Holly Madison is hopping to Jessica Biel’s defense.
After Hugh Hefner‘s widow Crystal Harris issued a plea for the 7th Heaven alum to step away from the forthcoming film Playmates—in which she’s set to play a fictional wife of the late Playboy founder—Madison shared she sees the project as an exciting opportunity.
Indeed, the Girls Next Door alum—who dated Hefner from 2001-2008—told TMZ in an interview published Oct. 10 that she “can’t wait to see it,” sharing she believes in keeping an open mind when it comes to storytelling.
After all, when she first exposed the dark realities of her time in the Playboy Mansion in her 2015 memoir Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, she said she appreciated people hearing her perspective without judgement, a courtesy she tries to extend to others.
And in addition to seeing “wonderful writer” Lorraine Nicholson’s words come to life on the big screen, the 46-year-old revealed she’s also thrilled for one star in particular to transform into a Playboy Bunny. As Madison noted, “I love Lily-Rose Depp, too.”
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Hugh Hefner’s Widow Crystal Harris Asks Jessica Biel to Back Out of Playboy Movie Role
Madison’s comments come just days after Harris—who was married to Hefner for four years until his 2017 death at age 91—made a public plea for Biel to exit the movie’s cast.
“Please reconsider playing Hugh Hefner’s ‘wife’ if this film intends to romanticize him or the Playboy world,” Harris wrote in an Instagram private message to Biel, which she publicly shared in an Oct. 8 post. “I was actually his wife, and I experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse in that relationship.”
The 40-year-old went on to point out that “many other women” have also shared their distressing experiences as a former Playmate in recent years.
“I hope everyone involved in this film takes the time to listen to the women who lived it,” she added, “before helping Hollywood turn it back into nostalgia.”
E! News previously reached out to Biel’s rep for comment.
Harris—who tied the knot with businessman James Wardin 2026—has been candid about her past marriage to Hefner, alleging that it was “emotionally abusive” and “very restrictive.”
“When I was at the mansion, I didn’t know who I was,” she told E! News in 2024. “When you don’t know who you are, that could be dictated to you by somebody else and if that’s given to you by someone else, it could also be taken away. So, it’s very important for you to have your own power.”
Keep reading for a closer look at Harris’ accounts of what went on inside the Playboy Mansion…
