Crystal Harris has urged actress Jessica Biel to decline a fictional role in the upcoming Searchlight Pictures film Playmates
, citing personal experiences of abuse during her marriage to the late magazine founder Hugh Hefner.
Crystal Harris Asks Jessica Biel to Drop Playmates Role
Crystal Harris, the widow of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, publicly called out actress Jessica Biel after news broke of her casting in the upcoming film Playmates
. Harris sent a direct message to Biel via Instagram on Thursday, October 8, 2026, asking the actress to walk away from the project before production moves forward.
The film, which is directed by Lorraine Nicholson and backed by Searchlight Pictures, casts Biel as a fictionalized wife of Hugh Hefner. Bill Pullman is set to play the magazine publisher himself, while Lily-Rose Depp and young actress Indiana Elle round out the cast.
“Please reconsider playing Hugh Hefner’s ‘wife’ if this film intends to romanticize him or the Playboy world.”
Crystal Harris, via Instagram message shared in a public post
Biel joined the cast alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Pullman, and Indiana Elle in a project that marks the feature writing and directorial debut of Lorraine Nicholson. Searchlight Pictures executives overseeing the project include vice president of production Richard Ruiz and creative executive Cornelia Burleigh, who report to the Heads of Production and Development, DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas. Alex Orlovsky and Duncan Montgomery are producing the film via High Frequency Entertainment, with Depp producing in addition to starring. Biel also brings executive producer experience through her Iron Ocean banner, having previously executive produced shows like “Cruel Summer” and “Limetown,as well as her own starring vehicles including
Candy” and “The Sinner.” She is represented by UTA, LBI Entertainment, The Lede Company, and Yorn Levine Barnes.
Abuse Allegations and the Legacy of the Playboy Mansion
In her message to Biel, Harris opened up about the stark contrast between the glamorous public perception of the Playboy brand and the reality she faced behind closed doors. She was married to Hefner from New Year’s Eve in 2012 until his death in September 2017 at age 91.
Harris detailed the toll of her marriage in her message, writing that she experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse in that relationship. She later expanded on her time at the property in her 2024 memoir titled Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself
.
Beyond her own marriage, Harris pointed to broader allegations surrounding the late publisher’s empire. She noted that multiple women have come forward with claims of rape, coercion, drugging, and exploitation, alongside serious concerns involving minors.
“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.”
Crystal Harris, via Instagram
Plot Details and Production Leadership for Playmates
The upcoming feature film is written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson, the daughter of Jack Nicholson, who drew inspiration from her own childhood experiences spending time at the Playboy Mansion. Nicholson previously published an essay in Vanity Fair describing the mansion as a place where she felt safe and free as a child.
The official logline describes a coming-of-age story set in the early 2000s. A 13-year-old character named Elle considers the mansion her second home and forms an unlikely friendship with Anna, played by Lily-Rose Depp, who is vying to be Playmate of the Month.
Representatives for Jessica Biel have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Harris’s public plea. Searchlight Pictures has not announced an official theatrical release date for the movie.