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Hugh Hefner's legacy appears to be tainted since his passing - especially given the stories related to his relationship with Bill Cosby, along with allegations made by Holly Madison. Things are very different nowadays, not only is the Playboy mansion sold, but Hefner's son Cooper lives a very different lifestyle.We'll take a look at what Cooper's life is like, along with details in what his upbringing was like. Given that he lived in the mansion next to the Playboy mansion, we'd expect some wild stories. However, that's not exactly the truth. Let's take a look at the details.
What Did Playboy Mean For Hugh's Son Cooper Hefner?
Cooper Hefner wasn't as close to the Playboy brand as his father Hugh, however, he did grow close to it, with his own meaning for the brand. Alongside The Hundreds, Cooper made mention that Playboy is more than brand, it is a movement and statement.
"Ultimately, it’s a representation of freedom of expression, a celebration of sex, a celebration of life. And that philosophy has existed at the core of the brand since its inception."
Cooper would further state that the new generation has a false interpretation about what the brand is truly about.
"Playboy is a part of the psyche of this next generation. Certainly there is a detachment from understanding what the brand stood for and really fought for. And that’s something that the content team and the creative team here strives to make sure we’re doing a good job of communicating effectively."
In what should not come as a surprise, Cooper has a few stories about his childhood and growing up right next to the mansion. However, fans are very surprised as to how calm Cooper turned to be, despite the fact that his dad lived quite the controversial lifestyle.
What Was It Like For Cooper Hefner Growing Up In The 'Playboy Mansion'?
Ultimately when his parents separated, Hugh broke down the wall and ended up buying the mansion next door. Although fans see it as the mansion, Cooper called it home.
"This really acted as a pretty traditional home - even though it's not a traditional home - for me and my brother, especially when our parents were together."
"When my mom and dad separated and he bought the mansion next door, he broke down the wall and my brother and I went back and forth between both properties."
Cooper did admit he was always curious about what was going on in the mansion and he would reveal that he and his friends would sneak in at times, though he didn't get into details about what he saw.
The truth of the matter was, his upbringing was quite normal, and he didn't take part in the crazy lifestyle like his dad.
"It's funny because it's such an iconic place and obviously the whole world probably sees it as one thing which is this mecca for or****, but the reality is, is for me, it has always represented a sort of Indiana Jones adventure."
"Because when I was a kid, there was none of that going on and I was swimming around here and that's what it was to me."
Cooper didn't realize his circumstances at the time, though looking back, he has now come to understand that thigns were not all that normal.
Over 10 millions fans watched his bio on YouTube and in the comments, fans were mostly saying the same thing about Hugh's son and how he turned out.
What Do The Fans Think Of Cooper's Upbringing?
In the comment section of the Business Insider video on YouTube, viewers were mostly discussing the same thing, how Cooper turned out to be completely normal and modest, despite the fact that he grew up in quite the hectic environment.
"Just a normal guy showing us where he grew up without sounding like he's bragging. I like cooper."
"This guy singlehandedly made the Playboy Mansion seem wholesome."
"He actually had a pretty normal childhood considering his upbringing. Good on Hef."
"What a very charming and nice guy from the looks of this! Looks like he wasn’t touched with extreme “rich boy disease”, like so many others have."
Fans were both praising Hef, and crediting Cooper for speaking about Playboy in a more polished way.