Playmates Doubled as Call Girls: Madam

And, not surprisingly, inspired by Marilyn

(NEWSER) - When you hear the word “classy,” surely you think of Lindsay Lohan, in her birthday suit, in Playboy—right? Well, Hugh Hefner apparently assumes you do, because he assures The Insider that Lohan’s spread is “classy. Very classy.” (And is she, as rumored , completely naked? “Oh yes.”) Her rep also said yesterday—with no apparent trace of irony—that the pictorial in the January/February issue is “very tasteful,” and that the accompanying interview “will let readers see another side of Lindsay,” People reports. Hef, who Page Six notes extended the shoot when the initial photos failed to impress him, also added that the photos were inspired by Marilyn Monroe— is anyone surprised ? More»

Was it just a bad fight, or was Crystal looking for cash?

(NEWSER) - America was shocked yesterday when the, ahem, storybook romance of Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris came to an abrupt end . What could the problem possibly have been, other than their 60-year age difference?

• The couple got into what E! calls a “rather explosive argument” over the phone, and Harris packed up and moved out of the Playboy Mansion afterward. A source says she’s staying with a friend.
• The New York Post has a more sinister story, reporting that Harris was looking for a $500,000 deal to tell all after ditching Hef—at the altar. “The wedding was to be filmed for a reality special, and her refusal to marry him would be a sensation,” says a source, but no one wanted to pay her asking price.

Crystal Harris calls it off just days ahead of time

(NEWSER) - After much fanfare—including 300 Swarovski crystal-adorned wedding invitations—Hugh Hefner and playmate Crystal Harris won’t be getting married after all, People reports. The Playboy Mansion wedding was set for Saturday , but Harris canceled it today. “The split was a mutual decision and the two remain good friends,” says the 25-year-old's manager. They had announced their engagement during the holidays; it would have been Hef’s third marriage. "Crystal has had a change of heart," the 85-year-old tweeted . Click for more on the split . More»

Fog machine spread bacterium, attendees suspect

(NEWSER) - The culprit behind the dozens of people sickened after a party at Playboy Mansion? Officials think it's Pontiac Fever, a milder form of Legionnaires' disease that's known as legionellosis. The bacterium that causes legionellosis lives inside warm water and can take root in ventilation systems; some suspect that a fog machine used at the party may have spread the disease, the LA Times reports. More»

But, uh, that thing about not wearing condoms...

(NEWSER) - Hugh Hefner would like you to know that he does not hand out Quaaludes, let his dog poop all over the carpets of the Playboy mansion, or refuse to wear condoms. Er, well, actually, that part about not wearing condoms might be true. But most of the dirt dished by his ex-girlfriend —and ex-Mansion-resident—Izabella St. James is "self-serving semi-fiction," Hef tells the Daily Beast . St. James’s book was actually published in 2006, but got a lot of attention via London’s Daily Mail recently thanks to Hef’s impending nuptials . More»