BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE: INSIDE THE PLAYBOY MANSION with THE MANSION BUTLERS

Ever wondered what life was like behind the scenes at the iconic Playboy Mansion?

 Join Carrie Yazel and Echo,  as we sit down with two former Mansion butlers, Bryant and Carlena, who share their fascinating stories and unique experiences from their time working at the legendary estate. From meeting Hugh Hefner for the first time to rubbing shoulders with celebrity guests and attending unforgettable parties, there's never a dull moment in this revealing conversation.

In this exclusive look inside the world of the Playboy Mansion, Bryant and Carlena open up about the challenges and rewards of their unique jobs, the friendships formed along the way, and their emotional connections to Hef and his family. We also discuss the unforgettable night of Hefners passing and the massive undertaking of clearing out the Playboy Mansion.

As we wrap up our captivating chat with Bryant and Carlena, we learn about their current pursuits - Carlena's role as a butler in Las Vegas, and Bryant's path of a college professor currently teaching Intro to Psychology in East Los Angeles.

So, sit back and enjoy this fascinating journey into the lives of those who worked behind the scenes at the Playboy Mansion. You won't want to miss it!

With Gratitude -

Echo Johnson and Carrie Yazel

Transcript

INTRO: Hi, my name is Corinna Harney. Playboys Playmate of the Year 1992. And I'm Echo Johnson, Miss January 1993. Welcome to the Bunny Chronicles, let's go.

Welcome back to the show. We've got Miss Cari Yazel back in the studio with us. Hi, Echo, Hi everyone Good to be here. 

Speaker 1: Thank you. Yeah, we are excited because we have the butlers. We have another round or, yeah, another round of interviews today with Karina and Bryant that were at the mansion for several years, and Karina and I got the opportunity to interview JD, jameson and Brian in one sitting And it was by far. It is the most downloaded show and people dying to know Really love it. 

Speaker 2: It's the inside, it's the inside. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, what it was like. 

Speaker 2: It's a dream job for many, many people. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, well, that's exactly what we're going to like. How did it come to be So? let's go ahead and introduce our guest. We've got Bryant joining us on the left He's in Paradise, i am And we've got Karina on the right, and she's joining us from Vegas. Thanks guys for calling in. Appreciate it. 

Speaker 4: Of course, of course. 

Speaker 1: Yeah. So let's just begin with Bryant. Go ahead and just introduce yourself How many years you were at the mansion, and then same with you, karina, and then we'll go in Sure. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, so my name is Bryant Horowitz and I worked at the mansion for 18 years, from 1997 until 2016. 

Speaker 1: Wow, i didn't hear that long. That's a good run, amazing. 

Speaker 3: So at the time that I finished, i was 36 and I started at 18. So it was literally by the time I worked my last shift. It was half my life. 

Speaker 1: Wow, that's actually really interesting, and starting at 18. Okay, so I have to get into that how that came to be. All right, and Ms Karina go ahead and introduce yourself. 

Speaker 4: Hi, i'm Karina Bryant. I started at Playboy when I was 12. Love it. 

Speaker 2: That's a first Equal opportunity. Employment Yeah, I don't want to date myself. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, i think it was like 98, but my first big party, i think, was in 2000. Okay, and then ending date was 2017. 

Speaker 1: So Karina was actually there when hef passed and so we'll get into that, because that's kind of a unique not kind of that is definitely a unique situation. So we like to ask anybody that worked in the house and our audience likes to know how does one come to be a Playboy mansion butler and what was that journey? like, Karina, when we start with you, I fell into it. 

Speaker 4: Deandre Massey and myself and Kea Wells were working at a restaurant And Hef's twin, sandy and Mandy, used to come in. Now, we didn't know. I don't think we even knew who Hef was. That's I think that's the cool thing And I think that's the reason maybe why I wasn't intimidated. That's, yeah, that makes sense. So he actually they told DeAndre first, you know like you should work where we live, but they were really like vague. So he calls me up and he says it's the Playboy mansion. Like the Playboy, what? Like Playboy mansion? really cool, there's birds, animals, it's. So within like two weeks I get a call And I think it was from JD, because he used to be a house office manager, that's right. And he says Hey, we're having girls come in, would you like to work? I'm like okay, and I show up and fill out the paperwork and the rest is history. 

Speaker 1: And you were you, the only female butler there. You're the only female butler I remember seeing there. 

Speaker 4: No, there was a few of us. There was me, sheila, kia and Ruth. I think there might have been one or two more. Eileen, eileen, okay. 

Speaker 1: Five of us Okay, interesting, all right. And Bryant, so at 18, we out of high school. That's like me. I was 18 when I did my centerfold, so how'd you end up at the Playboy Mansion? 

Speaker 3: So I was, yeah, i was in my first year of community college at Santa Monica College And it's one of those things where, obviously, if they post it online somewhere, if they posted in a newspaper, you're going to get too many people coming in. So what ended up happening was it's basically like a catering gig. It's word of mouth, so people that work there, if they last and don't get caught talking to the girls or do something stupid and they work long enough, then they can establish a relationship where they can recommend other people to come into the house. So my friend Justin recommended my friend Anu, and Anu and I had been friends since middle school and he and I would part pool to school. And he said you know, everybody in their mom asked me to work at the mansion. So I haven't you asked me And I said well, of course I want to work there, but I'm not going to be like everybody else because I don't want to just make you think that I'm using you just to do that because we've been friends for a long time. 

Speaker 3: I figure, if you know that I'm a hard worker and you know that I'd make you, you know, maybe not make you look good, but not make you look bad in front of the bosses, then you would get me the job. So my buddy, anu, recommended me and then I came and worked a party. It was just a little private Cedar Sinai benefit party in June of 1997. And from there I kind of worked my way up to full time Butler and the rest is history. So it was just, you know, like a catering gig. It's, you know, recommendations. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, was that pretty intimidating to come in the first time, the first, the first party where you're a little blown away? 

Speaker 3: Yes, It was definitely intimidating the first time, because you walk through the gates and it's a completely different environment, it's a world. It's a completely different world, as you said, and this was, you know, before I met Heth or any of the girls or anything like that. First time I come up and I just see a silent auction with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and a couple of celebrities that were not A-list celebrities but they were still pretty well known, that we're playing and doing kind of a celebrity tennis tournament And just just walking in. It was really intimidating And that was even before any of the right interesting people came around. 

Speaker 1: I like how you said that the interesting people, yeah for sure. Yeah, we, we always ask that too. Like, what was your first impression, carlina? I think that was interesting too, that you don't really know, like, like did you? you obviously knew, like what the play way we had, the way the auction was but Actually I don't think I did. 

Speaker 4: Really I never, I'd never seen a Playboy. I didn't. I really didn't Interesting, Which is weird, but I grew up in a religious family, even though my dad was totally cool with him and totally proud that I worked there. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right, You shared that with me. Tell our audience the story, because I thought that was real cool what your father said to you, because you were a little concerned that he was gonna be like uh-uh. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, like I grew up in a religious family, in church every weekend. So when I get the job, i call back home and I'm like Dad you know I'm working at the Playboy Mansion and I'm just pouring water, sir, just pouring water, that's it. And he said you know what It's your life? He said you ought to be proud. That's an honor to work for him. 

Speaker 2: Oh, wow, he gets it. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, he got it. Wow, He would always ask how's he doing? Yeah, they're kind of similar, like I lost my dad in 2021. So it's kind of like the two weirdly the half in my dad are the two things that stick out. Aw, you know the emotion behind it. Yeah, yeah, i think To this day I still Yeah, I definitely can say that. 

Speaker 1: you know, Heff, for a lot of us, was definitely a father figure And that's how we viewed him. You know, yes, he was our boss, but you know, he just had all of our best interests at heart and we were consummately protected. 

Speaker 2: That's also why we want to protect and honor his legacy The same way that we would feel if he were our father. that's what I would always want. 

Speaker 1: Absolutely. 

Speaker 2: To be able to know the man that we know. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's why it was so disturbing for all of us when all this bullshit has come out. That is the furthest thing from the truth. 

Speaker 2: So Completely Right, Brand. having a job at the mansion affect your relationships. 

Speaker 3: Did it affect my relationships? No, actually the funny thing about it was, you know, you get to be working longer and longer if you don't break rules and things like that. So we were always friendly to the girls, but not overly friendly, and never tried anything. obviously That would be looked upon, as you know, beyond the rules. 

Speaker 1: Swift dismissal, I would say Exactly. 

Speaker 3: So the funny thing about it, you know, i dated girls outside of the mansion and they were intrigued by the fact that I worked there And when I had more serious relationships, the two serious relationships, one that I thought I was going to marry and she knows, karolina knows- And then the one that I did marry. I got them both jobs at the mansion to work. 

Speaker 2: The best way of solving the problem. Well, that's brilliant. 

Speaker 3: Because I was such good friends with the playmates And then when they met my significant others, you know and Karolina can attest to this too Like if anything happened at work, if I did something wrong, those girls would probably tell my girlfriends now my wife, before I had the chance too. So I wouldn't be able to. So that was kind of a strategic move because I wouldn't be able to get away with anything like that And therefore they were a little more secure about that. Plus the fact that I'd been working there for so long before anything with them kind of gave them a baseline where they know that you know, if you're not getting fired, if you're not doing things behind closed doors, then it's probably not a threat to our relationship. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, because if they assume a lot, but then if you put them in the same place where you're working, there's no mystery, there's no guessing, they're not worried about things that they can't see. Now it's like you're on a level. That's great. 

Speaker 1: That's a cool idea. I love that idea. 

Speaker 4: So for some reason I call him hornywitch. 

Speaker 1: That's right. 

Speaker 2: That's great Hornywitch. 

Speaker 3: That's fair. 

Speaker 1: That's going to stick. I'm going to remember that one. Carlita, That's awesome. 

Speaker 3: Jamison still uses it sometimes too. 

Speaker 1: That sounds like something Jamison would say He's so damn funny. Yeah, I thought that happened. That did not happen. 

Speaker 3: I don't know, you came up with it, though It's a trademark. 

Speaker 1: Copyright. 

Speaker 2: Credit. 

Speaker 1: Hornywitch. So you guys came in then after Heff was definitely separated from Kimberly but she was living next door with the boys. So you came in when he was with Mandy, Sandy and Brandi. 

Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, that's when Carlina came in. I came in the last three months of Kimberly. Oh, you did OK. So when I started she was there, And actually there's a funny story about why my buddy, Anu, who recommended me, was no longer there after I started. But yeah, I came in in June of 1997, worked a few parties and then she and the kids moved next door in February of 1998. 

Speaker 1: Right, ok, got it And then. so then, all you knew Carlina was with the multiple girlfriends, so it wasn't like a I had the honor of meeting Kimberly And I remember my first experience. 

Speaker 4: She comes up the driveway with the boys and the dogs and she goes where did they find you? I'm like what, but you never seen a female? Yeah, i think that's what you meant. 

Speaker 4: Oh yeah, so I think, two days later she's talking to one of the chefs and they're looking my direction And I'm like, so I go up to the chef and I said what are you guys talking about? I'll tell you later. Like no, tell me now. Tell me now. She's like, oh, she wants to know if you want to keep her boys. I'm like, keep them there. Like I end up turning it down and working for Tina Jordan instead. 

Speaker 1: Oh, that's right, Because Tina had her little baby there when she was living there. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, we both babies, that Tatiana. 

Speaker 1: Oh, that's funny, That's cool, i remember that. Wild. 

Speaker 2: You can never tell the twists and turns your life is going to take. Who would know? I mean first you're working there and then the next thing you know now you're helping with actually directly in the family. I mean that's pretty deep. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's cool, thanks to Brian Olaya. Good job, brian. 

Speaker 3: So really quickly. 

Speaker 3: I just wanted to say that when I started, and from the time that have had the mansion in LA and probably back in Chicago, the idea was that it was men only as butlers. 

Speaker 3: And it was not until right before Carlina came in that there was that rule was stricken down And they're like we can have female butlers now, which actually proved later on to be very beneficial, because Carlina served And she can tell you all about this but she kind of served as their aide when they were sick or if there are surgeries or things like that, because it's actually more advantageous to have a female with you than any of the male butlers that are. 

Speaker 3: You know, if you just had your breast done, yeah, and you've got bandages and you need somebody to help you with things, it was actually perfect because that was kind of Carlina's go-to job. That's wild, so that none of us disgusting boys would be in the room during that time. But it was really funny to me that you know it was, that's just how it was. It was males only, males only, males only. And in fact I had an ex-girlfriend who was supposed to be the first signed up female butler to work parties and it never worked out with her. And then here comes Carlina, just a month or two later, that's such a cool fact, toi. 

Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing that. Every single show we do y'all. We get this little golden nugget of history out of whatever guest and find out something new about Playboy, and that's definitely my favorite part of Janey's interviews. I had no idea about that. I assumed because I had never seen any female butlers until Carlina was there And I loved it. I was like, oh rad, we got a female in-house. 

Speaker 3: I wasn't even sure if Carlina knew that, so that's another reason why I put it up. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, mickey Mays sure to tell me. Oh, right, right, of course. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, special position that you just got into. That's cool. So OK, we always have to talk about the first time you met Heff and what that was like. Was it intimidating and what was that like for both of you, Brian? 

Speaker 3: Well, for me, yeah, i think he had this aura and the entire presence was likened to a king in his castle. So when we came in, the first thing they would tell us about Heff is that just make sure to do the things the way he wants them. He always has everything standard. So it's really hard to mess it up because it's always the same setup every time. And just you know, it was brought up to me as in, you know, like he was an intimidating figure, but as long as you didn't mess up, then it would be OK. So I was intimidated, of course, the first time I met him and I was awestruck And you know this was before I had any real celebrity encounters, even though I lived in LA my whole life, you know maybe a few here and there. So it was pretty surreal. But you know, after that first initial time of kind of being a little awestruck and a little, you know, taken aback, then it was just business as usual. After that I kind of got the jitters out of the way And that was it. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, that makes sense, carlina. 

Speaker 4: My first interaction was actually with Tatiana. Oh, ok, no-transcript. Actually, like Brian, i like to say he tricked me. He asked me we were doing a morning party for Cooper and his friends. So Brian comes out and he's like, hey, when a baby's sent this baby, i'm like, okay, to what time? He says 10 pm. So I came in at 7 am and I'm like, oh good, that's some good hours. Okay, half doesn't go out till 10 pm. Like really, i was there until like five in the morning. Oh, oh shit. 

Speaker 4: So I come in the pantry and I had never been upstairs because I was on call outside And I asked the butler on duty, you know where's the baby? And they're like, oh, she's in the bedroom. And she had a sock and a dime And I said what's her things? They're like, oh, bedroom four. So I go up the stairs and Hef's coming down the hall And I'm like, sir, i'm a little lost, i'm trying to find bedroom four. And he's like, all right, this way. And he leads me into the room, to Tina's room. So that was her first. That was my first interaction with him. 

Speaker 2: I'm lost. Who is this He's? 

Speaker 4: probably like who is this? He's probably like who is this? He had never seen me before. He probably figured you were moving in. 

Speaker 2: And he's like great, Great Random girl with the baby. 

Speaker 4: Oh, that's wild. That was my first time. 

Speaker 1: Oh, love it So there was different shows. I mean, I'm not sure. So there was different shifts for the butlers. What was your, what did your shifts look like? And I know, Karolina, what you ended up ultimately being in your position. So go ahead and you start, Karolina. 

Speaker 4: I oh my God, i was everywhere. The six AMs on the weekend, Okay, 11 to sevens, eight to fours, like they kept changing the schedule like every six months. So like my ending shift would be six to like two in the morning And then, but ultimately it was like 11 to seven, but I always did pretty much majority of all the parties. So Leia would come in and would work the party, so I'd get off at like four in the morning from being there at like 11 AM. 

Speaker 1: And those shifts, definitely just from talking, to cause Jameson was the, it was the night butler And he was saying it was. It was rowdy for him because he was like kind of the only one there right Pulling most of the weight at night And he was like it was on the nights that half would go out with the girls. It was like, yeah, you knew that you were going to get bombarded And it was cray cray. 

Speaker 2: They come home and want to snack 24 hour room service Full dinner. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, for sure, yeah Yeah, him and his cat, that His cat house Were you all over the place too, brian. 

Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, yeah. So when I started, you know you work a few parties over a few months And then if they think that you're a good enough and attentive worker, they'll ask you to cover shifts on the weekends or when majority of the butlers would be there for the movie nights and things like that, and then you know, during the week. So I started like 4pm to midnight shifts on manly night and card night and things like that, and then I was working the weekends Friday, saturday, sundays. I started three times three days a week, then four days a week And then finally five days a week, and for a good five, six years I was the shift leader there. So my shift was the 2pm to 10pm shift, which I loved more than anything because I'm not a morning person, so it was actually great. I was working Sunday through Thursday. This was my favorite time was Sunday through Thursday, so I finally have Fridays and Saturdays off. 

Speaker 1: That's primo. 

Speaker 3: And this was in between when I was in undergrad and going to grad school, so it was perfect. I'd wake up at like 10 o'clock in the morning, get any errands run. I didn't even eat until I came in at like 1.45. I'd come in a little early so I could make a tuna sandwich. Karolina knows, she remembers that. 

Speaker 3: And then we'd have our dinner at six o'clock. I'd be done at 10 and I was in my early 20s. So you know, in LA at 10 o'clock is when things were just starting. So I'd be off work at 10 and I'd be like where are we meeting up? What are we doing? 

Speaker 3: Perfect, yeah, that was a primo schedule, but I worked yeah, I worked plenty of graveyard shifts Before I had my 2 to 10, I would do the 6.30 in the mornings on Saturdays And Sundays and, being in my early 20s, I would probably sleep, like Lena said sleep a couple hours, come in, take a little nap under the buffet table Half and the girls would not have or across the dining room chairs. 

Speaker 3: Half in the girls wouldn't wake up before nine. So we had a system where one butler would get dressed, the other one, and we'd switch off every weekend. One butler would get dressed, the other one would be undressed, and then security would call us when Mickey or Brian Olaya was coming up on the property, and then that second butler who wasn't dressed would go downstairs and dress and say oh yeah, we had to go get something from downstairs if they came in. That's right. 

Speaker 1: We had a system, yeah, totally Brilliant. 

Speaker 2: Somebody's watching out. Yeah, that's great, wake up. Yeah, jameson talked about taking his naps too, He actually wait. 

Speaker 1: what was his story? that he got busted playing the guitar and he was sitting at the main dining room table and half walked in and half was like I don't think so Yeah so he was always there something. I know it was the Jemimo, I think is what he was saying. Oh yeah, it would always be the Jemimo regarding something Jameson had done. That's pretty funny. 

Speaker 4: Did he ever tell you when he punched Kendra in the face by accident? 

Speaker 2: What No? 

Speaker 4: Oh, he was sleeping and she came in and shook him. I guess she wanted to order and he's like oh, my God, and he socks her. 

Speaker 2: Oh, I'm sure he's like oh shit, but I bet she took it, I bet Kendra thankfully she was the tough one, Yeah right. He's probably like he didn't get punched back Right, i can see her Boom. Kendra would be like, oh my God, that's awesome. 

Speaker 3: Kendra would give it right back to him. 

Speaker 1: That's right. Oh wow, Did you guys ever get in trouble? Did you ever do anything that like that have either saw you or you got written up for any no-no's? 

Speaker 3: Not really. The only thing that I got in trouble for was with Kim and then have had a talk with me about it. So we were always told, since we were the switchboard and answered the phones, we were always told never to give our real names, because if somebody crank called and somehow it got through, they would be like oh, carlina told me to call, or Bryant told me to call. So we were told by Brian and by Guy. we were said they just say either give a fake name or don't give a name at all. So I would just say John Doe sometimes. 

Speaker 3: So Kimberly calls one night and I couldn't tell it was her because she was breaking up on her cell phone. She was in an area with bad reception And so I answered the phone playboy, can I help you? And she's like hey, can I talk to Heth? And I'm like didn't sound like anybody I knew and she was breaking up. so I couldn't tell and I was like I'm sorry, he's not available. And she's like well, who is this? And I said this is John And she said John who? I said John Doe. 

Speaker 1: Oh, she didn't like that. 

Speaker 3: And then her reception came back in and she was like well, john Doe, this is Kimberly. And as soon as I found out it was her and as soon as I recognized it I was like I'm sorry, kimberly, this is Bryant. Yeah. And she's like put me through to Heth. 

Speaker 3: And so, of course, i buzzed him and I put it through And then I get a buzz back about 15 minutes later where's Bryant? And if we ever heard our names I mean most of the time if you heard, if you heard your name, because Heth just called down. When he buzzed down, he would just say this is Hefner and then tell you what he wanted. So he wouldn't, there wouldn't be any reason unless he was looking for somebody like Brian Alley or Hank or something like that to use your first name. So he's like I need to speak to Bryant And I was like, oh crap. 

Speaker 1: Here it comes. He's like what happened. 

Speaker 3: He's like what happened? And I said we are always instructed to not use our names in case calls get crank. calls get through to you. And as soon as I found out it was Kim, i told her my name and I apologized to her and he's like well, you pissed her off. He's like just next time use the. he's like just use your real name, i don't care if it's somebody fake. I was like okay, sir, and that was probably the only real trouble I ever got into. 

Speaker 2: That's why I worked there for 18 years? Because I stayed away from trouble. I guess Were there lots of crank calls. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, oh, all the time. What do you do with? 

Speaker 3: them. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, how do they get that damn number? 

Speaker 3: Oh, the number was publicly listed. 

Speaker 2: What? Oh, yeah, yeah. 

Speaker 3: So, sometimes I still remember it. Yep, i could tell you the number too. 

Speaker 1: It's actually disconnected. I've tried, damn. 

Speaker 3: I would imagine So sometimes, and Lena can attest to this too And we used to have a game where we would try to see what you know how how much we could mess with them back. 

Speaker 1: Right. 

Speaker 3: And so sometimes we would use star 69 and like call them back and crank call them, or sometimes we could just like what you know. We would have like a measure of like what was the best one or the worst one, and and then there were times where there were people that like were that had mental health issues, that called Carlina remembers Diane. 

Speaker 1: Yeah. 

Speaker 3: Diane was a woman who She thought she was has daughter. 

Speaker 4: She thought she had a daughter and she lived in Chicago. 

Speaker 3: And so she used to call us very, very drunk, three sheets to the wind or more, and she would just go off about how she was there at the beginning of playboy and how she, you know, had she was have daughter and that she needed to talk with them. But she never asked to be put through necessarily, she just wanted to talk to us and ramble drunkenly ramble about it. 

Speaker 3: And then every once in a while we would hear it. We would hear somebody in the background going you're talking to and she'd be like, oh, i got to go, and she would hang up. Or that person would hang up And we're Lena and I would always have conversations about like what was Diane like in real life, outside of these phone calls, yeah. 

Speaker 2: What was Diane like in real life? That was her whole life, right there, that's hysterical that she's got it. 

Speaker 1: We used to conference them together. 

Speaker 4: We used to cross conference them. We'd have two prank calls on the line and put them together. That was so scary. Yeah, we invented that. 

Speaker 3: We would have two crazy people calling at the same time and we would just connect them and then put and mute it on our end. We'd let them just talk to one another And they were both thinking that they were talking to us. 

Speaker 2: Oh my God, you guys are too funny. That's awesome. I love this I love it too. 

Speaker 4: We used to take their numbers. Remember, Bryant, we should take their numbers down. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, we would call our ID finally after 2004. So you can see the number, so we were able to see the number that called, and so we would take their numbers down and we would just put them together and let the crazy talk to crazy. 

Speaker 1: That's hysterical, you guys. 

Speaker 3: I love that. 

Speaker 2: I remember that I love that. 

Speaker 1: That's a good like crazy talk to crazy and horny wits. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, horny wits. 

Speaker 2: That's so awesome. 

Speaker 1: So you both worked the parties right, and just because you're a butler didn't necessarily mean that you worked the parties. So was that kind of a unique situation for you, And what were your favorite parties? Were they kind of equally the same and a shit show for you guys? Because a lot of work, i would imagine. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, a lot of work. I mean, well, i had double duty, like I would do coat check some nights, and then we started doing Cabana service, oh yeah. So, like I always say to Ola, i'm like your guinea pig, oh, we're going to do this, so you're going to do it this week. 

Speaker 3: So I was Cabana captain, coat check camera nurse Right, and sometimes you worked Hefts table because the girls requested you. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, so it wasn't just. 

Speaker 3: Cabana. It was like that was later on where you got to do like the real Cabana stuff, but you were doing Hefts table. Yeah, i did. I started out doing Hefts table and or just being a general butler, but then, when the parties really started taking off around 99. 

Speaker 3: I used to work with the photographers because I knew a lot of celebrities and I wasn't a person that eventually, when we started meeting all these celebrities, i never got starstruck, so I never, like you know, my behavior didn't change from who I was. And so Elaine and Kenneth, the camera people, would have me help them. They'd give me a list before the party of which celebrities were going to be there that were on the guest list, whether they showed up or not, and I would be responsible for helping them get pictures of the celebrities with either other celebrities, with half or with other playmates. So there would be a time where I'd see Ben Affleck and I'd be like, oh crap, i got to go get a playmate to go pose with him, and then I also wrote down the names, like if we had, if there were people in the picture that weren't famous. 

Speaker 3: You know the beginning of the of the issues of playboy. They have the world of playboy, where it shows everybody that comes to the parties. That's what these pictures were for. So I would work with the photographers to make sure to get there to get these celebrities and get them. And, if you know, if there was a time when the camera people had already left, then Carlina or I would have to go in and get the house camera And we would have to, we would have to take the picture ourselves. In fact, if you want a story, the year in 99, it was the summer after it was mid summer night stream And it was the summer after Leonardo DiCaprio was in Titanic. So at that time, you know, we were used to getting a lot of B and C celebrities, but he was the A list like number one male celebrity in the world. 

Speaker 3: And he kept telling the camera people that like he was there with, like Seth Green, and he kept telling them let me have a few more drinks, let me have a few more drinks, i'll do it later And he kind of just blew them off the whole night And this was like this is the biggest star in the world. They're like we need this for half, we need this for the magazine. And so I was like OK, finally it was one o'clock in the morning and Elaine and Kenneth were leaving And they're like well, i guess we couldn't get what we wanted And I said, well, let me try. I'll grab the house camera, you guys go and I'll see if they'll, if they'll, do something for me. So I I ended up going up to them and they were both really hammered by this point And I went up to them and I said I said hey, leo, bro to bro. Like I don't know where that came from, but I'm like bro to bro, this is only for this, is only for Hef's personal library, or maybe at the beginning in the world of Playboy, can you just take, can you just take a picture, can you just take a picture with Seth, and? and then I won't ask you for anything else And he goes. He looks at me, completely drunk, and he goes if you promise to take a picture with us, then then we will take one together. 

Speaker 3: And then I had a friend named Heather And this was her first party that she was working And she's a she's a bigger Seth Green fan than she is a Leo fan. And I was like I grabbed her really quick because she was behind me And I was like, ok, i need you to not freak out And I need you to just do this, and if you do this, i'll ask for a picture for you. And so she was like, ok, what is it? And I said just point and click. And so she took the picture of me and Seth Green and Leo DiCaprio, and then they took a picture together And then I asked them to take a picture with her, which they did, And that photo not only made it into the world of Playboy magazine but it also made it into the photo gallery on the second floor And I love that. I was playing in Kenneth's hero for like the rest of my time. 

Speaker 1: That's. That's awesome. I have a real funny story about Leo DiCaprio that year that I'll share with you guys at the end. So it's off the record, but you guys will crack up. It's a good one. It's one of my favorites. My daughter's leaving me going don't tell the story, mother, But it's a good one. I love it that you're like bro to bro And he's like OK, that's cool, That worked out Because he was. 

Speaker 3: I think he was put off by the professional photographers. But when I came up to him with just the house camera, like Lucy Goosey, he was also hammered. But yeah, he was cooler with it. 

Speaker 1: That's funny, yeah, funny celebrity stories. We I kind of want to do it, not kind of. I definitely want to do like another round table with the playmates and let's dish our funniest celebrity stories, because I've got one with Leo and then I've got one with mini me at the mansion. It was hysterical, i have to tell my Nick Cage story. Oh yes, can you share that right now? That's a good one. Yes, carrie's got to give it. 

Speaker 2: So I'm, i'm like madly in love with Nicholas Cage, like just so in love since Valley Girl, and I finally got my boss invited into the mansion as my guest because he'd been bugging me for years. Right, get me and get me in. And I said, all right, i'll put your name in and see, i didn't even think that they'd allow it, but he was allowed to come with me for the party. I said, listen, i'll, you can be my date for the party, but if Nicholas Cage is there, i don't know you like disappear, i don't know, you don't talk to me, don't acknowledge me Right. 

Speaker 2: And he and he laughed because he's like, you know, he's never been there, so he has no idea what the odds are, and they still weren't that good, but that was my rule. So I'm talking to a bunch of playmates in a circle and my date keeps tapping me on the shoulder and I keep going like this, like leave me alone. I'm talking to all my girls, you know, having a great time, and finally he kind of turns me around and he goes I want to introduce you to Nick. And he then promptly walks away, exactly like I instructed him to Right. Only, i can't speak. She's frozen, i totally froze, and this has never happened to me ever. And he goes this is a great party, you know, and I'm like I can't even say yes. 

Speaker 1: And he's like nice conversation. 

Speaker 2: I was like so sad. And the truth is, i think he actually went home with another playmate. Oh no, are you serious? I was destroyed. That's class, you're just like, oh my. 

Speaker 1: God, i can't. That's fantastic. 

Speaker 2: I had my chance. I had my chance with Nicholas Cage And I blew it. That was You blew it. 

Speaker 1: I blew it. That was such a fun time. So you were there, bryant, for the first party when they started happening again, because we were there when it was, you know, the boys were babies and Kimberly and Hefford married and it was a family home And we only heard of what it was like. And then it was so fun to experience that And for those parties to happen again, it was really special. 

Speaker 3: That first. It was February of 98. Right after she moved out it was a Valentine's Day disco party And literally they only invited probably 250, 300 people. It was mostly in the Great Hall and then just outside where the little outside bar was, not even the bar outside by the grotto but just the little bar. And I just remember it, because that was my first real experience other than little fundraiser parties. And the Red Hot Chili Pepper showed up Nice, the Black Eyed Peas, when they were still underground before they hit it big with Fergie Nice It was. And Adam Duritz, the lead singer of Counting Crows, because he's actually a good friend of Julie McCulloch. She's got so many friends, yeah she does. 

Speaker 3: She has everybody. But that was the first time that it was just like, oh my gosh, this is the Playboy Mansion that you hear about. Yeah Right, and that was just like a small sample of it before. And then it was in 99 that we really went back to the big parties, like Midsummer Night's Dream and things like that. So you had asked originally a few minutes ago, before I went off on my story you had asked about which party was our favorite And I would have to say Midsummer is probably everyone's favorite And I also really enjoyed the Halloween party because my birthday's Halloween And on my 21st birthday my birthday was a Sunday, so the Halloween parties were always the Saturday before Halloween. 

Speaker 3: So on that particular night it was my. It was that Saturday night, the 30th, so that meant that at midnight during the party it was my birthday And it was really neat because that's when Heff was dating Sandy Mandy and Brandy Right And they basically at midnight and I had no idea they were going to do this they stopped the DJ and they got up on stage and sang Happy Birthday, had all thousand people in the tent saying Happy Birthday to me for my 21st, which was. That's amazing When people ask you how did you spend your 21st? It was like the first minute of my 21st was being serenaded by everybody at the play of play mansion during the Halloween party. 

Speaker 1: So that's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, that's that's huge story. Yeah, totally. Thanks for sharing, did you? did you have preferences on the party, karlyna, that you liked, or they kind of? all the same to you, easter was fun. Yeah, easter was my favorite too. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah because you get to see the girls grow up and their children and then you get the baskets. I mean that was a good one midsummer's pretty much all of them, even some of the parties that we had that when we rented out the house there were some cool ones like the SP Awards right, Things like that. 

Speaker 2: Well, speaking of Easter, so what did you guys think about the blowing of the eggs? 

Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to hear it. I never did it, you didn't, you didn't have to do it. No, i never did it. 

Speaker 3: That's the nice thing. We had to hide them all. 

Speaker 1: Let's preface it for our audience so they know Every Easter, Heff would put on a huge event and it was for the kids, It was for the playmates and their children and friends, family. On top of all the animals that were already there in the grounds, he would bring in more exotic animals. But the coolest thing was that there was 3,500 hand-painted eggs by the staff that was then hidden around the property, and then the eggs that the kiddos found they were able to keep The coolest artwork, I told my daughter. I was like I guarantee you have an egg from every Butler staff member there One of a kind and incredibly fragile and beautiful artwork. 

Speaker 1: The kids would go. Each and every single kid would go home with a huge basket On top of it. They would win in their age category and go home with these amazing gifts And it was just like again, it was at. No expense was ever spared with anything that Heff did, whether it was the publication, the parties, whatever It was done the right way, meticulously. I like that you said Easter and about hiding the eggs. First of all. How long did it take to paint all those eggs? When did you guys start doing that? 

Speaker 3: Well, i think that's the nice thing. So I don't have an artistic bone in my body as far as painting. So I was lucky. Lena and I were lucky enough to not be part of that, but some of the other butlers did get roped into it, but mostly it was a Brian and Guy thing where they were the ones doing majority of it And, of course, because they were always pissed off during that time because it took so much energy and concentration. But we were mostly in charge of hiding these eggs And I always told them like why do we let the kids go home with the eggs? Why don't you just recycle them year after year? And some of them we still had in storage But nope, half wanted them repainted all new every year. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, And they are extraordinary. I mean it's so neat, the artwork is just like vast. Yeah, That's funny that you said they're all pissed off, because I was like when we were interviewing them I was like, oh, what a labor of love. And JD goes I don't know about a labor of love. I was like, oh, painting your house, He goes. 

Speaker 2: Yep, because we had to take those things home And like the first 20 might be fun, the next 2000 might suck Over it. 

Speaker 1: Well, my daughter thinks you guys are doing that. Yes. 

Speaker 2: Our kids all. Thank you for hiding them very well. And, of course, when my son was very young, i was helping him when he was like three. I know you was just go-fung And you're like oh yeah, i was the playmate that refused to wear high heels. I'd wear a cute little dress and tennis shoes so I could get serious about it. But you guys hid them really well. 

Speaker 4: There were some cheaters. There were some cheaters. 

Speaker 1: That would be walking around before the actual yeah, Oh, yeah. 

Speaker 2: I like rules. 

Speaker 1: I think daddy did that Her daddy's scoping it out. My daughter's probably like I see him And I was like you're not supposed to do that. Let the kids find them. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, our kids all have very good memories. Because of that, it's very wonderful, that's funny. 

Speaker 1: So, carlina, we want to ask you about what that experience was like, to be there at the end and then to get that news that have had passed. I mean, that had to be not only surreal, but hard, just hard Yeah. 

Speaker 4: I mean I can't say too much detail, but it's public, but it was hard. It was hard To this day. I still get a little emotional thinking about it. Of course, but being in the house when it happened And then kind of getting the nod from Dr Sagunore He can't. You know how, dr Sagunore, he kind of just walks around and he said he told me by shaking his head, but I didn't get that, but it was a tough night. It was a tough night. I couldn't eat. I kept pacing because I knew something was wrong but nobody was talking. 

Speaker 4: And it's just me and lady the dog walking around and she keeps looking at me and I actually said a prayer because I just felt like something is wrong. And then finally Doc comes in again and he asked me to dial a number and he tells the person on the phone that a legend had passed You overheard. And I just, yeah, i just fell back and I just said did you just say what I thought you said? And he shook his head and then it was just like you just really don't know what to do it yourself. And I just remember going into the kitchen and telling Chef Dan, who had been trying to convince me like everything will be okay, everything will be okay, and telling him and I don't remember how the words came out Like if it was a heff or he died or he's gone. I think I said he's gone And I just saw the color leave Dan's face. He just kind of sat back and I felt like people wanted to scream, but you just kind of. 

Speaker 1: Couldn't because you guys were. Yeah, excuse me because you guys still had to keep it together. I mean, you're there at the house and you know, i know that when you did leave the grounds and certainly when all of us found out like I don't get to read too much It was like we all knew. You know, obviously Huff was gonna pass, but, my God, when that news came it was so sad. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, it was something else. It was surreal because we always get pranked. You know when they do the things that, oh the death pranks and you get a little taste of it. but to actually experience it, where the phones the pantry phones going off, the house phones going off, the family's phones are going off, my personal phone is going off, but you can't do anything. So I you know we're instructed not to pick up And I could see employees numbers coming up, but it's like And we always Like Sheila. She asked me to call her but I couldn't answer And I think when she finally got through she was pissed off at me. She just hung the phone up on me And I said I apologize, i couldn't. The instructions was not to pick up. 

Speaker 4: And just kind of like, yeah, doing your job. So it wasn't until I got home that actually, when I turned on the news and saw it across, that I actually broke down this. But it was trying to stay strong because you know Cooper and Marston in there. It was one moment where Cooper did hug me and I'm like I gotta get out of here, dan, i gotta go. 

Speaker 1: Falling apart. Yeah, yeah, that's okay, that's heavy. And then I think it was the last interview we did was, stuart, that it was 90 days that y'all had to clear out the mansion and what an undertaking that was. I mean, that was massive. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, massive. I mean, well, we were told someone else was gonna do it, but we ended up doing it. It was like so much stuff where we actually just formed a train and just literally handed things off to each other, wow, but. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, we were. The interview we were just talking about was Stuart Brotman we interviewed last week and he's the one that wrote and just published the book last year on House Birthday. The First Amendment Lives On. I encourage you both to get it. The eight conversations in there were all recipients of the HMH Foundation First Amendment Awards. But he was speaking directly to the library of the archives because Christie had set it up for him to do his research and he was supposed to come up to the mansion and be able to have access to it and then he was gonna meet half well half past. So she called him and said you know, she was sending him pictures of the archives being loaded on to a moving truck and then they didn't know for almost a year like where it was. And then, yeah, and then it was like in a storage facility. But I was like God, how wild to get those images of, yeah, of the archives. 

Speaker 2: I can't imagine the work I mean there's many lifetimes. 

Speaker 4: That was another job that they gave me Scrapbook Saturday. So you would, we would take the pictures. And then Mary decides honey, because everything was an opening honey before she gave you an assignment, and says I need you to identify. So every Saturday I would go in to the little side scrapbook room and security would give me the list of who attended this weekend. So I'd have to match the names and write it on the back of the photos and then it would get handed off to Heff. 

Speaker 4: And then he would enter them into the scrapbook, but then a lot of our photos that we did take, like right was speaking of, ended up in the scrapbook. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, I also had some when he lay in. The main photographer no longer desired to go out. When Heff would use to go out on Wednesday nights, She was like please, please, take over for me, because Heff knows you, so he trusts you, And all you got to do is go out and take pictures with them eating dinner or out in the clubs or things like that. So when I was at UCLA and only working part-time no longer full-time that's what I would do for probably a good year and a half is. 

Speaker 2: I was the photographer when they went out, So I know all about it, Wow yeah, it would be so nice if there was a book put out just to photographs. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, of the scrapbook. Yeah, just the photographs Yeah, they had the public had access to them somehow to be able to see them, if they were an exhibit something. 

Speaker 2: But I mean I would buy a coffee table book Absolutely And I think that's the whole of just it just brings. I mean, my memory is terrible. I live through photographs. I love photographs. They just spark everything for me. I'm like oh, i remember that party, i remember when we did that or where the war that or met those people. 

Speaker 1: And you know, what was interesting about what Stuart said too was that Heff had used that same typewriter since he was 16 years old, all the way The manual, and he had his last entry a couple of weeks until he was 18 or 21, and the same fonts. And I said well, of course, because that then just points to him as the consummate editor. And then when you look at the publication Playboy and how meticulous everything was, and you know that Heff approved every finite detail, from the front cover to the back cover, right down to the font, the placement, the advertisements, everything. So when he said that, i was like well, yeah, that completely makes sense, that it was consistent throughout, from the time he was 16 until he was 91. 

Speaker 2: Consistent. it's a great word. Yeah, did you find some of the eccentric things that became so normal to you at the beginning? where they're funny things I mean, like we know Heff has certain meals, you know on rotation, and the things that he likes, but they became normal. But where there's some at the beginning you're like, okay, that's a little odd. 

Speaker 4: Well, everybody knows the crackers. He doesn't like the brown part of it, so we'd have to go through each cracker or the chips unbroken, right. Those kind of things. 

Speaker 1: I don't think everybody knows. I know. Tell our audience about like you had to have the certain placement of the chips and like it was always meticulous And there was pictures of how it's supposed to be laid out. So share that. 

Speaker 4: Like James, i could tell you, because he got yelled at one time for not putting the applesauce at the top. So Heff's like the rewards go at the top. 

Speaker 2: The reward. That's so cute Yeah. 

Speaker 4: So everything's set a certain way, but toward, like, the ending years. If someone messed up, he wouldn't really say anything And I'm thinking, wow, i guess he forgot his own demands, because he's not really speaking on it anymore. 

Speaker 3: He doesn't care, yeah, or there was a, there was a funny instance. So obviously, carlina and I were on the show Girls Next Door And in fact, if you, if you pause it before the Heff and the girls come in on the opening credits, carlina and I and Brian, olaya and Hank are characters in the background And originally the show was going to be called Heff's World And it was created to reflect the upstairs, downstairs relationship, so Brian and Carlina and I were supposed to have a bigger role, which they didn't pay us anyway. So I didn't care if we were background characters. We didn't get anything extra for it, whereas the girls did. And so when they, when they officially, when E officially picked it up, they were like it's going to be more interesting if we focus on the girls and not the and not the the workers, and we were just like OK, that's fine. 

Speaker 4: Well we were too scared to talk. 

Speaker 3: Well, that I was going to. I was going to mention that. So the pilot episode which you can find on YouTube was called Heff's World, Or, if you just look up Girls Next Door pilot episode, Carlina and I are speaking about and talking about how to prepare the soup, where we had to make sure that there were no crackers with browned edges, no broken crackers. The cream cheese had to be on the left, the applesauce on top, his milk in the frosted glass, And then we were saying so it's just one designated person. Whoever wants to bring the soup up. Newer people are either too nervous or they really want to do it because they want to meet him. But when we had it had just an established group of butlers that were doing it every day. We tried to make it interesting by putting out a deck of cards and whoever picked the lowest card at random was the loser that had to go put the soup up. I love it. 

Speaker 2: That's great. 

Speaker 3: The funny thing about that was we went through all that on video. You know we got recorded doing that and everything. And then the soup was brought up And when Heff was watching the dailies, he was not too happy about that, so he had actually he had talked to me about it And he's like I brought the soup up one night and he, he looked at me and he said is it, is it true that the person with the lowest card and I was like, well, yeah, it's just a little game that we play. And he's like, oh, and I was like, sir, would you feel more comfortable if the one who drew the highest card. 

Speaker 3: He's like actually I would. So I came downstairs and I told Carlina and I told Eileen and Anthony. I was like it looks like from now on we're going to have to do highest card goes. 

Speaker 2: I love it. Have Mr Reward. Yeah, She's like true. 

Speaker 1: It's the lowest number. He did not like that. 

Speaker 3: Oh, no, he was not. 

Speaker 1: That's a great story. 

Speaker 4: I mean, the tray was heavy, so that's part of the problem. Yeah, that was a heavy tray He used to. He used to ask me all the time, how are you doing that? And I'm like, sir, you know, i would kick out and say I've been working out or you know, it's how you bend, and you know, because that was his whole thing like, oh, she's a girl, how's she doing it? 

Speaker 1: Right, hey, that's funny, i love it. Now, carlina, you are currently in a position right As a butler in Vegas, at the Palms, and you're in. you attend to the suites right To the high rollers. 

Speaker 4: Cosmopolitan. 

Speaker 1: The cosmopolitan Okay. So and certainly like your resume with. I was a butler at the Playboy Mansion. They're like okay. 

Speaker 2: Can't get better than that? 

Speaker 1: Yeah, i would imagine, oh yeah. 

Speaker 4: And she didn't have to say much. She says oh, you do what we do here, you did what we do here. No-transcript, people know because she told people. So you'd run across other employees and if they're a big fan they would ask questions, or but there's a heavy Playboy presence there. Number one we do the mid-summer, yeah you go. The first thing I saw another butler point it out was Holly's book in one of the penthouses. And then there's older editions of Playboy. There's in the hallways. There's pictures of girls with bunny ears, marilyn Monroe. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, I wasn't gonna say anything about that. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's interesting. 

Speaker 1: I like, though, that they're doing the homage to Playboy. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, it's like this unspoken thing and I just thought, wow, it keeps following me. Yeah, you know, but Yeah, you're in. It works in my benefit because then when people find out certain guests or Oh, they'll make sure they tell their guests. So I'm the person that gets thrown into the party rooms. Because of my experience with Playboy, It's like you can't really tell me anything. I've seen it all. I can handle a lot of people, so it's sort of easy. 

Speaker 1: So For sure, bryant, do your students know that you are a butler at the mansion? Do you share that? 

Speaker 3: Sometimes. So there is a When I teach Intra Psychology, i teach the memory chapter And we talk about a concept called flash-bulb memory. Flash-bulb memory is basically having a stronger memory of an event because it's so emotionally charged And so, because your emotions are running high whether it's really scared, really sad or really happy you remember small details that you wouldn't normally remember in a regular memory who was there, what time of day. It was like little details. And so I was saying that on September 11th 9-11, i had just graduated from undergrad and I was now just working at Playboy full-time. And this is when Jameson was getting in trouble because and complaining that we didn't do enough to prepare the graveyard shift. 

Speaker 1: That's exactly what he said. I can vouch for that. 

Speaker 3: JD and the Morning Butler would say that graveyard didn't do their job, and then we would complain because JD and Alan might have mailed it in a little bit and we had to do a little extra work. So the bosses were a little upset by that and they wanted to put us in the other person's shoes to see from their perspective. And so, as I told you, i'm not a morning person. The week of 9-11, that was my week to come in and work 6.30 in the morning till 2.30 in the afternoon. So I was saying that on 9-11, i got to my car and it's all autopilot because I'm not awake in the morning. So I was listening to music, not the radio, and I walked through the mansion and I look outside on the TV and sometimes maintenance gets there a little early, like 5.30 in the morning, and they'll put on some old movie or something on the TV back there by the soda machine And it was a plane crashing into a building and I was like, oh, what old movie is this? 

Speaker 3: And then I rubbed my eyes and I looked and I was like holy crap, this is not a movie, this is the news and this is actually happening. And it was me and JD, so I don't know if JD shared this with you guys. 

Speaker 1: He did, he actually did. 

Speaker 3: And then, about 45 minutes later, what we do in the morning is we fresh squeeze orange juice for anybody that wants it. It's not usually heff, but so we fresh squeeze the oranges and the oranges are outside by the TV. So I went back out there to squeeze oranges and I saw it and I was like, oh, they must be showing a replay. And then, nope, it was the second plane hitting the second tower and JD and I were just dumbfounded. And then, about probably half an hour after that, then we heard news. it was David Robinson, was one of the secretaries upstairs and he was the one that told us we didn't see it on TV, but he's the one that told us that the Pentagon got hit. 

Speaker 3: And so about 15 minutes after that, Tina calls and I answer the phone playboy, can I help you? And she goes hey, bryant, it's Tina. I was like hey, tina, what's up? She's like I heard that the Pentagon got hit. And then we said, yeah, we all heard the same thing. It's just, we're devastated, it's just crazy. And she goes how many Pentagon's do we have? And I went hold on a second. I'm going to put you on hold for just a second. 

Speaker 1: And then I put it on hold I get Diane on the line. I get. 

Speaker 2: Diane to talk to you. She should explain everything. 

Speaker 3: I placed her on hold and I said, jd, it's for you, because I wasn't ready to deal with that. 

Speaker 1: You did not. I asked him. No, i literally had the phone to JD. 

Speaker 3: I was like JD call for you, and I just walked out. 

Speaker 1: So I talk about it Yeah. 

Speaker 3: I talk about it with my students And then some of them are like oh, and I was like well, because some of them Google you before they have you. Of course they have a website called Rate My Professor where that just tells you their students ratings of you. But if some of them do the full Google search, then they'll come up to me and they'll be like so I see something about Playboy And I'm like I'm not ashamed of it. The only reason I don't start class with that and I don't do that This is halfway through the semester that I do two thirds through that. I do that memory chapter. I said the only reason I don't say anything is because I want you guys asking me questions about psychology and not about that. 

Speaker 1: Yep, that's smart, That makes sense for sure. So actually JD didn't share that story. He shared the story of the riots in Los Angeles because it was Karina Harney's playmate of the year party And she was saying how awful it was because you could see the smoke and you could the helicopters. And JD was like, and he was like, yeah, I remembered those key moments. And then he did say 9-11. But he did not tell us the story that. You passed the phone to him, JD, it's for you. 

Speaker 3: He probably was like You, deal with this. I'm not ready to deal with this. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's heavy. That's heavy, Awesome. All right guys. Well, thank you so much. This has been so fun And we've learned even more things and some funny stories. I love the crazy and crazy. That's awesome. 

Speaker 2: Diane's the new Karen. I'm going to use that name. 

Speaker 1: Yes, Diane's the new Karen. So we like to end the show. We ask two questions to each of our guests, and it's always interesting to hear what you guys say. So, carlina, we're going to start with you. Three words that define half to you. 

Speaker 4: Generous, gracious and funny. 

Speaker 1: Very good, he was funny, he was funny. Those are some of my favorite memories. He's always smiling and laughing. That's like what I remember. 

Speaker 2: He was loving. 

Speaker 1: He was lovely. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, wow, those are great. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, good ones. Let's add a fourth, gentlemen Absolute consummate. Gentlemen, I love that. For sure, bryant. 

Speaker 3: I would say yeah, intelligent, yeah, i would say charismatic. 

Speaker 1: Yeah. 

Speaker 3: And definitely genuine. 

Speaker 1: Through and through. He was so transparent about who he was and what he expected, and he never swayed from that He didn't make excuses about it either. 

Speaker 2: He stood at his ground. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, we always say you may or may not agree with how Heff lived his lifestyle, but he designed it by design And he did exactly how he wanted to do it And I love that about him And I applaud that And the world should know. Ok, second question, and, carlina, you may have had the opportunity to do this Had you, had you had the chance to say anything to Heff before he passed, or in memoriam, what would you say? Thank you. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you. The general consensus Yeah for the additional family. 

Speaker 1: We are so blessed to have our Playboy family, aren't we? There's not nothing like it out there. 

Speaker 2: Well, also, heff was very, he was very lucky to have you there with him at the end, like that, but that makes me feel better to know that you were there. 

Speaker 1: Yeah. 

Speaker 4: Yeah, that's something Marston said to me And I was like what He's? like I'm glad you were here And I'm like what am I doing? Like what am I? Because I couldn't figure out what to do. Like you know how the thing is. You want to eat, you want to eat. I'm running around, you want to? 

Speaker 1: eat, yeah. dealing with grief, yeah. 

Speaker 2: But your presence was important to them. 

Speaker 1: I love that Marston told you that Yeah, yeah, bryant, had you had the chance, what would you say? 

Speaker 3: So I didn't have the chance right before he passed. But one of my favorite moments ever was that I was always the person when somebody was leaving, if they were retiring or if they were moving on. I would try to kind of prank them. Sometimes we would get pies in the face. Sometimes we would have somebody stand on the roof and we'd have water poured down on them. 

Speaker 2: Awesome. 

Speaker 3: And things like that. So when it was my turn, i wasn't leaving, but I was. I got into a PhD program to get my doctorate at UCLA. So I had to go from full time down to part time And so I was leaving the shift leader position And earlier in the night two playmates had pushed me in the pool And then, after I changed, the butlers, all basically duct taped me to a chair And they hit me with 12 whipped cream pies all over me, oh my god. And then they left me in the front circle by the fountain so that when half and the girls got out of the Sunday movie that they would, and all the guests that they would come and see me basically tied to the chair covered in whipped cream. And Hef was always one that wanted, if things were going to be going on at his house. He wanted to be in on the fun. So guests came out and the girls came out and other people, and they were taking pictures, taking selfies with me. 

Speaker 3: And then Hef came out And I couldn't do anything. I was literally stuck And I came, you know, and then Hef came over And I was like, would you like to take a picture with me? He's like I would love to, aw. And then he looked down at me And I looked up at him And I said, well, here we are, and he goes. Are you leaving? And I said, well, not for good, i'm just going down to part time because I got into a PhD program, but I'm still going to be around. And he looked at me and he goes. I told you you would make memories that would last a lifetime And that was Awesome moment. 

Speaker 3: So I have a picture of him shaking my hand after I got out of the pool And then later that night of him posing with me and telling me that and posing for the camera. So you know, and he also my parents passed away a year apart, in 2004, 2005. The first year when my mom passed, i got a card that you can tell was kind of his stamped signature, and then in 2005, after my father passed, it was a different signature, it was one that was actually his And he had given his condolences And basically there was a little bit of time before I left that I was able to say you know, you've always been somebody I looked up to, like a father figure, and just thank you, thank you for the experience, thank you for treating me like family, thank you for all of this that you created, that I now have an extended family. Just thank you. 

Speaker 2: You know, what's so interesting about that is the stories that you tell in the memories that you make, and how I have suggested that none of them have anything to do with naked women. 

Speaker 1: You mentioned that Good observation, Kerry, exactly. 

Speaker 2: Because at the end of the day the mansion was a home. 

Speaker 1: It was a family home. 

Speaker 2: That was only since all part of it. Yeah, right, yeah. 

Speaker 1: Exactly. Oh my gosh, that's awesome. I'd love to see those pictures, Brian. Maybe we could use them for the interview on the video portion. That's awesome. 

Speaker 3: Do you want me to? I can email them to you. Yeah, sure, sure. 

Speaker 1: Aw, you guys, thank you so much. This was awesome. 

Speaker 2: It means a lot to continue these memories for us, so thank you. 

Speaker 1: It's super important And, again, this whole podcast is an homage to Hugh Hefner and who he was as a man, as a human being as the icon and how blessed the world is that Playboy even was created and existed. How different our world would be if Playboy never existed. I can't even imagine it. He was responsible for so much social and cultural change And we are all so lucky to have that direct relationship with him. 

Speaker 2: And yeah, Oh well, thank you so much, both of you. I appreciate it, Thanks guys. 

Speaker 1: All right, i'll let you guys know when the show's out. Good chatting with you. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, i appreciate you, you too, you at the reunion. 

Speaker 1: Oh yeah, You at the reunion Yeah, i'll be at the reunion. Brian, you'll be there too Awesome. Yeah, i'm going to take the opportunity to go around and get little snippets from everybody I'd like to go. It's the 30th. I told you April 30th. Oh, that's coming up. Yeah, You need to come. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, go see your kids. I know They're smiling. Oh good, Well, so nice to see you. 

Speaker 1: All right guys, we'll talk soon. Thank you OK bye, thank you. 

Speaker 2: Thanks for making time, bye. 

Speaker 1: All right, awesome show, all right. So this is our final show with Ms Kari Yazel in the studio. Thank you, kari, for joining. From Karina and I both Thank you truly. It's been super fun to have you And yeah. 

Speaker 2: It's been a blast. Yeah, i'm so happy that you asked me It's been rad. 

Speaker 1: All right. I'm Echo, I'm Kari. We'll see you next week. This is The Bunny Chronicles. Bye.