The controversy swirling over Hugh Hefner’s life continues after his death.
Amid criticism of the Playboy founder’s legacy in the wake of his death September 27 at 91, his ex-girlfriend and four-time Playboy cover girl Barbi Benton is defending Hefner’s ‘huge impact on the entire world,’ which she said he left ‘for the better.’
The 67-year-old Benton, also known for her work on the TV show Hee Haw and as a recording artist, told People TV that Hefner – amid ‘an extremely puritanical time’ – was a champion of the women’s liberation movement.
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In defense: Barbi Benton, 67, (L) defended late Playboy owner Hugh Hefner as a champion for women’s liberation in a new chat with People TV
‘He was in favor of what they were fighting for,’ she said, ‘and he was always rather surprised that they felt that he was exploiting women … Hef always felt that he was in favor of women’s’ movement.’
Benton said that through his magazine, Hefner shattered the antiquated portrayal of women as domesticated and dependent on men.
‘Before Playboy, people couldn’t talk about sex. Nobody talked about sex,’ she said. ‘In 1953, women were dressed up … with their aprons and barefoot in the kitchen.
‘Hef brought them out and said, “Hey, the woman in the kitchen is pretty sexy.”‘
Benton added that ‘Hef had a lot to do with women making more money and getting better jobs,’ having ‘had an enormous impact on culture and lives of people all over the world.’
Longtime loves: Benton, seen with Hefner in this 2007 shot in LA, said that ‘when he died, he took a big piece of me with him’
Boogie nights: Benton, a four-time Playboy cover girl, dated Hefner during the 1970s
Hefner’s death has drawn out many of his critics in the media as well as in Hollywood, as Bette Midler asked in the wake of his death, ‘Why lionize Hugh Hefner, a pig, a pornographer & a predator too? I once went to the “mansion” in ’68 and got the clap walking thru the door.’
But Benton remains a staunch defender, as she linked her own fame to his.
‘People recognized us together and our names were synonymous: whenever you heard Barbi Benton, you think of Hugh Hefner,’ she said. ‘And I loved that. I was his girlfriend and he was my boyfriend.’
She noted that ‘when he died, he took a big piece of me with him … I’ll miss him immensely, adding that ‘one never knows when the angels are coming to get you, but everybody has to go. And Hef had a great life – what a wonderful life.’
Critics: Hefner’s legacy was called to task by many journalists, as well as Bette Midler
Better times: Hefner was snapped in 2006 with (L-R) Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson
Beauty: Benton appeared at a Beverly Hills screening in November of 2016