Playboy Hugh Hefner dies at 91, social media remembers his life

hugh hefner mark dunne flickr

Hugh Hefner, the founder of the Playboy empire, has died at the age of 91.

According to reports, the American passed away “peacefully” in Los Angeles of natural causes.

Playboy’s Twitter account broke the news around 6.30am SAST, and called Hefner an “American icon”.

Notably, Hefner’s final tweets aimed to help raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Irma, which swept through the Caribbean islands and Floridian peninsula earlier this month.

“My thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricanes Harvey & Irma, both the victims and the first responders,” Hefner tweeted.

“In times of such great adversity, it is inspiring to know we can put our differences aside and join together to help those in need.”

Celebrities also paid homage to the American, with Kim Kardashian leading the tributes.

But not everyone shared Kardashian’s sentiment.

“Hugh Hefner was an embodiment of how misogynist a white guy can be and still get celebrated as a progressive hero,” one user tweeted.

The less serious side of Twitter just wanted to get a snarky word in.

“He will be greatly missed by many, including his wife Crystal, my sister Christie and my brothers David and Marston, and all of us at Playboy Enterprises,” concluded Hefner’s son, and CCO of Playboy Enterprises Cooper Hefner.

Feature image: Mark Dunne via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0, resized)

Andy Walker, former editor
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