It's been a few years since her historic win on Season 24 of Big Brother, and yet Taylor Hale remains a prominent name tied to the franchise and CBS reality shows. Following her recent hosting of the BB aftershow and participating in a season of The Amazing Race, Hale has made another shocking move by being featured in Playboy.

While we don't know if Taylor will be a part of the 2026 TV schedule, fans will be able to see her in the March edition of Playboy. In the caption of a shared post between the reality star and the publication, it was said that she wanted to do the spread after learning nude photos of her circulated without her knowledge:

There is an unfortunate side to fans having the ability to monitor the Houseguests almost all hours of the day with a Paramount+ subscription. While producers try their best to protect Houseguests' privacy, there will almost always be a point in the season where one of the players is caught in a state of undress, or whoever is switching cameras is asleep at the wheel.

This happened to Taylor Hale, and while she was unaware of it happening while she was in the Big Brother house, it couldn't have happened at a worse time. Hale's season was notable in that she was targeted early and often by a section of the house, leading fans to sympathize with her and hope she could overcome.

Eventually, the behavior was called out by another portion of the house, who banded together in order to protect her, which played a core role in her victory. Exiting the game to learn her body was shared on the internet was disappointing, but Hale expressed thanks to Playboy for giving her a chance to reclaim the moment:

Taylor Hale shared a few of the photos on her Instagram account, giving her followers a taste of what they'll see in the full story. Those curious can check it out below:

While she might've had a rough time during her season and after with some backlash from viewers, Taylor has no shortage of fans in the Big Brother world now. Many former Houseguests were in the comments congratulating her on the milestone and celebrating her achievement:

• "Framing this and putting it next to my bed ❤️ I'm so proud of you!!" - @KatDunn
• "Omg so this means I have a chance. First Asian woman to win Big Brother. Love you, Taylor 🔥🔥🔥" - @JunDishes
• "LOVE THIS!!!!!!! :)" - @RachelReillyVillegas
• "So stunning Taylor! 🔥" - @JanellePierzina
• "ICONICCCC!!! welcome to the club 🐰" - @bluebeachkim

You love to see it, especially for someone as great of an ambassador to Big Brother's modern era as Taylor has been. She's used her platform to champion the show in its new era, and even sided with fans on issues such as keeping the live feeds active, despite how they impacted her.

With Season 28 on the way to CBS this summer, I'm curious what Big Brother has planned for the upcoming season. We usually won't know any specifics until late May at the earliest, so we still have quite a wait before speculation can really get rolling.

Fortunately, there's a healthy collection of Big Brother content available on Paramount+, including Taylor's beloved Season 24. Check it out for those who haven't had a chance to yet, as it's genuinely one of the best modern seasons to watch.

Steve Harvey’s been known to hilariously react whenever faced with wild responses on Family Feud, the talk show he’s hosted since 2010. Given that, it’s hard not to wonder how 68-year-old Harvey reacts when faced with unexpected situations in his personal life. Well, the media personality experienced such a moment after his now-28-year-old daughter, Lori, posed for Playboy. Lori – a social media maven and socialite – recently recalled the funny story of how she broke the news to her parents.

Lori Harvey’s Playboy spread was unveiled this past January, and she appeared in several photos for the magazine. It would be natural to wonder just how Harvey would tell mother Marjorie and father Steve (who adopted her when he married her mom). Well, as Lori explained on The Jennifer Hudson Show (as seen on YouTube), she did tell her folks… just not right away:

Upon hearing about the shoot, Marjorie Harvey didn’t believe her daughter had actually posed for the Hugh Hefner-birthed publication. With that, the curious mother actually reached out to a number of people in her daughter’s orbit to receive confirmation. The older Harvey was initially taken aback but, once she saw the photos, she even admitted her daughter’s snapshots were “cute.” Still, Lori didn’t want Steve to find out until the issue was released, yet her mother spilled the beans almost immediately, leading Steve to ask:

If that’s not classic Steve Harvey, then I don’t know what is. Honestly, I can hear him asking that very question in the exhausted way Lori described. But, as she went on to explain, once he actually saw the photos, he said, ‘Oh, this is nice.’ It sounds like Steve is a man who appreciates tasteful content, and that’s funny considering some of the wild moments he’s experienced as one of our best game show hosts.

The Family Feud host has had to contend with a few NSFW-adjacent moments on air. For instance, there was the time he was left speechless due to some contestants' responses to a “sexy dreams” question. However, even Harvey himself, during an episode, joked about wearing a dildo, and he mimicked sex moves. So, yeah, the man has quite a wild sense of humor.

Of course, all of that is a far cry from the photoshoot done by Lori Harvey, who’s also posed for Sports Illustrated. Harvey has certainly been making a name for herself in recent years, gracing both magazine covers and red carpets. Steve seems quite proud of his daughter and, if his funny and honest reaction to her Playboy shoot is any indication, he remains supportive.

Those who want to see Steve Havey at his funniest can check out Family Feud amid the 2025 TV schedule. Check your local listings to see when it airs in your market.

The past several months have seen actress and model Brooke Shields opening up about various facets of her life, and more is sure to be revealed in her upcoming documentary, Pretty Baby. The beloved Hollywood veteran has been particularly candid about some of her earlier experiences in the industry as a young woman. More recently, she opened up about her mom having her pose for Playboy Magazine at the tender age of 10. And Shields also got honest about having played a prostitute at 11. 

Cinema buffs are more than likely aware that one of Brooke Shields’ earliest movies is the 1978 drama Pretty Baby, in which she played child prostitute Violet. She famously starred alongside Keith Carradine (who was 27 at the time) and had to kiss him while also appearing naked during a scene. When looking back at the polarizing film, Shields remembers her mother being on set but apparently not stepping in when she needed support. This includes the moment that director Louis Malle allegedly yelled at her. When it comes to reconciling her mother’s actions and possibly justifying them to her kids, the actress got honest:

Though she defended her mother at certain points in the past, the 57-year-old star clearly isn’t holding back now though is simultaneously being diplomatic with her responses. When it comes to the professional choices her mom, actress and model Teri Shields, influenced during her formative years, the Blue Lagoon alum also mentioned her Playboy shoot. The comments she shared with The Sunday Times confirm that she’s still in disbelief over it: 

It goes without saying that Brooke Shields has learned quite a bit about Hollywood after having worked in the industry for the past several decades. An early professional “mistake” she’s been candid about is the decision to reveal her virginity back in the ‘80s. As she explained, that distinction stuck with her, and she became “the most famous virgin in the world.” Shields has also been open about a truly tragic situation, in which she was reportedly raped by someone she’d met while working in the business. As the star has sought to reclaim her narrative, friends and fans have found her decision to speak out “inspiring.”

While it’s unfortunate that the actress’ path within the industry has been rough, it’s comforting to know that she’s been able to get all of her struggles off her chest. Some may argue that the industry and the roles of “stage parents” have changed in some regard. However, her personal accounts on her Pretty Baby experience, Playboy shoot and more could still serve as serious gems of wisdom for up-and-comers in Hollywood.

You can learn more about her life and career by watching Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields when it becomes available for Hulu subscription holders on April 3.

Nearly 20 years ago, Hugh Hefner was on the hunt. The longtime Playboy mogul really wanted then It-girl Paris Hilton to be on the cover of his magazine, and he was furiously wooing her. He offered her money, then more money, than plenty of accommodations to try to entice her. According to Paris though, her mom would have lost her mind. 

In her upcoming memoir -- which has also yielded stories about attempting to sneak a young Khloé Kardashian into a club -- Paris Hilton wrote about the experience, and the dark side of being famous during this time. She considered all of the things Hefner offered, but kept hearing her mom’s reaction in the back of her mind; Kathy Hilton was firm doing the magazine would be “so trashy.” Still, the magazine mogul was on the hunt for a while: 

Recounting this portion of the experience, Hilton got candid about weighing her options at the time. She even said she considered appearing in Playboy, thinking it might be "awesome," but her mom was totally against it. And of course, she said she was still dealing with the ramifications of being branded a “slut” after a sex tape she had participated in was released. So, she said no. But that didn’t stop Hugh Hefner. 

In fact, in an excerpt from Paris: The Memoir (via People), Hilton describes how Hefner went out of the way to track down a photographer from an old photoshoot she’d participated in. He bought a photo of the reality star and gave her an award, allowing him to splash the photo on his cover. According to the former Simple Life star she only found out after the magazine was published.

Paris Hilton isn’t the first woman in recent weeks to talk about experiences with Hugh Hefner. Former  Girls Next Door stars Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt have opened up about their experience being “recruited” at the Playboy Mansion and being asked to have sex with Hugh Hefner in front of other women – some of whom hated them. 

Though Paris Hilton was candid about needing to work through her feelings about sex in her memoir, a lot of that she says stem from her experiences with her sex tape and her boarding school and not her Playboy experience. While the cover experience was emotional, she’s been willing to go back and share pics from the Playboy mansion since. And just a couple of years after the photoshoot, she attended Hugh Hefner’s 81st birthday party at the Playboy Club (as seen in top image). 

While some women have seemingly had less-than-positive experiences, others have recalled enjoying appearing in Playboy over the years, such as Dolly Parton, who recreated her infamous Playboy cover at 75.  Pamela Anderson also recently revealed Hugh Hefner was the one person throughout her entire career whom she felt actually treated her with respect.  Heather Rae El Moussa has complicated feelings about her work with the magazine, noting she realizes it “catapulted” her career, but that she has no idea how she’s going to tell her children. A slew of other women, from Kim Kardashian to director Diablo Cody, have been featured in the past and commented about the experience. Still, clearly the magazine has a complicated legacy.

Less than a year after Hulu’s Pam & Tommy turned the titular couple’s sex tape theft into a caper dramedy, that show’s biggest naysayer, Pamela Anderson herself, is reclaiming coverage about her storied career in a big way, thanks to the simultaneous releases of her Netflix documentary and her autobiographical memoir. The actress and model has already been at the center of multiple high-profile headlines so far, as she claimed Tim Allen flashed his penis at her on the Home Improvement set and rehashed past claims that Sylvester Stallone attempted to win her over with a car and more. Now, she’s shared what might perhaps be an unexpected take on one of her earliest employers, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. 

Considering her not-so-savory claims about the aforementioned Hollywood stars and others, one might think Pamela Anderson would be a key source of similarly salacious stories about Playboy magazine’s sex-consumed boss Hugh Hefner, who passed away in 2017 at 91 years old. But to the contrary, in an interview with The Times of London, the Baywatch vet named Hefner as being the one person in her career who could be counted on to not treat her the same way the rest of the world did at the time. And how did he treat her?

To be sure, Hugh Hefner has certainly been at the center of many stories and claims that paint him in a less positive light, particularly when it involved sex parties at the Playboy Mansion. But Pamela Anderson has almost always spoken of the Hef rather highly, both before and after his death, giving him much credit for helping launch her into orbit with her photo shoots for the mag, with her ascension to Playmate being quite the booster. 

As well, Anderson spoke about how much her first Playboy appearance affected her attitude and feelings about herself at the time, saying:

The Barb Wire star definitely isn’t alone in that respect, with many models over the years crediting Playboy and Hugh Hefner with inspiring feelings of self-love and confidence. It’s possible that Anderson could have achieved a similar career arc without the NSFW publication making her an object of lustful affection, but we’ll never really know what that reality would have been like. 

Check out the trailer for Netflix’s Pam Anderson documentary below to get a peek at what her actual reality was like between those hectic early years and now.

Pamela, A Love Story will be available to stream for everyone with a Netflix subscription when it goes live on Tuesday, January 31, which is the same day that her highly anticipated memoir Love, Pamela will be released. While waiting to learn more about Anderson’s hectic and problematic rise to icon status, head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what other projects are debuting soon.

Girls Next Door stars Holly Madison and Bridge Marquardt moved out of the Playboy Mansion more than a decade ago, but their time living with the significantly older Hugh Hefner, alongside his other girlfriends, is still very vivid in their minds. They recently launched a podcast to tell stories and talk about what their lives were like. Those lives extended to the bedroom, and the two recently got candid about what being with someone so much older was like.

On the most recent episode of Girls Next Level, Madison and Marquardt both talked about their experiences of moving into the mansion and their first times being sexually active with Hugh Hefner, who passed in 2017. Madison went first and said she went out with Hefner and his girlfriends for the first time and got drunk at a club. When she got back, they all went to the bedroom, and she recounted what happened in very specific detail…

Madison went on to describe the encounter as “traumatic” and said she felt “used,” but it made her all the more determined to get what she came for, which was to move into the mansion and bring some stability to her life. She would end up staying almost a decade, and apparently later on, the sex got “so routine”, Hefner wouldn’t move. She described him as a “bump on a log” in the middle of the bed.

Bridget Marquardt also described her first time with Hugh Hefner during the same conversation. She had just graduated with a Master’s Degree and was deciding whether to find a real career or try to make Los Angeles work. Hefner invited her to go on a date, and she said no. But as the months went by and she started thinking more about it, she decided she wanted to “live a little” and try something crazy. So, she went to a party at the Playboy Mansion, dressed as Carmen Miranda and told him she’d be willing to go on a date with him and his girlfriends.

A few days later, she went out to a club with Hefner and his girlfriends. They all had drinks and listened to a mix tape in the limo. She called walking into the club and right past the security “surreal.” They sat in the VIP area and danced all night, but she wasn’t sure what was going to be expected of her when she got back.

Marquardt revealed she went upstairs with Hefner and got in the bath with the other girls, including Madison. They all then went into Hefner’s room and she was shocked by how cluttered and dirty it was. Madison described it as “hoarder-style”, and Marquardt described it as a “disaster.” Pornography was playing on the TV, and they had to walk through a small path because there was so much stuff everywhere. There were vibrators on the bed. People eventually brought up a charcuterie board and various dips. 

After discussing their first times, Madison and Marquardt talked about the times after that and how uncomfortable it was to have sex in front of so many other women, especially because you have relationships with them, and they’re not always positive. In fact, Madison said she could sometimes hear the other women “talk(ing) shit” about her while she was having sex. Here’s a portion of her quote…

Madison and Marquardt both lived in the Playboy Mansion throughout much of the 2000s. Eventually, they got their own reality show called The Girls Next Door, alongside Hefner’s third girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson. The show was a big hit on E! And ultimately ran for six seasons, five of which featured Madison and Marquardt as primary cast members. They both eventually broke up with Hefner and moved out and created their own lives outside Playboy, which is why the final season featured other women moving in. 

You can check out Holly and Bridget's podcast, Girls Next Level, which will continue to dive deep into their popular reality show and their lives at the infamous Playboy Mansion. 

It's official – HGTV's Tarek El Moussa and Netflix’s rising reality TV star Heather Rae Young have tied the knot. They dated just over ­a year before getting engaged in July. Now Young has officially been “Mrs. El Moussa” for just over a month – to perfectly match the “Mrs. El Moussa” butt tattoo she's had for several months. And while she's turning over a new page in her romantic life – from single lady to stepmom/wife – the Selling Sunset alum looks back on how she went from Playboy playmate to a high-rolling real estate agent on one of the top streaming platforms.

Even before marrying Tarek El Moussa, Heather Rae Young has spoken candidly about not regretting being part of the Playboy pantheon. (She posed fully nude for the iconic magazine back in the February 2010 issue as its “Playboy Playmate of the Month.”) And getting married hasn't changed her stance. In fact, the real estate agent on Selling Sunset shared the significance of the X-rated move to The Sun, saying,

Young's partner, known as the star of HGTV's Flip or Flop, has a ­6-year-old son, Brayden, and a 10-year-old daughter, Taylor, with his ex-wife/co-star Christina Haack. So it might be a wise move to wait to talk about nude photoshoots with Tarek El Moussa’s kids until they are just a little older. Whatever way they go about discussing Heather Rae Young's past, though, shouldn't be too much of an issue because Young herself has claimed on both social media and her Netflix show that she has a strong relationship with her stepchildren.

Interestingly, in her recent comments, Young actually credited Playboy for her real estate success, and thereby ending up on Selling Sunset and meeting her HGTV hubby. She also told the outlet,

In the years since posing for Playboy, Heather Rae Young has indeed been carving out a niche for herself as a prominent real estate agent. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors and worked for the now-infamous Oppenheim Group many years before the idea of a reality show was floated around their offices. According to StyleCaster, in the show's first three seasons alone, it has been estimated that Young sold nearly $12 million worth of Hollywood Hills houses, with her take-home commission totaling in the six-figures. The cost? Only a little shade from her Selling Sunset co-star Christine Quinn.

With its popularity, the Selling Sunset universe is set to be expanding, too, with spinoffs in Orange County and Tampa, Florida on the way to the streaming platform. Season 5 of Selling Sunset will supposedly be released next spring. (An interminable wait to find out more about how Chrishell Stause and her boss somehow got together.) In the interim, though, fans can catch Heather Rae Young and Tarek El Moussa’s wedding festivities in their new special Tarek & Heather: The Big I Do airing on HGTV on December 16.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? The 75-year-old “Jolene” singer has put out iconic songs, starred in fan-favorite movies and enlightened us with the occasional “Dollyism.” While the entertainer continues to act and sing today, she’s also become a delightful presence on social media, posting sweet updates and cool throwbacks. Well, one of her more recent posts is a bit of both, as it sees her successfully recreating her famous ‘70s Playboy cover for a special occasion.

Since 1966, Dolly Parton has been married to Carl Thomas Dean, who has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in the midst of the attention his famous wife gets. Despite the fact that they two are rarely seen together in public, they seem to have a loving and devoted relationship. And it’s this love that prompted Parton to make a Playboy-centric birthday surprise for her hubby. Because Dean loved her original Playboy cover, Parton decided to have a photo shoot and recreate it as a present. You can check out the singer’s Instagram post, in which she lays out her plans, down below:

Dolly Parton mentioned that her husband still views her as a “hot chick,” and it’s hard to disagree with that assertion. At 75, Parton still dazzles in the Playboy bunny outfit and would still be a perfect fit for a cover. The singer’s look aside, the sentiment behind the gift is incredibly sweet. While she doesn’t share exactly how husband Carl Thomas Dean reacted, I think it’s fair to assume he was pleased with his gift.

The original Playboy cover featuring Dolly Parton hit shelves in October of 1978 and is arguably still one of the magazine’s most iconic shoots. Believe it or not, ahead of that shoot, Parton had reportedly turned down Hugh Hefner’s massive company a few times. This stemmed from her desire not to appear nude and, in time, Playboy agreed to the conditions.

In the years since, Dolly Parton has, on multiple occasions, expressed interest in appearing on the cover once again. However, the magazine discontinued its print issues last year. With this in mind, Parton’s recent photo shoot is really special.

Her birthday gift to her husband just further proves that Dolly Parton is still full of surprises. In the past year alone, fans have learned a number of things about the songstress. For instance, many were hyped when they discovered that her production company had a hand in bringing Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the small screen. Parton received equal praise when it was reported that she’d made a large donation to Vanderbilt University for COVID-19 research.

Needless to say, the world just doesn’t deserve Dolly Parton, as she continues to prove why she’s considered a national treasure by so many. And after her Playboy recreation, let’s hope this national treasure gets a shot at being on another high-profile magazine cover very soon.

In the days after Hugh Hefner's death, social media saw an outpouring of gratitude and grief from many of the famous Playboy Playmates and celebrities who were closest to the 91-year-old multimillionaire. Now Hefner's 31-year-old third wife, Crystal Harris, has opened up about her bereavement in a statement, saying,

Crystal Harris also told People that she joined others in mourning her husband's death, and she thanked everyone for their condolences. Crystal Harris' words echoed the appreciation many women close to Hugh Hefner said after his death. For example, Pamela Anderson credited him with helping to kickstart her career, as did Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra. As for Harris, she was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 2009, and she married Hugh Hefner on December 31, 2012. She also participated in a season of The Girls Next Door, and when notorious ladies man Hefner proposed to her, he gushed about her and said the more committed they became, the more they loved each other.

Questions remain concerning what Crystal Harris will do next now that Hugh Hefner is gone. In 2016, Hefner sold the Playboy Mansion to his wealthy neighbor on the condition that he could continue living there with his wife until he died. Now the situation is uncertain because the man who bought the Playboy Mansion previously said he wanted to connect it to his place and create one large estate, but reports say Harris is still living at the house without any problems for now.

Unfortunately, recent reports have also indicated some people on the internet have been out for blood with mean tweets directed at Crystal Harris since Hugh Hefner's death. Most of them center on how much inheritance money she might receive, and some messages suggest she does not care that Hefner died. But if Harris' statement is any indication, the death is shocking for her even though Hefner was 60 years her senior.

Besides, the past year or two has been relatively rough for Crystal Harris. Last year, for example, she announced that she had Lyme disease as well as illnesses caused by toxic mold and a breast implant rupture. Now that Hugh Hefner has passed away, it sounds like she is still figuring out what life looks like on her own. We'll have to stay tuned to see what's next for Harris and whether she might speak out in more detail down the road.

Before Hugh Hefner died, he wrapped up many loose ends, even going so far as to purchase the crypt next to Marilyn Monroe for himself. However, not everything in the Playboy empire is certain. For example, questions remain concerning the next phase for the multimillionaire's Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. But it turns out what is next for the estate is not in the hands of Playboy or the Hefner family, as someone else already owns the Playboy Mansion.

Last year, Hugh Hefner sold the Playboy Mansion to Daren Metropoulos, a co-owner of Hostess Brands, for more than $100 million. Metropoulos also acquired the vast estate next door to the Playboy Mansion in 2009. Afterward, he announced grand plans to renovate the properties and connect them to form a 7.3-acre compound and use it as his home.

Hugh Hefner bought the Playboy Mansion for $1.05 million in 1971. It reportedly was the biggest property sale ever in Los Angeles at the time. Four decades later, Hefner sold it for nearly 100 times the price he paid. That raised price tag was not all inflation; the Playboy Mansion was legendary. In fact, Daren Metropoulos apparently knew how vital Hefner and Playboy were to the value of the place because he struck a deal that let Hefner continue living there for the rest of his life.

So, Hugh Hefner never had to move, but there is no word what his 31-year-old wife, Crystal Harris, has to do now that Hefner is gone. Harris reportedly is living at the Playboy Mansion without problems, and the arrangement might remain in place for a while. Then again, it could change if Daren Metropoulos wants to connect the two estates. Still, some people hope Metropoulos' expansion plans will not alter the Playboy Mansion too much because of its history.

After all, Hugh Hefner and many of the women who worked for him called the sprawling Playboy Mansion home after Hefner relocated from Chicago to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Since Hefner's passing, we have heard about a lot of happy memories from celebrities and Playmates who stayed at the Playboy Mansion or attended events there. For instance, People says Carmen Electra spoke fondly of her time at the Playboy Mansion and called it "an adult Disneyland." Similarly, Kim Kardashian tweeted that she and Paris Hilton were messaging back and forth reminiscing about the famous Playboy Mansion Halloween parties.

Architect Arthur R. Kelly originally designed and built the Playboy Mansion for Arthur Letts, Jr., the son of the businessman and designer who turned Holmby Hills into a fancy community of grand estates for affluent clients. According to Daren Metropoulos, the original plans for the property showed the Playboy Mansion was supposed to connect with the estate next door. Thus, Metropoulos' expansion would realize the original design ideas. It sounds like Metropoulos has done his research, so the final result should look great.

News of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's death has saddened many people in the entertainment and publishing industries. Now many of the Playmates and celebrities Hefner showcased in his men's lifestyle magazine are paying tribute. For example, Pamela Anderson graced the cover of Playboy a record 14 times, and Hugh Hefner even selected her to write the forward for Playboy's Greatest Covers, a coffee table book. The 50-year-old Baywatch actress and model hopped on Instagram to share an emotional video that showed tears running down her face. Anderson attached a lengthy caption to express her extreme grief, but also thanked Hefner for helping her build a career in show business. Take a look:

Hugh Hefner also had a profound impact on former Playmate Kendra Wilkinson, with whom Hefner shared a polyamorous relationship along with Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt. Hefner and the three former Playmates filmed six seasons of the reality television show The Girls Next Door together. Wilkinson opened up to reporters in response to Hefner's death and said:

Bridget Marquardt also shared her sadness over the news and offered fond memories with a social media post about Hugh Hefner. Check it out:

As of yet, Holly Madison has not spoken out about Hugh Hefner's death. However, former Playmate Jenny McCarthy has shared kind words. Like Pamela Anderson, McCarthy got her big break in the industry thanks to Playboy. The actress, model, television host, author, screenwriter, and former host of The View tweeted:

Additionally, former Playmate Carmen Electra got a lot of guidance from Hugh Hefner when she was kickstarting her career. The actress and model expressed her sadness and thanks, posting:

Many of the women who graced the cover of Playboy were celebrities. In fact, the very first woman to grace the cover was Marilyn Monroe. So, as you might imagine, many of the famous faces have been joining former Playmates in sharing condolences via social media. For example, Kim Kardashian said she and Paris Hilton had been reminiscing about their experiences at the Playboy Mansion:

In fact, Paris Hilton tweeted a full gallery of pictures she and Hugh Hefner took together over the years:

Dita von Teese also shared a gallery of photos with Hugh Hefner along with a lovely letter to him. In it, she explained the profound impact doing Playboy had on her life:

Then other big entertainment names who happened to do Playboy also chimed in. For example, supermodel Cindy Crawford posted:

Similarly, supermodel Kate Moss gave her two cents, posting:

Many other stars---from Sandra Bernhard to Nancy Sinatra to Azealia Banks---shared sendoff words to Hugh Hefner and showed pictures of their Playboy cover experiences, too. Clearly, Hugh Hefner had a major positive impact on many women in Hollywood, so it is heartening to see many of them speak out with kind words for their friend after his death.

It's been nearly six full years since the Harry Potter movie series concluded with The Deathly Hallows - Part 2, and all of the actors have gone on to new endeavors. Daniel Radcliffe appeared in Swiss Army Man, Now You See Me 2 and Imperium last year, Emma Watson will be seen as Belle in the Beauty of the Beast remake, the list goes on. In the case of Scarlett Byrne, who played Slytherin Pansy Parkinson in three of the Harry Potter movies, she's also kept up her acting career, but she'll also soon be seen in the pages of Playboy.

Scarlett Byrne announced on her Instagram page recently that she wrote an essay called "The Feminist Mystique" that will be featured within the magazine's March/April issue. Along with that, and in keeping with what Playboy is best known for, she'll also be modeling nude, including the hashtag #NakedIsNormal in her post, which is the title of that issue. Last year, Playboy announced they would discontinue showing nude photographs, but earlier this week, it was announced that this creative decision had been overturned, returning the publication to its roots. So Byrne will be one of the first models in this relaunch of sorts. It's also worth noting that Byrne is engaged to Cooper Hefner, son of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and the magazine's Chief Creative Officer.

Like her book counterpart, the cinematic Pansy Parkinson was a recurring player throughout the Harry Potter franchise, though she wasn't seen in The Goblet of Fire movie. However, Scarlett Byrne didn't start playing her until 2009's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a role which she reprised for the Deathly Hallows movies. That said, like the previous actresses, Byrne wasn't given a lot to do, as Parkinson was really just one of the Slytherin students hanging around with Draco Malfoy who liked to tease all of the main and supporting benevolent characters. You know, what you usually expect from the average Slytherin. Here's a picture of Byrne's Pansy in case you forgot her lingering about.

Outside of the Harry Potter movies, Scarlett Byrne's most notable credits have been playing Lexi Denise Glass-Mason in the TNT series Falling Skies and Nora Hildegard in The Vampire Diaries. She was most recently seen on an episode of Mary + Jane, and she'll also appear in Skybound. But if you want to see a more exposed side of Byrne (bad pun, sorry), as well as read her thoughts about feminism, check out the upcoming Playboy issue.

The Harry Potter movies series is over (unless there's ever a Cursed Child adaptation), but the exploration of the Wizarding World is continuing through the Fantastic Beasts series, the next installment of which hits theaters on November 16, 2018.

Well, there’s just no easy way to tell all you fine gentlemen this, so I’ll simply give it to you straight. Playboy is planning to stop printing pictures of ladies in all their naked gloriousness. I know, it’s the end of an era. But, honestly, if you think about it, you didn’t really need Playboy to see naked women any more, did you?

The announcement came yesterday via The New York Times, and the Playboy website wrote about it this morning. After some, obviously, careful consideration, Cory Jones, chief content officer at the magazine, spoke to Playboy creator and institutional naked lady icon Hugh Hefner and the final decision was made.

The magazine is planning on a more modern design that will be “more accessible” and “more intimate.” Playboy is looking to create images that are less highly produced that have a more toned down feel. The overall look is intended to be more PG-13 and a lot more like the naughtier photos you could see on Instagram. The property is also planning a sex column by a “sex-positive female,” possibly hoping to distance themselves from the idea that the magazine has an old-fashioned and sexist view of women’s worth. The editors stress that there will still be a Playmate of the Month, but haven’t said whether or not a centerfold will continue to be a part of their monthly plan. The changes will take effect with the March 2016 issue.

The first issue of Playboy, which came out in 1953 and featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover, set off a cultural turning point that began to legitimatize nudity and even straight ahead porn for the American public. Many competitors followed, most closely by Penthouse, which tried to take the dawn of the internet nudie age in stride by going even more hardcore, and failed as a result.

Playboy's decision comes after the magazine has seen its sales numbers drop significantly over the past few decades. The circulation was at its high point in 1975, where it peaked at 5.6 million, and has dwindled to about 800,000 currently. The very revolution that the magazine set off in the early 1950s seems to have doomed the all-naked-all-the-time policy to unnecessariness. Playboy has already made some content safe for work so their images could be included on popular social media sites. And, in August of 2014, they dispensed with nudity on their own website.

I happen to be a woman who doesn’t have any problem with Playboy being all about ladies and their nether regions and whatever else it is that they show. As long as everyone is 18 or older and no one has been coerced or tricked into posing, what can anyone do about it?

On an even more personal note, I remember being at home as a 12-year-old, with no adult supervision, and sneaking my dad’s copy with my best friend Danielle. We were looking for two things: to see what the big deal was, and to see how we were supposed to turn out. Danielle was a tiny little thing, even for a pre-teen, and I was, well, a bit of a chunky lass. We both looked at the pictures and said, “well, that’s not gonna happen,” and that was it. But, if some little girl somewhere saw the images in Playboy as yet another reason why they weren’t worthy, I can easily say good riddance. And, if this decision to change the magazine proves to be a good one, it seems like the men of America won’t miss it either.

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Former Golden Globe nominee Joey Heatherton’s career has slowly faded away over the years, but her ability to generate headlines certainly has not. Since the early 1970s, she’s done everything from break up with an NFL star to bitch slap a government employee to stab her boyfriend. Now, she can add another strange entry to that personal life drama file thanks to a vicious attack she allegedly put on her neighbor.

Details are still a little fuzzy on what exactly happened, but in short, Joey Heatherton and her neighbor have allegedly been at war for some time over noise. The actress/ model/ Playboy playmate apparently didn’t appreciate the ruckus the woman upstairs made every morning, specifically when she used her blender. After more than a few bangs on the ceiling didn’t quiet her down, Heatherton allegedly waited for the neighbor inside of their apartment building’s lobby and attacked her with a high heeled shoe.

No one involved has spoken publicly about the alleged assault, but the supposed victim, Chandra Arend, did go to court and get a restraining order. According to TMZ, she’s now filed a lawsuit, as well, though it’s unclear if she’s looking more for money or another ruling that would give her more leverage to make the restraining order permanent.

Heatherton first rose to fame in the very late 1950s and early 1960s as a child actress. She appeared on numerous television shows and specials with Bob Hope and became recognized as a lights out dancer. She later turned primarily toward movies and was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1964 for Twilight of Honor. Some television specials and movies followed into the late 60s and early 1970s, but it’s around that point that her personal life took over.

She married Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lance Rentzel, but after he was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl, they divorced in pretty ugly fashion. During the mid-1980s, she was arrested for allegedly slapping a clerk at the U.S. Passport Agency office right in the face. A year later, she was arrested again for allegedly going after her ex-boyfriend/ ex-manager with 2 knives during some kind of bizarre ninja assault. All of that, coupled with periodic accusations of abusing various drugs and not eating, have been enough to derail any dreams of a comeback. More than likely, that history won’t help her in court with this latest case either.

Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to both Joey Heatherton and the alleged victim. Here’s to hoping they can find a way to live next to each other in peace.

Former Playboy model and Girls Next Door reality star Kendra Wilkinson is only 28, but she’s already done quite a lot in her life. Lately, the TV personality has been busy with her husband Hank Bassett and her 3-year-old son, Hank Junior. The couple are currently trying for another child, and Wilkinson says if it’s a girl, she would be alright if her daughter followed in her footsteps and modeled for Playboy magazine.

Wilkinson was speaking with HuffPost Live when she talked about how she would feel if she had a daughter who might want to undress for the cameras. She says that she would be supportive, but that does come with a caveat; her daughter would need to be a person with plenty of self-worth.

Wilkinson is pretty open about her own beliefs, even stating that her son is currently nursing with her and she wouldn’t mind if someday he saw her Playboy spreads.

At the end of the day, she believes life is all about owning your choices. Wilkinson was fine with who she was during her Playboy years and she’s more than fine with where she is today. She may not have taken a path that many people would choose, but she has a good attitude about her path, stating she owns her own choices.

A person can’t change the past. Decisions can alter the shape of a person’s life, but they can’t be taken back. The second a person begins regretting the choices he or she made is the second he or she might become unhappy. Wilkinson seems to have a great outlook on the decisions that made her who she is, and even if many parents would not be stoked to see their daughters in Playboy, Wilkinson is neither a hypocrite nor a judgmental parent.

After an engagement, a break-up just prior to the wedding, a series of public spats, a reconciliation and another engagement, Crystal Harris finally became Mrs. Hugh Hefner yesterday in a New Year’s Eve ceremony at the famed Playboy Mansion. The bride wore a poofy, faint pink dress and carried her dog for extended spells while the groom went with the classic black tuxedo.

The Playboy founder tweeted out a picture of the ceremony following its conclusion, and you can take a look at the snapshot below…

The affair was far more low key than the grandiose spectacle that was planned for the first wedding, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still awesome. According to US Weekly, the reception flowed directly into the annual New Year’s Eve party, and famous guests included Jon Lovitz, Gene Simmons and Joe Don Rooney from Rascal Flatts.

Over the past few months, Harris has stepped forward and taken responsibility for what happened the first time around. She had never really been on her own and apparently needed some space to realize the Mansion was where she belonged all along. Fortunately, Hef welcomed her back with open arms, and by all accounts, they moved past the brief period of turbulence.

Pop Blend’s sincerest congratulations go out to Hefner and Harris. Here’s to hoping this one lasts the test of time.

A little less than a year ago, Crystal Harris unceremoniously broke it off with Hugh Hefner right before their wedding. The Playboy founder took the news like a champ, let her auction off the engagement ring and generally played nice in the press. She, however, did not. The former bunny said plenty of negative things publically and pretended as if she was never super down with him. Apparently, she’s changed her tune.

According to Radar Online, Harris moved back into the mansion earlier this week. It’s unclear whether that means a wedding might once again be in the cards, but her arrival was supposedly met by Hef’s angry girlfriend Shera Berchard moving out. That would seem to be a sign of a serious reinvigorated romance, but I suppose we shall see. Anonymous sources are claiming Harris had to beg Hef for the keys back, but given what transpired before, it seems like begging was warranted.

I have no idea what either of these people see in each other, but I suppose that’s what makes the world go round. So, Cinema Blend sends out a tepid congratulation to Hef and Harris as they begin spending more time together again. The last attempt may not have ended so well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean this try will end the same way. We’ll keep you updated if any event planners are booked.

The majority of women who pose for Playboy are unable to translate their pictorials into lasting fame. Jenny McCarthy however took her opportunity and ran with it. The model auditioned for the men’s magazine in 1993 and was ultimately offered $20,000 to be the centerfold for the October issue. After winning Playmate of the Year, she moved out to Los Angeles, got a job playing music videos, landed the host position on Singled Out and eventually wound up with her own network show. A lot of women have good looks, but McCarthy had spunk and an unwillingness to be denied.

Now, almost twenty years after McCarthy first showed the world what was underneath her dress, the model, actress and mother has decided to show everyone she’s still got it. According to US Magazine, will grace the cover of Playboy’s July/ August issue. Inside, she’ll have several nude pictures and assumedly, an interview.

While some former Playboy models distance themselves from the pictures they took when they were younger, McCarthy has always remained a fixture at the mansion. Her soon recently attended the annual Easter Egg hunt, and McCarthy has even made appearances in the magazine itself now and again. She’s clearly comfortable with her legacy, and obviously, her own body.

After splitting from longtime partner Jim Carrey in 2010, McCarthy is now reportedly dating Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, a hulking man with a bald head and scary eyes.

I promise I'm going to talk about Lindsay Lohan and her latest incremental slide away from respectability, but first, let's talk about Michelle Williams. The insanely gifted actress-- those are words we once used to describe Lohan, remember-- is winning raves for her performance in the upcoming My Week With Marilyn, in which she channels the late starlet in both her va-va-voom performances and fragile inner life. The movie occasionally slips up and buys into the played out myth of Marilyn the sexpot, but Williams firmly doesn't-- even when she's flirting relentlessly with her young assistant or signing autographs, WIlliams lets you see the human being underneath, reminding you at all time that her iconic status came at an enormous cost.

That kind of performance is pretty much the only Marilyn Monroe homage we need these days, nearly 50 years after Monroe's death and after we've seen any number of starlets follow the same bumpy road from stardom to paranoia to drug addiction to, sometimes, an early death. It's the road that Lindsay Lohan appears to be on herself, constantly in and out of jail and flirting with drugs and isolating herself from most of the people who ever believed in her. When Michelle Williams plays Marilyn Monroe, it's an interesting turn for an actress who has proven herself capable of many talents; when Lindsay Lohan mimics Monroe, as in a 2008 New York Magazine shoot, it's a spooky way of projecting the past on the soon-to-be-tragic present.

Which is why I can't possibly understand why Lohan has chosen to recreate Monroe again, this time in the pages of Playboy in a shoot that Hugh Hefner himself promises will be "classy, very classy." The photos apparently mimic the famous nude photos of Monroe taken by Tom Kelley in 1949, when Monroe was about to be let go of her contract at 20th Century Fox and was flat broke; she's said herself many times that she only did the photos for the money, and according to this memorabilia site, the $50 she was paid was the exact amount it took to get back her impounded car. The $1 million Lohan received for Playboy is obviously a much bigger payday, but probably also for the same reason: a starlet on the outs with Hollywood, left to rely on her body for cash.

It breaks my heart to see Lindsay Lohan to continue to fall apart year after year, but hearing that she's deliberately mimicking Marilyn Monroe again makes me wonder if she really doesn't get it. Why would a starlet in freefall choose to emulate another one whose career troubles spiraled into her death? Especially with Michelle Williams's more nuanced portrayal out in theaters, why would Lohan want to trot out a more shallow and tired take on Monroe? It makes me wonder if she even had any say in the matter, or if she showed up for the Playboy shoot as complacent and easily manipulated as the broke Monroe was in 1949: eager to please an industry that no longer wanted her, taking the cash and running.

LIndsay Lohan hasn't starred in a theatrically released film since 2007, and her last movie to get anything resembling good reviews was Bobby in 2006. But the $1 million payday from Playboy proves her name still means something, and when it comes time to crawl out of this muck, someone will still be interested. It was the same for Marilyn Monroe, of course, who kept working even when she was visibly falling apart. But Lindsay? Can we let the similarities end there? The more you try to emulate Marilyn, the more we're going to think you're actively rooting for your own untimely demise. There are at least a few of us left out here who are hoping for the turnaround Marilyn never managed to achieve.

Former Playmate, Hugh Hefner ex-girlfriend and wannabe musician Crystal Harris continued to speak Playboy founder yesterday, telling Howard Stern she only had sex with the eighty-five year old once and that it lasted like “two seconds." Also among her list of grievances with the publisher were never seeing him naked and his lack of sex appeal. I get it. Sleeping with someone old enough to be your grandfather probably isn't as appealing or stimulating as bedding a twenty-something, but that task is also what she signed up for. Whether seeking money, fame or comfort, Crystal Harris not only dated Hugh Hefner, she accepted his marriage proposal.

I like to think of myself as an open person, but there are limits to what is appropriate to talk about in public. For example: it would have been okay for Crystal Harris to tell Howard Stern how many sexual partners she's had because that is her secret. Details in bed are not. Those little tidbits are only half hers to share and without Hefner's consent, it's poor form to reveal those intimate moments. Besides, it's not even clear whether or not any of these accusations are true. Hefner took to his Twitter late last night to call bullshit on Harris' story. He later deleted a few of the more blunt retorts, but he did leave one up saying he thought his former fiancée seemed “lost”.

It's easy to tear a former love down. It's hard to put on a smile and publicly speak the best of him or her. 

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The Beatles were known for being the pretty boys of Rock and Roll while The Rolling Stones were the antithesis, they were bad boys. Living up to her father’s name, Elizabeth Jagger, Mick Jagger's daughter, is now posing naked for playboy in this month’s issue. Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger’s daughter is preparing to spread full on for the magazine, while even making the cover.

The sexy model, who is as gorgeous as her mom, appears to be fully committed to this. She admits that she doesn’t mind being naked, telling playboy that “I feel comfortable expressing myself through my body... I'm kind of a topless person. I'm quite European.” Only If I could find a girl like that. Ok, I’m moving to Europe. I digress...

The Rock stars daughter, Lizzy, will be featured in a six page, eight photo spread showcasing the 27 year old looking seductive, and smoking cigarettes. Lizzy also insists that her parents are OK with her posing nude for the world to see, “They understand that when you don't know when you're going to have kids, it's nice to have wonderful pictures of your 20-something self.” Obviously not shy of being nude, Elizabeth also reveals to Playboy that she has had to avoid a few citations in America for taking off her clothes. On behalf of all men. America! Stop. Being. Prudes. That is all.

A few weeks ago we told you about Amber Heard’s new TV series The Playboy Club. In case you missed our original heads up, think of it like Mad Men but set in the world of Hugh Heffner’s Playboy empire as it reached its zenith back in the 60s. The NBC pilot follows Heard as a troubled girl from Fort Wayne, who moves to the big city and becomes a Playboy Bunny.

As you’d expect, that means Heard will have to get in one of those silly/sexy 60s Playboy Bunny costumes. And here she is:

That photo was posted by Heard, straight from the set of The Playboy Club on her Facebook page. They’re still filming, but I’m excited. I have a hard time imagining this working on NBC though. Here’s hoping they have the balls to pick it up, or if they don’t, they’ll let it go to one of the AMC-like cable networks with the good sense to put something like this on television.

David Krumholtz is the best kind of TV actor. Likeable, talented but perhaps a little too nerdy and strange for lead roles in Hollywood, he could easily play weird brothers and intelligent best friends on the big screen but instead chooses cool television projects in which he can find a larger voice. His next silver screen role may not be as challenging as his character on Numbers, but it’s pretty appealing in other ways.

According to Deadline, Krumholtz has officially boarded NBC’s pilot Playboy. The Amber Heard vehicle has been getting great buzz lately, probably because Mad Men director Alan Taylor is helming the pilot, but this casting news should inch it even closer to a spot on the fall lineup.

Krumholtz will play the club’s general manager who puts the business end ahead of everything else. And why shouldn’t he? At the time, the Chicago Playboy Club was the most visited nightly hotspot in the world. It had members, exclusivity and an upperclass appeal that’s slowly eroded from the brand over the years.

If this takes off and ends up getting a few seasons, Krumholtz’s role should take on more importance as the Playboy Club starts falling off its 1963 peak. Even if it doesn’t work out, recreating the vintage nightclub will be a sight to see for as long as it lasts.

In middle school and high school, everything about sex is fascinating. The actual act itself is a conversation topic of the most stimulating order, but eventually, that sense of wonderment starts to fade. Somewhere along the line, sex becomes a lot more complicated. It becomes about more than just penetration. That's why most of us don't watch pornography all the time. Sex without baggage, as it's presented in most adult material, lacks importance. It's an escape into a fantasy world of faceless implants and on-cue erections. Now and again, that fool's paradise can be refreshing, but generally speaking, it's hallow and lacking, like a preseason basketball game. Sex with consequences though, is something entirely different. Most of us will listen intently as our friends recount lurid bedroom tales because we can put a face on those encounters. We're emotionally invested in the lives of our friends, lives that usually include sex, just as we're invested in the lives of celebrities. There's a reason why millions of people have seen the Paris Hilton sex tape and not the fiftieth installment of Girls Gone Wild. Sex is just more interesting when there's a reason to give a shit, and Brooklyn Kinda Love is one long reason to give a shit.

Playboy's newest reality show has more in common with a gritty, late night HBO documentary than any obscene adult material you may have stumbled upon on Cinemax. It makes sense considering the minds behind Brooklyn Kinda Love were responsible for the award-winning Taxi Cab Confessions, but still, it takes awhile for that notion to really stick, probably because all the teasers underscore the seriousness much in the same way trailers for good movies frequently dumb themselves down to attract simple-minded sixteen year olds hellbent on seeing cleavage and fart jokes. Brooklyn Kinda Love may have its share of cleavage, but more than that, it's a frank and frequently thoughtful dissection of four relationships soaring and floundering amidst the strain of unfair wants and unfulfilled needs.

To agree to participate in a reality show like Brooklyn Kinda Love takes a certain kind of person, and because of that, it's unlikely any of the four relationships will directly mirror your own. They certainly don't have a lot in common with mine, but somewhere in each of them, there's enough familiarity and honesty to relate. All eight of these people are flawed, lovable human beings trying to make things work. Some of these relationships will fail. The cracks and strains are obvious to an outsider, but within those couplets, there's a hope and determination to struggle for love. Even within the ones that do work, there are issues to resolve. That's life. Mike and Carol Brady are dead, replaced with millions of George and Weezie Jeffersons. Maybe that's a good thing.

I suspect the majority of viewers tuning in to see Brooklyn Kinda Love will be voyeurs, curious to see how the show will depict the more intimate encounters of these couples. That's perfectly natural but also a shame. Sex is just one facet of a relationship, and Brooklyn Kinda Love is about relationships, relationships that do include sex. Mostly though, they're just about two individuals ebbing and flowing as they smile, cry, bond, laugh, get jealous, argue, make up, and look for someone to understand.

The subject matter here is graphic, but no more so than real life. In fact, most of the more heartfelt moments having nothing to do with fucking. One couple argues over anti-depressants, another struggles with fleeting fame. On and on it goes. Infidelity, same sex attraction, pasts, futures, goals, pregnancy, children. Nothing is off limits, and that openness is strangely refreshing. In a perfect world, Brooklyn Kinda Love would probably contain less actual sex, but in a half hour reality show aired on Playboy, that's probably too much to expect.

Brooklyn Kinda Love is very good. It's not great, there's still a few kinks to work out, but it's engaging, entertaining and strangely addictive. It gave me a reason to give a shit, and if you watch, it'll give you one too.

Brooklyn Kinda Love premieres Saturday January 15th at 10 PM ET/PT on Playboy TV.

So this has been a fairly interesting week of news here at Blend Games. We learned that Rockstar is bringing back skydiving in the new GTA IV DLC, The Ballad of Gay Tony, which begs the question if airplanes will accompany the skydiving? There were talks from Bungie that Halo: Reach may not be the last Halo game they make simply because they love Halo so much, and Microsoft further cements the price-cuts for the Xbox 360 into the market place with the 120 GB and 60 GB models. These stories and more at the Blend Games Weekly Recap.

We also have some fresh new trailers up for viewing, including the new Shaun White: World Stage debut trailer, an awesome cinematic for Kingdom Under Fire 2 and the Dawn of War II: Last Stand trailer that will be sure to keep the fanboys rooting into next week.

Sunday

GTA IV The Lost And Damned Is 25% Cheaper. You can now get lost and damned for $5 less.

Review for Wolfenstein. Pete Haas gives Wolfenstein a run-through the critic’s gamut and it doesn’t look good for good ‘ol BJ.

Mount And Blade Warband Trailer Features Massive Battles. The game is looking extremely impressive and Paradox Interactive should be very proud.

StokEd Teaser Trailer For Xbox 360 Tears Up The Slopes. The music in the trailer is probably slightly more interesting than the gameplay and that’s not saying much. Ouch.

Necromantic Pack DLC Coming To Castle Crashers. New DLC coming to one of the best XBLA titles on the market. New content for good games is always welcome.

Bungie Not Fully Giving Up On Halo. This nearly confirms that the franchise could be milked until the boys and girls of Bungie are completely out of work.

Monday

Aliens Vs Predator’s Sales Will Determine Aliens Colonial Marines Release Date. That seems completely bogus yet very appropriate.

More Empire Total War DLC On The Way; Multiplayer Campaign Still In Development. Well, at least the multiplayer is being worked on…better to be in development than not present at all.

Manhunt 2 Coming To PC: Rated Adults-Only. Way to go Rockstar, it looks like the Wii/PS2 port to PC (better graphics and all) has managed to put it in no-players territory.

Trinity Soul Of Zill ‘Oll Gameplay Finally Revealed. A brief look at the rarely talked about Tecmo action-RPG.

Lost Planet 2 May Include Split-Screen Co-Op. A little side-by-side split-screen is always welcome when present.

Tuesday

EGM Re-launching On December 1st. Ziff Media’s print-and-paper magazine isn’t completely dead and gone. Who says resurrections don’t exist?

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars PSP Release Dates Announced. Rockstar has to make their money back and with the DS being a bust it’s time to hit up GTA on the PSP once more.

Nintendo Patents Wii Football Controller. In addition to the laser gun and rocking horse (and yes the inflatable rocking horse controller is real) Nintendo is also aiming to bring a football controller to the market. You certainly can’t knock the Big ‘N’ for creativity.

Xbox Live Gets WET Demo. Slippery when wet? More like bloody when playing WET.

Modern Warfare 2 Features Dual-Wielding Pistols. John Woo, Infinity Ward salutes you.

Review Madden NFL 10. Ryan Rigney puts on the football gear and walks gamers through the latest game with fair criticism.

Wednesday

Xbox 360 Gets Price Cuts For 120 GB And 60 GB Models More price-cut wars on the way and everyone wins…well, everyone who hasn’t bought a new console yet.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Possible. Everyone wants it and everyone has been talking about it…so it’s now a possibility.

SwitchGames Offers Up SafeTrade Option For Safer Game Trading. Want to bypass GameStop for used games and trades? Want to do it more safely? Just try SwitchGames then.

CrimeCraft Gameplay Media Blowout. This awesome MMO shooter game features create-a-characters, customizable weapons and lots of fragging opportunities.

Gears Of War 2 Game Of The Year Edition Arrives September 1st. Just in case the original game wasn’t enough, it might be necessary to upgrade to the GOTY edition just for the sake of keeping up with the times.

BioWare Still Silent On PS3 Mass Effect. Is it or is it not coming to the PS3? That is the question.

Thursday

Grand Theft Auto IV Gets Sky Diving. And possibly airplanes, too.

Brink Is A Planned Trilogy. The mysterious new game that people know very little about will be a trilogy that people know very little about.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Price Cut Was Coincidence. Microsoft wasn’t trying to compete with Sony? Really? No way.

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 Gameplay Media Blowout. Time to check out everything from the create-a-character to the new training facility, SD vs Raw 2010 is a lot more dynamic than it originally seemed.

Borderlands Multiplayer Deathmatch Is Like Mad Max Thunderdome. It’s also like crazy people fighting in the desert with guns, but it’s all the same when deathmatch is involved.

Aion Open Beta, Pre-Select, Headstart Dates Announced. All the info required to get into the beta for the North American version of Aion.

2029 Online Soundtrack Available For Download. It’s free too, so no need to worry about the word “illegal” racing across one’s mind.

Details on Xbox 360 Facebook/Twitter Set…Or Are They? A look into the details concerning the new Facebook/Twitter functionality of Xbox Live.

Friday

Dawn Of War II Last Stand Mode Announced In Trailer; Coming In October. Players can now take on hordes of baddies in a new mode…it looks like Gears of War 2’s Horde Mode had a bigger impact on the industry than the Clifster originally thought.

Section 8 Gameplay Media Blowout. TimeGate walks gamers through the customization process and the actual gameplay of Section 8.

Guitar Hero 5 Commercial Stars Playboy Playmates, Hugh Hefner. This commercial may not last long but a bunch of pants-less Playboy bunnies will not go unappreciated.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Sith Warrior Class Announced. How can you be a Sith without being a warrior? Well, that’s all been cleared up with the new Bioware announcement.

Champions Online Will Get New Content Every Three Months. If any gamer pays $199.99 for this game then it better get new content every three months.

Kurt Cobain Resurrected In Guitar Hero 5. Bringing back to the dead to bring in the dollars. That’s not a bad plan at all.

Saturday

Splinter Cell: Conviction Vs Uncharted 2: Round – Replay Factors. This comparison measures which game will offer players more for their money and whether either game is worth playing over.

Retailers Respond To Xbox 360 Price Restructuring. Big news regarding the new Xbox 360 bundles coming at you from Electronic Theatre.

Rumor Killers: Starcraft 2 LAN, Pay-to-Play 1 vs 100, Frenadillo For BioShock Movie. Lots of rumor talk from the community over at TheGameReviews.

Top 10 Science Experiments Gone Wrong. One more from the TheGameReviews. this time it’s all about science gone wrong./

Blizzard To Publish World Of Warcraft Magazine. As if being addicted to the most played MMO of all time isn’t enough, Blizzard wants people addicted to their magazine, too…so says GamingFront.

That wraps up this week’s recap starting on August 23rd and ending on August 29th. This also happens to be the week finalizing August, so we leave you with the ever-so-awesome Batman: Arkham Asylum launch trailer. It’s a game worth checking out if you’re into stealth games or action games or beat-e’m-up games. For more gaming news, info, insight, updates and media, be sure to stay tuned in with Blend Games.