Las Vegas Weekly

July 16, 2009 · 12:06 PM

Hefner’s back in Vegas to check on his former squeeze

By Melissa Arseniuk

Hugh Hefner and Holly Madison.

Photo: TVT

While Hugh Hefner is coming to Las Vegas to check up on his ex, he doesn’t think the visit will be awkward at all.

In fact, he said his former main squeeze Holly Madison invited him to come see her.

“Holly called me a few days ago wondering whether I was going to come and see the show,” Hefner said yesterday during a phone interview, “so we made arrangements.”

The 83-year-old will have a front-row ticket to see Madison as she stars in Peepshow on Saturday.

Naturally, Hefner won’t be alone.

“I’m taking (current main girlfriend) Crystal (Harris) and the rest of girls,” he said. “We’ll be flying out on Saturday and all of us together will watch Peepshow. ”

Later that night he will catch the late show of Playboy Comedy at the Palms, where his two younger girlfriends, July-August Playmates Karissa and Kristina Shannon, are hosting. (Meanwhile, MADtv’s Bobby Lee and fellow funnyman Cort McCown will perform.)

In addition to seeing Madison onstage, Hefner said he will have her at his dinner table on Saturday, too, between Peepshow and Playboy Comedy.

“We’ll also be having dinner in my suite at the Palms,” Hefner said.

The iconic playboy said it will be more of a family style meal than an intimate dinner for two.

“All of us together will be having dinner in my suite with Holly,” he said.

He said he has been wanting to come see his former flame headline at Planet Hollywood for some time.

“Quite frankly, I had originally intended on going in for the opening week and there was a feeling that that might take some of the excitement about the opening away from it, and that we should separate the two, in other words, that I should delay my visit,” he said.

The ever-uninhibited Hefner said there is “certainly nothing weird about” taking his current trio of girlfriends to see the woman he once loved onstage and topless for all to see.

“We’re looking forward to the trip and we always have a good time,” Hefner said.

He said he is glad to see Madison, 29, succeed away from life at the Playboy Mansion.

The 83-year-old dated Madison and her fellow Girls Next Door co-stars, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, for several years until the four went their separate ways last fall.

He admitted that he was worried about Madison after the split, even though the break-up was amicable.

“Both Bridget and Kendra have made such very nice transitions and, you know, I was kind of concerned in terms of Holly,” he said.

The Peepshow star dated Mindfreak magician Criss Angel during the months immediately following the split, though the two performers have since called it quits.

Madison appeared as a contestant on the most recent series of Dancing with the Stars and is rumored to be working on a new reality TV show of her own.

Hefner said he approves of Madison’s post-Mansion choices.

“I’m very happy that she’s making this transition in a way that works for her,” he said. “I’m very pleased.”

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