Holly Madison and Criss Angel Kaput

by Gina Serpe and Ken Baker

Now you see them, now you don't.

The original Girl Next Door, Holly Madison, has amicably parted ways with her Mindfreak beau, Criss Angel, after nearly four months of dating.

"Criss and Holly are no longer a couple. They remain very close friends and wish each other the very best," a rep for Angel tells E! News.

The 29-year-old Madison and 41-year-old Angel had been cohabitating at the magician's Sin City abode since December, but the Playboy pinup recently moved back in with family.

"She was very much in love with him, and they're still very close friends," a source close to the former couple said, adding that the decision to split was mutual.

"It was a conflict of schedules. She felt she couldn't devote 100 percent of her time in Vegas and his career at the expense of her career and her goals."

The two were first spotted cozying up last October, shortly after Madison and Hugh Hefner had called it quits. While Angel and Madison at first claimed to be just good friends, they quickly went public with their romance, moved in together and even—a first for Madison—met each others' parents.

Despite news of the split, the couple's relationship has showed no signs of outward strain recently.

On Valentine's Day, the pair was spotted smooching it up in Sin City, and just last month they vacationed in Cabo San Lucas, along with fellow reality star Paula Abdul.

Sudden though the split may seem, it was not entered into lightly.

"It was a tough decision for her to make and come back to L.A. and pursue her career," the source told E! News. "She still has very intense feelings for him."

Angel, in the meantime, remains in Las Vegas where he performs his show, Criss Angel Believe, five nights a week at the Luxor.

The Girls Next Door Third Time's the Charming Review

The girls shoot new pictorials and hint towards the future.
by Robert Canning

It's the end of an era. Though The Girls Next Door will be back for season six, it simply won't be the same with Holly, Kendra and Bridget leaving the mansion and Hef behind for other men and passions. "Third Time's the Charming" brings the series as we know it to a terrific end. It not only sweetly and poignantly looks back on the run of the series, but it also shows us Holly, Kendra and Bridget naked. A lot. What more could we ask for from The Girls Next Door?

The episode started off with Holly and Bridget pitching the idea of a third pictorial to Hef and his buddies. The man didn't need much convincing. When Holly asked, "Who wants to see us naked again?" the entire room raised their hands. (Except Hef, of course. He's seen them naked plenty of times.) The idea for the pictorial was great: each girl would get her own individual shoot. Kendra pointed out that in past pictorials, the three girlfriends always appeared together. The episode then graced us with a montage of shots from past Playboys. I have some back issues to order.

The other great idea Holly presented was to have three separate covers for each girl. These would be shot in such a way that if you put all three covers together, you'd get one wide shot of the three ladies standing in front of the mansion. Not only was this a great marketing ploy, but it also was a great representation of the girls and the reality series that made them famous. Watching the process unfold is always interesting, and it was true in this episode as well. It was neat to see the set up of the three shoots on the front lawn of the mansion. It was cool to see that with the digital cameras, the photographer could take a photo and then immediately see what it would look like on the cover, with the Playboy logo and all. And I was also happy to see we got the same amount of coverage for each of the girls. We all have ours, but the series doesn't play favorites



Much of the rest of the episode was spent watching each of the women at their individual photo shoots. Holly, who only recently learned to swim, chose to have her shoot underwater. This was done at the mansion pool. Defying death, Holly accentuated her nude poses by being wrapped up and locked in chains. It was a unique shoot and will likely please a lot of her fans. Kendra gave us the quote of the evening with, "The key to my pictures is sexuality." When is that not the key to nude pictures? Are there models out there thinking, "The key to my pictures for Playboy is economics"? Or, "The key to my pictures is 18th century French literature." Yes, Kendra, the key to your pictures is sexuality. You might also want to add "nakedness." Though I'm not the biggest fan of Kendra, I can't deny the fact that when she's caked up with make-up, posing naked at sunset on a California beach, she does look pretty damn hot.

Bridget had my favorite pictorial shoot in this episode. Her love of retro circus acts gave us the setting and it suited her. She had some great photos taken while she posed hanging from a circular trapeze bar. Also, Bridget was naked. I very much enjoy that. But the absolute best part was seeing who else was in the pictorial with Bridget. At the top of the episode, while Bridget and Holly were tossing around ideas, the circus theme came up and Holly suggested, "You should get, like, a fire-breathing midget or something." Lo and behold, some 15 minutes later, there stood a fire-breathing circus midget behind a nude, dangling Bridget. As always, when it comes to these ladies, if there's something they want, they get it.

The biggest surprise, however, came in the last act. The episode took on the feel of a series finale. We all know the girls are leaving Hef, but the series has never come right out and made this known. But in the last moments of this episode, each of the women got to reflect on their time at the mansion and with Hef. They all said some great things (even Kendra -- though I'm not entirely sold on her claim that she's "changing into a woman now.") and I actually found myself sad that the threesome is over. I'm not saying I was bawling or anything, but in watching the series, you do find yourself rooting for things to work out. For Holly to get Hef to marry her, for Bridget to join a naked circus and for Kendra to, well… find a purpose beyond partying, I guess. We may not know what the future holds for The Girls Next Door, but we do know it'll never quite be the same.

No More Playboy Spreads for Kendra

by Marc Malkin

There was a time when Kendra Wilkinson wouldn't have thought twice about posing for Playboy.

But now that the Girl Next Door is getting married to NFL star Hank Baskett, the idea of stripping down for ex-boyfriend Hugh Hefner may not be a part of her future.

"If the offer came up, I would definitely have to have a big talk with Hank—and a talk with Hank's family," Wilkinson, 23, told me earlier today.

More Playboy or not, we will be seeing a lot more of Wilkinson and Baskett this summer when her own new reality show, Kendra, premieres on E!. "There's a lot of comedy because I am on my own for the first time in my life," said Wilkinson, who moved out of the Mansion last fall. "I have no one to help me. I have no butlers, no maids, no Hef to take care of the bills—no one doing my laundry!"

Hef may not be walking her down the aisle come the big day (her younger brother, Collin, 20, will give her away, and Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt will be bridesmaids), but it looks like the wedding will still be at the Playboy Mansion. "It's more than likely we will get married at the Mansion, but you know, I think it's awkward for Hank to have Hef give me away," Wilkinson explained. "It just doesn't make sense, because it shouldn't be someone who's an ex-boyfriend."

Wilkinson recently took Baskett to the Mansion to introduce him to Hefner and to help assure him that it was the right setting for their nuptials.

"Hank's so comfortable with things now," she said. "We showed Hef our engagement video and Hef was so happy, he cried."

While Wilkinson admits she and Hank have talked about starting a family, she's in no rush. "I definitely don't want to do it anytime soon," she said with a laugh. "I don't want to be fat for the wedding."

Besides, they haven't agreed on how many children they want—Baskett is aiming for at least five. "Oh, man. I don't know," Wilkinson said. "That's a lot of kids."

As for Hef's new girlfriends, Crystal Harris and twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon, Wilkinson said she's still getting to know them. "I really like Crystal," she said. "She seems like she cares about Hef a lot. I see that in her eyes...As long as Hef's happy, I'm happy. I'm not saying I'm going to be friends with them, but I just want him to be happy. If they were stressing him out, you know I'd be right in there on them."

Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett Pre-Oscar Lovers

After laying low for awhile now, Kendra Wilkinson finally made an appearance yesterday (February 19) and was spotted having a little Pre-Oscar fun with her football player fiancé, Hank Baskett.

The happy couple picked up lots of freebies as they made their rounds to the Starbucks Oscar Gift Suite, the Nicorette Gift Suite and the Silverspoons Oscars House. Kendra kept it comfortable and casual in jeans, tennis shoes and a Grand Canyon sweatshirt.

The Girls Next Door Scuba, Scuba Do! Review

A self-contained underwear-baring affair.
by Robert Canning

I got some great news this week. Bridget Marquardt will be hosting a series on The Travel Channel where she'll be visiting the world's most amazing beaches. I don't hide the fact that she's my favorite of The Girls Next Door. Not only do I think she's the prettiest and the funniest, I also think she's got the best personality. Imagining her hosting a travel show is an easy thing to do and I look forward to tuning in -- especially now that I know scuba diving will be involved.

"Scuba, Scuba Do!" was all about the girls becoming scuba certified. It was Bridget that really needed this certification, but as the ladies often do, she asked the other two to come along for the ride. Holly was into it, but Kendra came at the experience a bit half-assed. She confessed that becoming scuba certified was something she had always wanted to do, but when given the opportunity, Kendra was less than enthusiastic.

When presented with the training book and instructed to read the first three chapters, Kendra tossed the book aside the moment Bridget left the room. Then when pressed for information regarding those chapters during her first lesson, she just giggled her way through hand signals which included the middle finger. This, as always, is why Kendra bugs me. You, me and most of the people we know would have to pay out a pretty decent amount of cash to get lessons and equipment if we ever want to get scuba certified. Kendra has it handed to her and she yawns and flashes her way through the process. Of course, that could just be the jealousy talking.

Still, even with her halfhearted efforts, she does complete the course. And so do Bridget and Holly. It was an entertaining little journey to follow the girls on. It started with the book learning, but quickly moved on to some shallow diving in the mansion's grotto. The girls marveled at the leftover knickknacks discovered at the bottom of the pool, including cups, pins and earrings. Thank goodness they didn't find underwear, condoms or dead bodies.

The open water dives were equally successful, if a bit more difficult. Kendra again shined through as a star student when she invented the very necessary "I'm peeing" hand signal. If you missed the episode, it involved some over-exaggerated pointing to her crotch. Classy. The final certification dive was almost aborted after the girls were finding the choppy seas difficult to handle. Of course, it didn't help matters that Kendra chose to enjoy a burrito with hot sauce only hours before their final dive. Thankfully, after a bit of self-induced vomiting, the girls got back into the water and completed all the tasks needed for certification. Then, as Bridget put it, it was party time.

But I can't end this review without mentioning the twins. It's no secret that our three favorite ladies are parting ways with Hef and that the Shannon twins are two of the girls filling in the void. We first met them several episodes back during the search for the 55th Anniversary Playmate. They didn't have a lot of personality then, and they're only slightly more interesting here. Their repetitive "Oh, my God! Oh my God… Oh, my God!" as they greeted their twin puppies was not a good sign of things to come. And here I thought Kendra was annoying.

Kendra Could Be the 'Girl Next Door' To You

Kendra Wilkinson, the sport-loving girlfriend from Girls Next Door, is getting her own reality show, The E! Network announced Tuesday. While it doesn’t promise to be extremely educational, it does promise to be hilarious with the 23-year-old girlfriend having to figure out everyday life skills for the first time and on her own.

A representative from E!, Lisa Berger, supported the idea for the show by saying, “Throughout the five seasons of Girls Next Door, Kendra has developed a loyal fan-base because of her outrageous personality and trademark laugh.”

The extremely creative working title, Kendra, will follow Hef’s ex-girlfriend when she moves out of the Playboy Mansion and into her very own house.

It will definitely be an adjustment for the blonde, as this is the first time ever she will be living on her own. While the mansion had 24/7 room service and a secretary to keep her social calendar straight, Wilkinson will now have to do laundry, cook, go grocery shopping, and pay her own bills. What most of us consider to be ‘to-do list’ type tasks, Kendra only knows as the work of the ‘help’. She is in for a hopefully amusing wake up call.

Another added element will be Wilkinson’s married life and its growing pains, which we will all get to see on-camera. In at least one episode, the show will take a backseat as Wilkinson and her finance, Philadelphia Eagles Hank Baskett, move all of his stuff from New Mexico to California.

The pair’s pains include mixing Baskett’s conservative and religious mindset with Wilkinson’s past playboy lifestyle.

Berger added (and verbally begged us to watch), “Now she’s faced with the reality of making it outside the gates of the Mansion and as Kendra’s fans are aware, you never (ever) know what she’s going to do next.”
By :FOX News

Hugh Hefner’s ex-lover Bridget Marquardt spending V-Day with new beau

Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend Bridget Marquardt has announced that she will spend Valentine’’s Day with new beau Nick Carpenter

The ‘Girls Next Door’ beauty has been dating Carpenter since she parted ways with the Playboy mogul in October.

“I”m doing a club appearance in Vegas at Studio 54, so he”ll be my valentine and go along with me,” Us magazine quoted Marquardt as saying.

When asked how are things going with Nick, she said: “Really good!”

Marquardt currently hosts the Travel Channel’’s ‘Bridget’’s Sexy Beaches’, and met Carpenter when he directed her in the upcoming thriller, The Telling.

“I really haven”t dated in so long. I feel like I”m in high school again,” she said. (ANI)


By ANI

Hugh Hefner Walt Disney of sex

BY RICK BENTLEY • MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Most giants of industry who are in their 80s have long been enjoying the benefits of retirement. Not Hugh Hefner.


For the last 55 years, the lanky Chicago native has run his Playboy empire that has included clubs, fashion lines, TV shows, videos, an Internet presence and loads of other merchandising. The men's magazine is the cornerstone of his business.

Very few industry giants have become as closely associated with an entertainment empire as Hefner, except maybe Walt Disney.

"It is an interesting frame of reference," Hefner says during a telephone interview from the Los Angeles Playboy mansion. "Disney is somebody who inspired me when I was a kid growing up."

With Hefner manning the helm with a Captain Ahab intensity, Playboy survived despite repeated battles with people who were outraged by the nude photos in the magazine and a slew of competitors.

And Hefner's cachet shows no signs of slowing down. He will turn 83 in April and he has a popular TV show called "The Girls Next Door" on the E! cable channel. The show is about his personal life and it is a worldwide sensation. Besides the cable series, he appeared in a dozen TV and film projects last year. And a new biography by Steven Watts, "Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream" has come out.

Robert Thompson, professor of media and culture at Syracuse University, says everything Hefner has done has been part of the game plan that helped link him closely with the magazine empire.

"You have other companies linked to characters but they are usually fictional, like Ronald McDonald," Thompson says. "The main reason Hefner has remained so closely connected is that he is still out there promoting himself."

Thompson says "The Girls Next Door" helped bring Hefner and the magazine to the attention of a new generation that's too young to know it from its heyday in the '60s and '70s.

"The Girls Next Door" certainly opened up the magazine to a broader audience. The weekly TV look at Hefner and his three ex-girlfriends Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson is watched by an audience that is 70% female.

Hefner says it is no coincidence the magazine pulled out of an economic slump when his marriage to Kimberly Conrad ended in 1999.

"I found there was a whole generation waiting for me to come out and play," Hefner says. "It was kind of like Elvis being off the scene and being resurrected and showing up at a supermarket."

Girls Next Door Get All Dressed Up

Bridget Marquardt, Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson - better known as the Girls Next Door from E! - attended the AFI Awards last night with their slightly more mature wrinkly boyfriend Hugh Hefner. The girls classed it up a bit compared to Kendra’s outfit for the Lakers game the other night. Holly and Kendra were each showing just enough cleavage to not look whorish, but enough so you knew they could be. Bridget looked classy and sophisticated in a strapless blue dress.

Ex-Playboy Playmate blames Hefner for girlfriends' walkout

Playboy Playmate of the Year says that it was Hugh Hefner's strict needs and harsh curfews that made all his previous girlfriends to walk out on him.

Ex-Playboy Playmate blames Hefner for girlfriends' walkout
Sara Jean Underwood, who won the title in 2007, has said that all three 'Girls Next Door' stars-Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt And Holly Madison-were unhappy with Hefner and the discipline he imposed on them.

And that's the reason why they all ended-up dumping the 82-year-old Playboy mogul.

"They're young girls and they should be out there partying, but they had strict curfews and had to be in by nine o'clock," the Sun quoted her as saying.

She added: "Had they stayed, none of them would have been happy."

Sara herself stayed at the Playboy mansion for almost three years, and eventually moved out in August 2008 to return to university.

And now she's said: "I went home when it was a really good time to leave,"

Meanwhile, Kendra is all set to marry NFL star Hank Baskett, Holly is dating illusionist Criss Angel, and Bridget has said that she's enjoying being single again.

Source: ANI

Bridget Marquardt Filming Her New Reality Show!

Bridget Marquardt, one of Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriends, is one of my favorite celebrities. She just seems so nice. I doubt she has a mean bone in her body. For 35 years old, she looks great! Bridget was on the Gold Coast in Australia filming her new reality show Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches.

I think Bridget needs to have some children. She just seems like she would be an awesome mom. She would have her little girls all matching, and she would be the ultimate soccer mom