Hefner and the Playboy Mansion
Updated, 1:30 p.m., Aug. 5: Well, that was fast.
Hostess fortune heir Daren Metropoulos will not be the Playboy mansion’s new owner after all, as the $105 million deal reportedly fell through Thursday night, according to TMZ.
Sources told TMZ that the scion wanted too much access to the 22-room mansion while Hugh Hefner was still in residence.
The original agreement was that the 90-year-old Hefner and his wife would remain in the residence until his death, but Metropoulos reportedly pushed for significant access in order to restore and renovate the decadent manse.
Metropolous denies that the deal fell through, however.
“Daren Metropoulos’ purchase of the Playboy Mansion is moving forward as planned,” a spokesperson for Metropoulos & Co. told The Real Deal in an email statement. “Concluding this complicated transaction is clearly in the interest of the sellers as well as Mr. Metropoulos, who has worked to respect Mr. Hefner’s wishes in this unusual situation, as both a neighbor and friend, and continues to look forward to serving as the next steward of this iconic property.”
The pair negotiated for weeks, drafting “several dozen of versions of the deal,” TMZ reported, but to no avail. [TMZ] — Cathaleen Chen
This article has been updated to include a statement from Metropoulis