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Twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon Detail “Traumatic” Playboy Mansion Experience
Former Playboy playmates and identical twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon, at just 19 years old, experienced a dramatic shift in their lives when they moved into Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion. Now 35, the twins are opening up about their troubling experiences, discussing the challenges they faced while residing in the mansion with Hefner, who passed away in 2017, and other playmates. They recount how this period led to a dangerous cycle of addiction and eventually share the steps they took to reclaim their lives and find serenity.
Mixed Feelings About the Playboy Experience
- “We always say ‘Playboy’ will always be a part of our lives,” Karissa told People magazine. “We were ‘Playboy’ fans and we still are ‘Playboy’ fans. Even though it turned out to be very traumatic for us, there were also a lot of high points.”
Jealousy and Bullying Among Playmates
The sisters stated that they immediately encountered “extreme jealousy” from other playmates, as Hefner displayed favoritism towards them.
- “We got a lot of jealousy from the other playmates because we were twins,” Kristina explained. “We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest playmates and the youngest girlfriends.”
Hefner’s Favoritism and its Impact
“When we’re taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture. Or he would be like, ‘Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them.’ So the girls started getting really jealous,” Karissa recounted.
- “It made Kristina cry. Kristina literally cried and wanted to leave the mansion when we were shooting. And I told her, ‘These girls are older. They know how to play the game better. But we’re pretty. We’re here. We’ve made it this far.’ And so we ended up staying and Kristina got through it, but there was so much bullying,” she added.
The Lingering Effects of Mansion Life
During their four-year stay at the mansion, Karissa said the experience “left a huge hole in both of our hearts and our spirits.” She further explained:
- “It really crumbled who we are, especially when [Hugh] took our religion away,” she explains. “Our believing in Jesus became a big problem, and losing that was just really big trauma that we dealt with. We had no family that was there to back us up like a lot of the girls.”
Post-Mansion Struggles: Addiction and Loss
After departing the mansion, the twins faced subsequent challenges, including loss and substance abuse issues.
- “When we moved out, we had a couple of years where we went through this individuality phase,” Karissa said. “I feel like every set of twins goes through it, particularly in your early 20s. We were both into different things and trying to be individuals, because Hef really did force the twin thing on us, more than anyone else had ever. But we’ve always been extremely close. I believe we’re twin flames, closer than most twins.”
Descent into Unhealthy Habits
- “Everyone was saying we were going through our ‘Anna Nicole phase'” Kristina said. “We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.”
Finding Redemption in Michigan
After hitting rock-bottom, the sisters decided to return to their home state of Michigan to recover.
- “We drove the whole way without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air … it was just different,” Karissa said. “Being in nature desensitized us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down.”
- “We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus,” she added. “We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up.”
A Renewal of Faith and Self
- “I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us,” Kristina noted. “He was humbling us and letting us know, ‘I have another plan for you.’ He’s restoring us, and that’s what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves.”
- “We’re still the playful twins who did Playboy, but we care about other things now. We are all about organics. Everything we eat, all our food is organic. All our water’s alkaline, our sheets are organic,” she added.
Prioritizing Mental and Physical Health Today
These days, the Shannon twins persistently focus on their mental and physical well-being.
- “We meditate every day together, and we’re into meal-prepping and not eating out, really self-care and just taking time for ourselves and learning how to be selfish, learning how to say no,” Karissa said.
- “We went in our hearts, we went through our healing era, which took years. I didn’t think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work,” Kristina added.