Jessica Biel’s Playmates Character and the Hefner Family Pushback
Jessica Biel has been cast in Searchlight Pictures’ Playmates as a fictional former Playmate who becomes the wife of Hugh Hefner. Crystal Hefner, Hefner’s widow, publicly urged Biel to reconsider taking the part. The film, directed by Lorraine Nicholson, also stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Pullman, and Indiana Elle, and does not yet have a release date.
Jessica Biel has joined Searchlight Pictures’ Playmates, as reported by Deadline on Oct. 6, 2026. She plays a made-up former Playmate who later becomes Hugh Hefner’s spouse, not one of his three actual wives: Mildred Williams, Kimberley Conrad, or Crystal Hefner. The film also features Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Pullman as Hefner, and Indiana Elle as its young lead.
Directed by Lorraine Nicholson in her feature debut, Playmates is a coming-of-age comedy-drama inspired partly by her childhood trips to the Playboy Mansion. It centers on 13-year-old Elle, who treats the mansion as a second home and bonds with Anna, one of seven women vying for Playmate of the Month. No release date has been set.
The film’s reception may be shaped less by its plot than by Crystal Hefner’s public objection and abuse allegations. Audiences, especially women who have described similar experiences, could see the project as either a sensitive portrait or a glamorizing risk. Searchlight and the filmmakers may face pressure to clarify how Playmates handles Hefner’s legacy. Biel’s involvement could also draw new scrutiny to casting choices in stories about real entertainment figures.