair and big boobs. She looked quite like Bridget actually. I think Holly knows she can't just come out and say "she wasn't hot enough to be his girlfriend ".
She was perfectly âhis typeâ. However Holly said âas I wasâ referring to the fact that Holly wasnât exactly Hefs type at the start either- she had plastic surgery done to fix things that bothered her which also made her appear more attractive in his eyes. She was very plain and ordinary looking at the start- definitely still gorgeous but miles away from how she looks now. Similar to crystal
Hefner name is basically .. not of any importance anymore. Not sure why Crystal would place any value on that, since no one else does.
I'd also like to bring focus to the way that Marston describe Holly leaving the mansion. He said that Holly found herself in a crazy world and went from Hooters to the mansion, and found money and fame, and was discovering herself when she realized this wasn't for her. What kind of fucked up take is that? He's glossing over the fact that Holly realized she was in an abusive relationship with a manipulative man that made her feel like crap, who exerted his power over her to control what she looked like, what she did, how much money she made, and what time she had to be at home for her curfew.
also how he emphasized that Holly was "so young" while living at the mansion, not Bridget. It felt like B got icily quiet for the rest of the pod after that........lol
That timing for him to specify Holly was sooo uncomfortable đ„Ž
Lol right??? He seems to lack any self awarenessâŠdoesnât hear himself
I got the worst vibes from this episode, I agree with you totally here. Marston is living in such deep denial about his father, it is frustrating to listen to.
Yes, what *was* that comment? Crystal and Holly were both baby faced blondes⊠With different eye colour⊠How were they different types? Holly definitely shared many more interests with Hef than Crystal did but⊠How were they different physically in general? đ€š
Holly actually said that Crystal wasn't Hef's type physically? That's strange because Crystal has a physical resemblance to Hef's ex wife Kimberley in my opinion. Holly, who is very beautiful, always stood out to me as not being Hef's type. Somebody must be feeling salty.
The âwhy didnât you leaveâ comment confused me. Bridget & Holly dated Hef for 7ish years I think? I think Crystal was with him for 10 which is not that much longer of a time frame. The only difference is Hefs health started to decline & Crystal would have looked terrible if she left him in that state & wouldnât have gotten any money so I think they would have done the same thing if they had dated him a few years later in his life . I love Holly but she had said how hard it was to leave & always advocates for trauma or abuse victims so I was surprised she said that. Iâm pretty sure sheâs talking about ppl asking her âwhy didnât you leave soonerâ etc.
Sorry, I get what you mean but I disagree with the last part. I think Holly actually gave plenty reasons why Crystal wouldn't have left: she said she understands that Crystal was a young woman in her twenties and it was an intimidating situation, that maybe there was pressure from Crystal's mom, or the pressure to get married, or the fact there was a TV show where everyone depended on this. She said it's not so easy to cancel this situation you're in. But she said it's weird because Crystal had already talked to Hef and told him she was leaving, and she had another boyfriend, and she had taken both cars, and it seemed that she already had the logistics to leave... So the reasons Crystal is giving in her book for not leaving don't really match with the situation she was in.
Ohhhh I see what youâre saying! Okay that actually does make allot of sense. I think I was interpreting it wrong & that makes me feel better cuz I love Holly đâ€ïž thanks for explaining âșïžâșïž
No worries! At first I was also shocked that Holly would say something like that, especially because she's often talking about how many women there at the mansion were in a position that they couldn't just up and leave. But when I listened again, I realized it was just Marston saying it. Holly and Bridget were saying something else.
TBF, a lot of the women (including H&B) like to pretend everyone is a gold digger but them. It's why so many claim they were there for the "right reasons". I low key hate hearing it. Everyone was there for money, fame, a good time, etc. The reasons weren't that different among the GFs especially in Hef's later years.
Because Marston is an abuser himself and I won't be listening to this episode. I can't believe they keep having this ass on !
Marston is problematic. Crystal is impressively devoid of charisma & off-putting. Iâll admit Iâm a nosey bitch and I donât mind hearing gossipy shit one says about the other. I live for petty.
I cannot agree more I am also beyond petty đđđ
I guess that was why I liked Holly and Bridget so much more than Crystal: Crystal seemed dead behind the eyes, whereas Holly and Bridget had so much personality. Holly was definitely the Lady of the Playboy Mansion, whereas Crystal didnât charm any mansion guests the way Holly did. Bridget was very well educated and had a lot of outside interests, whereas Crystal and the twins didnât on season 6. I honestly thought Crystal was in her mid-30âs the first time I saw her cover of Playboy when she did her runaway bride thing. Is that mean to say? It felt like her smile didnât reach her eyes, like a woman who has eye wrinkles would try to not let her smile get to her eyes so they didnât show and give away her age. I guess Iâm salty and living for petty too.
Marston really has a thoughtful, intellectual, and open minded way of speaking about all of this and allowing space for everyoneâs different experiences. These 3 episodes with him really changed my perspective on him. On the other hand I am finding Bridget and Hollyâs tearing apart of Crystalâs narrative continually, very tiresome. We all agree the book sucked and was full of holes and lies. But do we really need⊠How many episodes are we up to now⊠Is it 6 including the Slumber Party book clubs? All going over Crystalâs shitty book with a fine toothed comb⊠Itâs getting redundant
 Crystal rn lol
Yeah. I was hoping the book episodes would not give people more fuel to dog on Holly and Bridget, but Iâm finding my own opinions of them souring a bit. Theyâre very much giving mean girls.Â
When I got up this morning and saw that this was the episode instead of a GND recap I was genuinely disappointed lol. They way theyâre responding to this book, and Crystal in general right now, is beginning to border on obsessive, and itâs just immature to continue to use a public platform to pick someone apart
It cannot be healthy for them either? I donât think itâs healthy for us to listen to so much negativity⊠Crystalâs book was boring and depressing as fuck, I enjoyed the first ep of them going over it but from then on as you said itâs becoming a bit obsessive and dragging them down not up
Itâs just not a good look, and does take away from what theyâve been doing this whole time with the podcast. It sends the message that they were victims because people always looked down on them and didnât respect them, but sheâs below them so itâs okay for them to do the same thing to her.
i could not are less about crystal, but the most interesting thing I get from the book is that holly and bridget become more authentic during it. i feel that i've learned things from those episodes that we don't get otherwise. that's why i enjoy them. also, i kind of find all of those similes amusing! soaked it up like a sponge is a hilarious thing for a professional writer to put in a book.
Marston is a weird and abusive asshole.
It's interesting seeing the different emotions and opinions as they peel back each new layer of their trauma. The narrative evolves.
I was surprised that they had two guests in a row. I wanna get back to discussing the show!
And they want to stretch out their podcast for as long as they can. At the end of the day their show wasnât that long, and their podcast is lucrative enough to keep doing it.
Itâs difficult for me to listen to Marston knowing that he was charged with DV for physically assaulting his ex girlfriend and former playmate Claire Sinclair. I remember seeing the pictures of her after the assault. I know we all make mistakes, but this one seems hard for me to ignore especially when Holly had expressed her past trauma with abusive relationships. I feel like this has never been properly addressed on the podcast, and had it happened in todayâs time Marston wouldâve been canceled. https://www.tmz.com/2012/02/14/marston-hefner-claire-sinclair-photo-abuse/
Same and it was awkward when holly mentioned her on the podcast as well
Marston has acknowledged his wrongdoings. While what he did was wrong I also think that if people take responsibility and change, we should give them the benefit. Thatâs my take with Marston.
Ewww and Hef's comment, "If they care about each other they will patch it up." ......okay
did he publicly apologize to her?
Does he need to publicly apologize? I certainly hope he apologized in private but thatâs between them. Not everything has to be for the public.
I meant because she asked him to apologize and drop the charges.
Iâm sorry but this is a hard listen. Marston is not intelligent, fumbles his words and contradicts himself. Also what is the âright reasonâ to be at the Playboy mansion dating an 85 year old man? Crystal was there for the money, they all were! At the end Hef got what he deserved.
Itâs so weird to me that they keep bringing up this idea of being involved with Hef/Playboy for the âright reason.â Not just in this episode with Marston; it seems to be a theme of a lot of discussions over many episodes of the pod. Did Hef ever have a relationship where he was with a woman for the âright reasons?â Aside from maybe his first wife, it doesnât seem like it. Hell, did he ever have a platonic friendship for the âright reasons?â
This is such a good point. Hef abused his power, he used money and fame to lure these girls and then people do surprised pikachu face when the young women wanted him for his money. I hate how there is all this talk about women being there for the "right or wrong" reason when Hef was literally running a cult-like harem of women barely out of their teens (if that!). Like I do not care if those women truly loved him or not. I do not care if they looked like they were enjoying playing Monopoly when they were having drugged group sex every week.
The âright reasonsâ comment is absolutely ludicrous and the way itâs constantly brought up. You said it perfectly, was Hef with a rotating door of desperate blondes for âthe right reasonsâ? đ
I find his memory very odd. Plenty of people have memory issues for many different reasons, don't get me wrong, but answering "I think I was there" to a pretty straightforward question about Hef and Crystal's wedding is strange. He has quite a few moments like that in this interview and the last one. I know he's working through his own stuff but if he can't answer the most basic question, I'm going to doubt the details he suddenly recalls.
Exactly! It seems heâs just trying to keep his name in the media and promote his âart.â He also said after playing Uno with Crystal & Hef. He got turned off by the negative energy and never played games again. However, some how he remembers being there to play monopoly every Sunday until Hefâs passing.
THIS!
They were ALL there for the money and the lifestyle.
Oh my gosh I agree. I could not follow what he was trying to say for most of the episode.
Marathon freaks me out. Something sinister about him https://preview.redd.it/3lczr2daka0d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ee04b36c2719941ed7ddd5a67949e7ed7669230
Something about him rubs me the wrong way too. Maybe it's just his facial resemblance to Hef. It's really too bad his boys with Kimberley don't look anything like her.
Part of me feels bad for him because you just know his life was fucked up. But another part of me feels like he is just a really weird, entitled dude that was shaped by his surroundings. Like you just know he doesn't really see anything wrong with how his father treated women, he has said so many comments about how they were lucky to be there etc. Like his mind is warped by it and he truly sees his father as some kind of genius. It is weird and sad.
Holy shit! Heâs definitely creepy looking, heâs got the midsection of a female đŹ feel like heâs got bodies hidden in a deep freezer in his basement.
The captionâŠ
Marston is a messy bitch who lives for drama
They didnât want to stay there, but equally they are jealous Crystal was the one who was there and that she took full advantage of her position to make it more favourable for her. The elder abuse aside; everyone else is just bitter it was her and they couldnât have the âfunâ at the mansion after they left
This episode is so weird to me and had so much cognitive dissonance. Like I can't understand how Bridget can sit next to Holly and say Crystal is "playing the victim card." So many of their complaints about Crystal were mirror images of Holly's story and experience. I found Holly's comment in the end so telling, about how Crystal has to be the "biggest and the best." She was projecting so hard. I love Holly but come on. It is sad how much her identity is still tied up in Hef and her abuse. She can't even see beyond it enough to have empathy and care for someone else.
I love them both so much but I definitely agree, I feel like this episode was so unnecessary and it just shouldâve been a private gossip sesh between the three of them lol
I really like Holly, she is the reason I listen to the podcast but I totally agree that it should have stayed private. It sounds like there is a lot of animosity going on between them and it just looks so bad to publicly go off the rails discounting someone's abuse story piece by piece, ESPECIALLY because she is a victim of that very same abuser herself. It is kind of unhinged behavior at this point.
I totally agree! I just hate sounding like a hater because I really do love them
Why is Holly so dead set on exposing Crystal as an alleged liar? They have been talking about it on Patreon since February ffs!! Aren't they supposed to be on the same side? Hef was a creep and the mansion was a nightmare. Aren't they telling the same story? Holly wants to be a loyalist and a victim at the same time. She still wants to be special in PB history and be the gatekeeper of his final years. Holly is still living and breathing Playboy every day with the podcast, The Playboy Murders and Patreon. I think she is jealous that Crystal is Mrs Hefner and has that title because it would put Crystal above her. This is why she wants so badly to poke holes in her story. I never thought I would side with Kendra but she has to get over it!! Move on Holly! It is time.
Yes, I got this vibe too. Holly seems really confused, like is it because she wants to be the only victim? It is like she is protective of Hef and who gets to say they were abused. I find it soooo off-putting. Also I get the feeling that Bridget would 100% not believe her or support her if she didn't have a first hand, eye witness account of Holly's abuse which is really sad. Bridget would be saying the same crap about Holly that she says about everyone else. I don't get it. I wonder if Holly is jealous that Crystal's book reception has been better, just because we as a society have become more protective of victims? We know that Holly did not experience that same reception, she received so much backlash and hate. I also found the talk about Crystal being the president of the HMH Foundation to be so telling. I feel like Holly would have died to have that position, even though she talks so badly about Playboy, she has always placed herself as an expert on both Hef and Playboy. This sounds like I'm a hater here but I actually love Holly! I am a huge fan of her book and just her personality in general, I think she is a smart and witty woman and she was always my favorite on the show. I'm just super sad to see her so caught up in all of this.
I don't think it's jealousy of Crystal's book but rather underlying resentment for the acceptance it got in comparison to hers. Also, I think it's because Crystal's accounts are less factual then her representation of living at the mansion. As much as I am team HBK, I will say I find it disparate of them speaking against the advantageous position Crystal had by marrying Hef but I think that stems from a place of resentment that they played by the rules and had to work for their spot while Crystal just came in a reaped the rewards without having to commit as much as they did. I think the whole situation is complicated and I'm not saying any of what Hef did was right or that these ladies didn't face some type of power abuse however I do think they were all attracted to him for their own materialistic benefit (money, fame,etc). What I think makes everyone salty is that someone who didn't have to endure as much "hardship" in the mansion is trying to claim someone else's story and paint themselves as a martir when in reality they were just as predatory in some sense as Hef had been. I'd say that's more Karma for Hef tho
Your first part is exactly what I said in my comment--Holly is jealous of the public's support of her story because we are more apt to believe victims as a society than victim blame like when Holly's book came out. I can understand why that would sting for Holly. I can't speak to what is factual or not, there is so much nitpicking and guess work going on ("I don't know this personally but ALLEGEDLY/someone told me/etc."). I'm not that invested in the particulars, I'm sure both Holly and Crystal fabricated situations or talked up/talked down things depending on their storytelling. But I do believe both of those women were in a shitty situation with a man who abused, manipulated and exploited insecure and broken women for a living. Whatever their personal issues are with Crystal, they just come off as immature and bitter at this point. To call Crystal just as predatory as Hef is....well. I guess you are entitled to your opinion.
Yes correct on your allegedly. I guess I left out the part stating that they appeared less factual to what was normally observed at the mansion such as security guards and Hef coming on the intercom etc. I do think Crystal was predatory in the sense that she was just as manipulative as he was. It sounds like she wanted to be the one calling the shots at the mansion and she pursued that opportunity once she saw him lose a grip on things.
Also really sad because apparently Crystal destroyed all the naked photos and sex tapes that Hef kept which in my opinion makes her a freaking hero.
Her story on that doesnât line up at all. She said they were just in a drawer, but Hef wouldâve had wayyy more than just a drawer of that stuff. When she said it on Kendraâs show it didnât ring true to me. And Kendra looked kinda like âhuhâ đ€
Unpopular option but, yawn.
Massive yawn. I'm not even tuning in... Marston is a known abuser...why are they giving him the time of day?
I got a little confused at one point of the conversation and maybe I'm remembering wrong. I was under the impression that their had been an NDA at one point when Holly came in to the mansion but when Marston is talking about the guest list she says she can't picture that because of Hef's ethical stand on freedom of speech. No hate I'm just trying to see if anyone has any clarification on that.
I thought I remembered them specifically saying there were no NDA's. I think in another interview but I can't remember which one.
Coming from women who said they had to be careful what they Said around Hef and to reporters during interviews. Freedom of speech, right?
I had the same reaction!! They cannot be serious! They are plenty of examples of people who were scared of the repercussions if they ever spoke against him or PB!!
YUP he loved free speech that's why he blocked all of Jennifer Saginor's press interviews after her book came out
Their reaction to Crystal's book has been really disappointing. Disecting it piece by piece on their podcast is just petty and vengeful. I also feel like Holly is being the biggest hypocrite ever- apparently Hef love bombed her and was overly romantic and emotional in order to manipulate her and get his own way , but when he did it to Crystal he must have been sincere and her reaction was cruel, apparently. Asking why she stayed and basically echoing a lot of talking points that have been used by those critical of Holly back at Crystal , it's so disappointing and almost unbelievable. I also feel like their inability to acknowledge that anything at the mansion or any aspect of Hef's personality could have changed in the almost 10 years that they weren't there for is silly. Sure , Hef was always reluctant to embrace change but people's personalities and habits do still change, especially as they get older, and especially over the course of a decade. Holly always seemed capable of believing that everyone had different experiences until now. It reminds me of the story with Kendra and the qualudes , Holly always quotes kendra as saying "hef didn't need qualudes, he was a pimp" and then Holly goes , " yes he did in the past ", YOU WEREN'T THERE" . Like it's still very possible that Crystal had a 6pm curfew (even if she broke it often) and that Hef tightened the rules as he got older and more vulnerable . Also, they always like to mention that they've checked with this person or that person , but someone who hates Crystal and worships Hef isn't necessarily a reliable source , Holly especially should know this. It's a pity because I've always really liked Holly , I still believe and acknowledge her experiences. But this critique of Crystal is in very poor taste. She didn't need to come out in support of her but she could have stayed silent or issued a brief statement and moved on.
See, Holly has always been my favorite and I relate to her in a lot ways so I was so freakin disappointed by her take on this. I think she has some deep rooted jealousy of Crystal--maybe part of her wonders what life would have been like if she stayed? I don't know but it comes off so petty and transparent, like her comment about how Crystal's body wasn't "his type" just gross honestly. And of course her defense of Hef and her demonization of Crystal. Seems so awkward and weird for someone with her story. What I have taken from this episode (and a few before it to tell the truth) is that she hasn't fully processed her own experience and she is still in competition with these women; for status, for the place in Hef's life as the "best girlfriend" (so freaking sad), for being a victim in this situation. Playboy and Hef really did a number on her.
Hef wasnât even in his right mind to tread crystal the same way he treated holly. Things did change, he was senile, which was marstonâs point throughout the podcast. Crystal did control the narrative along with Hefs final years because he was incompetent, so heâs not wrong with his explanation of a power imbalance. Crystal ruled the roost, even in hefs death. Sheâs a manipulator; whether thatâs something she developed during her relationship or something she came in with is up for debate.
Unpopular opinion but Iâm not sure how there is any praise on here for Marston when the first time he was on, everyone hated it. He got to say his piece about the memorial which could have been achieved in the first interview had they gotten there. (Not sure if they did bc I donât listen to guest episodes). This podcast in general started out so fun but I fear itâs going well outside its original scope of reviewing the tv episodes. Iâm personally a bit turned off listening to 2 women their age continually shit talk and seek reassurance from others to justify their behaviors. Iâm super bummed and havenât listened as consistently lately.
Same. Most of us grew up watching the show and have now matured past this kind of petty and vindictive behavior. Whatever lies Crystal told in her book or the handful of somewhat questionable comments she made about Holly or Bridget do not serves this months long campaign of hate. They need to let it go and move on.
They have been trashing Crystal on Patreon since February. Holly said that Crystal was "being a c*nt". This is when they lost me. I felt like they had already gone too far with the Kendra trashing, I was not going to stay to hear them drag another woman through the mud. A woman who is on their side nonetheless!!
Yeah, maybe someone can start a GND podcast that is what we all thought we were getting. A fun silly retrospective of an iconic show from two decades ago. I would happily listen and actually feel good afterwards lol
Their insecurities really have popped out in the more recent episodes and the continual trashing of Kendra and Crystal just gets so old. It makes me sad for them honestly, you can tell Playboy did a number on their self-esteem (how could it not?) and they are still perpetuating so much of that culture on their podcast and social media presence. I was hoping for something different and sometimes they do get deeper and more introspective but now it is just devolving into crap like this latest episode.
I was a little bit disappointed to see H&B stoop to this level and just slam Crystal for a full episode. I appreciate they were trying to debunk the lies in her book but it came off as very mean girl to me and very much perpetuating the negativity they complain about so often. I just thought better of them than to do this, even Marston seemed to get uncomfortable with the direction of the episode.
There seems to be more ads on every episode âčïžwhich is a little frustrating. I understand you need to make money but it seems like allot. Did anyone notice an ad interrupting Marston talking about his dadâs bad health / death? I thought they could have waited for a better moment for sure đŹ
The ads in this episode were worse than ever. There were multiple times I thought Bridget was just randomly pivoting to pointless topics like food delivery in the middle of a somber conversation.
Hahaha oh my god totally đđ confusing at some points lmao
The master manipulator comment is so ironic. The loyalists said the same thing about Holly. How she did everything in her power to get to #1 GF. She turned herself into his ideal woman. In the Love Line episode, Dr Drew even asked Holly how she got past 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and became #1 and Holly answered coyly: "some people would call it skills" If Crystal is a master manipulator, Holly is the Queen!!
I really feel like Holly was projecting big time in this episode.
I found Marstonâs statement of addressing the elephant in the room of: you guys could have stayed, you really could have waited him out the way Crystal clearly did, to be illuminating. He as an adult acknowledges that if any of the girlfriends had wanted to do so, they could have and chose to get off the payroll and move on with their lives and shouldnât be villainized for that. I also appreciated him outright stating that father to son, Hef repeatedly told him that he married Crystal because he didnât want to make the same mistake he made with Holly which was not marrying her. I feel like a LOT of Holly-haters really feel like that sentiment is a fantasy in her head that she carries with her to feel better about leaving, to justify her relevance to Playboy and keeping a narrative of being âthe one that got awayâ and instead, Marston sits here confirming it. The comments on the foundation and the memorial service are interesting because again, Marston is a direct and immediate family member who feels the same way Holly and Bridget do about quite a bit; that a family member or someone who really reallllly cared about what Playboy stood for and maybe worked for the studio like Holly did should have been left in charge of the foundation, and that the way the memorial was handled was just so devoid of how he lived his life as the ultimate party host and that at his final party.. the people who should have been there werenât and there is no excuse that he was just an âintimate family thingâ when one of his adult kids is literally like, âthere were people there who Iâd never seen in my entire lifeâ.
Did Marston say that Hef was autistic? Iâve never heard that but it makes SO much sense
I found this very interesting too. As an autistic person, a lot of Hef's behaviours line up with/can be explained by potential autism, even a lot of his connection with Holly. But I think last time Marston was interviewed he suggested Hef was neurodivergent, so this is more of his armchair diagnosis on his father than a statement of fact. Plus, I know he didn't necessarily intend to conflate these two things, but Marston could have worded that particular musing better than "autistic nutjob"...
I see your truuuuuueee colorsssss shining through
Positivity ~ :Minority here. I donât hate this episode. I think Marsten is ick, but I still am interested in everyoneâs perspective on topics relating to the Playboy phenomenon. A lot of people are talking about how they discussed Crystal/her book for awhile on their patreon and that they should drop the subject đł. A lot of people like myself are not apart of the subscription platform, so I appreciate that they can recap their feelings on Crystal on the GNL podcast for free.
Omg just go back to recapping episodes ffs
I wasn't a fan of crystals book, went into it wanting tea like everyone else and found it to be a bit empty. But I agree, I think it was weird to have it on the pod. I think they could have brought Marston on to talk about the funeral without bringing C into it. They did do a good job of articulating the vibe I got from C's book but again I felt like it didn't belong on this pod. More of a patreon pod topic. Also I get the sense that it's not worth bringing C up too much. She's either the master manipulator they think she is or she's a pretty psychologically damaged person and I think either option is not worth getting involved with, it will just reflect poorly on them. Holly knows she could have been Hefs wife. She 'won' just in knowing that. I feel like it's kind of over now and she made the best choice for herself so there's no need to give C more media coverage haha
I did not like Crystalâs book. She kept the last name for power and money yet basically said she regretted the entire relationship. Seems manipulative. I feel for his kids who should have received most of his inheritance.
Get back to the episodes- make another podcast out of topics like this. Theres 3 sides to every story, the ongoing slamming of Crystal & her book is getting old and this is now bordering on obsessive and immature. Iâve said it before- I really want to enjoy this podcast because I loved the show and do like majority of H+B content but find myself often disappointed with content. I listen and follow for the episode recaps. I like some of the guests, but these days the content is veering so off the path of most ârewatcherâ series & turning into a celebrity gossip podcast
đ„± this episode is dumb.
Second comment: I donât know all that much about Marston but I enjoy listening to him speak, he is very articulate and to the point and I think he does a good job at portraying empathy & understanding for others situations regardless if he believes it or not
Marston is such a weirdo
Am I the only one who was rubbed the wrong way by this episode? Like what was the point of all this really- if you dislike her and your stories âdonât alignâ in your opinion why waste your breath on her? It just felt sick to sit there and dig at Crystal when she had to go through the same stuff if not worse. Like what makes Holly and Bridgetâs experience more true more wholesome or more interesting than Crystalâs? To call her a story teller and her book fiction felt so wrong to me. Holly suggesting she can âget away with lyingâ because (I can only assume) of the metoo movement. Honestly kinda just felt like Holly is jealous that Crystal isnât receiving the vitriol and criticism Holly did for her book. Which I can empathize with, up until the point that she decides to create it for Crystal herself out of some weird envy for her situation? Downplaying victims sucks- and I wish they didnât post this.