Vanna White has spoken out about her 1987 Playboy cover, claiming that Hugh Hefner put her there against her wishes. The Wheel of Fortune star got candid in a recent appearance on the Wendy Williams Show saying, “I wasn’t on there because I wanted to be.” White claims that she was ‘too embarrassed’ to ask her father for rent money after moving to Hollywood and had to do some lingerie shoots in order to pay her bills. Hefner allegedly bought the photos and put them on the cover without the model’s consent.
What happened was when I moved to Hollywood, I was too embarrassed to ask my dad for money for rent. I did some lingerie shots, like we all do sometimes…back in those days, and Hugh Hefner bought the pictures. Hugh was my friend and he said, ‘Vanna, we are going to put you on the cover.’
Entertainment Tonight mentions that Vanna said, ‘If you put me on the cover, my career could be ruined.” The 58-year-old star continued to reveal how damaged she felt by Hefner’s actions, saying she still doesn’t speak to the Playboy publisher who she had considered a friend. Fox News reports that White was grateful for the support after the cover was released, calling the experience ‘a great lesson’.
Thanks to everyone out there who was on my side. They didn’t fire me and everybody was very supportive. It was a great lesson. Don’t ever do anything that you think is wrong, listen to that little voice inside of you. I wish I wouldn’t have done it and I did it.
White’s full interview with Wendy Williams airs Wednesday.
Meanwhile Playboy’s last nude cover will be of Pamela Anderson. The adult magazine will no longer publish nude shots, starting with the March issue on stands Friday.
