Former Playmate Shannon Tweed recalls years with Hugh Hefner

A former Playmate with Saskatoon ties is remembering Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

Hefner died in his mansion on Wednesday at the age of 91. Shannon Tweed, who spent part of her childhood in Saskatoon, said he definitely had an impact on her life.

“It was sad to watch him deteriorate a little, you know he was getting kind of smaller,” she said.

Tweed first met Hefner at a Playboy mansion party after Playboy photographers noticed her in Toronto. Hefner asked the then 24-year-old to move in with him and she said yes.

The couple dated for roughly two years. Tweed said the silk pajama millionaire went out in public with her more than he had with past relationships.

“When you see pictures of him in real clothes, those were the ones I got him,” Tweed said, adding he liked a cardigan, a button down and sometimes a blazer.

“He looked very smart in his clothes.”

Tweed recalled how Hefner liked hot dogs and mashed potatoes, but only liked melon in ball forms and his steak to be cut up in pieces.

Tweed admits after her split with Hefner they had a slight custody battle over their dog, as both are animal lovers. Tweed said the dog ended up having puppies, which they shared.

The former Playmate noted Hefner was supportive of women’s rights.

“What he wanted to say was, it’s okay for women to want to have sex and to not feel embarrassed or slut shamed about it. And it’s okay for women to want the same things men want,'” Tweed said.

She said no one forced women to take part in the magazine, and added they were paid well.

Tweed met her husband, KISS rocker Gene Simmons, almost 35 years ago at a Playboy mansion party. She said Simmons and Hefner had much in common.

“They both started their own comic books in high school and loved movies. Their politics are the same, our views on civil rights and freedom of speech,” Tweed said.