Fight to quash claims of ‘secret pedophiles’

Now Hef’s sons Marston Hefner, 35, and Cooper Hefner, 34, have responded in a statement, saying they have taken an extensive look at the archive.

The brothers said: “In response to recent public comments by Crystal Harris about our father, Hugh Hefner, and his scrapbooks, we have personally reviewed this material extensively over many years, as have countless historians, filmmakers and journalists, including those who have both celebrated and critically examined his life’s work.

“In the more than a quarter of a century that we have been familiar with these materials, we have never seen inappropriate images of minors as suggested.

“The scrapbooks document decades of personal, professional and family history. Our father lived much of his life in public and collected these materials as a historical record, with the intention that they would ultimately be preserved and reviewed in their full context, not hidden or concealed.”

The brothers added: “We believe that claims of this magnitude should be supported by evidence and precision, not by implications without evidence. We support the preservation of the scrapbooks in partnership with a university or museum, along with responsible public access in accordance with its long-standing wishes.”