Hefner's ex-wife is suing him over the proceeds of their home.
Earlier, I blogged about how Playboy founder Hugh Hefner recently sold the home that he shared with estranged-wife Kimberly Conrad Hefner, 47, for $18 million, about $10 million below its asking price.
Built in 1929, the lavish 7,300-square-foot English Tudor neighbors Hefner's current residence, the Playboy Mansion.
As I noted previously, Hefner and Conrad haven't yet divorced -- meaning that the 83-year-old "bachelor" -- who recently starred in "The Girls Next Door" and now likes to share his home with barely dressed women nearly one-fourth his age -- is actually married. (Which was quite a surprise to me, at least.)
Now, Hef has legally filed for divorce -- some 11 years after his breakup. He filed the petition Sept. 4 in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The pair wed in 1989 and separated in 1998, according to the petition.
Love nest?
The problem is that Conrad, Hef's second wife (his first wife was Mildred Williams), is suing the publishing magnate, saying that he owes her more than $5 million -- among those millions is the portion of the proceeds that she should get from the sale of their former Los Angeles home, she alleges.
It turns out that Hefner is looking to cut the monthly support he gives his estranged wife from $40,000 to $20,000, says eonline.com. He brings in an income of nearly $300,000 a month from "Playboy, HMH Production and other sources, the website says. Hefner spends about $43,000 a month on food and entertainment and has assets of more than $43 million, according to Reuters.com. Apparently, he also already has given Conrad about $12 million since their separation.
Which makes me wonder, why did Hefner marry in the first place? Could it have been for "love?" Considering his lifestyle, I find that hard to believe. But no matter what the reason was, being married sure does make what may have been a relatively easy home sale a much more difficult transaction.—Lauren Baier Kim