Whatever you think of the late Hugh Hefner, one fact is clear: he has an enormous legacy. In a viral TikTok, one of his sons reckons with that legacy.
On the surface, Hugh Hefner’s life looked incredibly glamorous. However, there were signs that things weren’t as they seemed.
In a viral TikTok, which has garnered 2.7 million views, Marston Hefner (@marstonghefner) walks through what appears to be a backyard as he admits, “I never really fit in as Hugh Hefner’s son. You know, what people will always tell me is, ‘Oh, you must have gone to so many parties…’ What’s a party when I have Harry Potter?”
“‘Oh dude, all the women,'” he continued, impersonating the kinds of comments people presumably said to him. “You know what? Now that I could have had fun with, but I was a teenager, and there were no women, there were more… the bunnies were more my friends.”
“And so like, a lot of my life, really, a lot of my childhood was me trying to figure out ‘Who am I?’ while also trying to force myself into being a little Heff, as my dad wanted me to be,” Marston explained.
“So I had dreams of owning the company. Which, honestly, looking back on it, would have been… would have been fun, I think. I think it would have been fun? I really have no idea what that’s like.”
How Did Hugh Hefner’s Son Break Away From Expectations?
However, Marston noted that there was a “slow, slow separation” from who he was told he was, and what he actually wanted.
“And then I got into psychology and sociology and philosophy and, finally, writing,” he concluded. “And a lot of my adult life is simply doing the things that I want. I mean, really really, when you will look at my life and you go, ‘Oh my God, why did you do that?’ Or, ‘Oh goodness, that was a… such a mistake,’ or ‘I love him for this’ and ‘I love him for that,’ it’s really just me, and finding what makes me happy. It’s as simple as that.”
BroBible reached out to Marston via Instagram direct message.
What Did Commenters Think?
Some commenters were intrigued.
“I am not Hugh Hefner’s son, but I also have had folks look at my life and go, ‘Omg why did you do that?’ and same,” one wrote. “I enjoy the same things. You got an instant follow. I look forward to seeing you continue to try and do all the things that make you happy!”
“Damn, how’d you turn out to be so self aware and emotionally intelligent?” a second asked.
While a third simply said, “The weight of having a soul.”
Others shared their own stories of their connections to Hugh and the Playboy Mansion. “My dad was your father’s guard in the ’80s,” a fourth shared. “I have so much memorabilia from the mansion that your dad gave my dad. My dad told me about the ostrich that used to chase him at night and all the Pepsi he drank daily. My dad ended up retiring in the late 80s because he had [collapsed] at the mansion grounds. His name was John Dixon. He passed in 2020.”
Meanwhile, a fifth added, “My parents attended at party at your father’s mansion, 90’s. I was 6 years old and had to stay in the car. I wish I would have met you then! Anyways, you are exactly who you were meant to be, and I know your parents would be extremely proud.”
How Many Children Does Hugh Hefner Have?
In total, Hugh has four children with two different mothers. During his first marriage to Millie Williams in 1949, his daughter Christie was born in 1952. Son David followed in 1955. Hugh and Millie then split in 1959.
Hugh then went on to marry Kimberly Conrad in 1989, and the following year, they had Marston. Hugh’s fourth and youngest child is Cooper, who was born in 1991.
In terms of their career trajectories, Christie and Cooper were the two who were the most involved in Hugh’s business empire. Christie was named chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises in 1998. Meanwhile, Cooper became chief creative officer of the company in 2016.
@marstonghefner Ive been blessed with the insistence of always being myself, despite the waves and noise. ‘To thine own self, be true.’
Hugh had no children with his third wife, Crystal Harris. And when he died, an iron-clad prenup meant that she didn’t get any of his wealth.