Playboy's Kristina Shannon Recalls 'Controlling' Hugh Hefner Placing Her on 'Room Arrest' for Strict Orgy Curfew: 'It Was a Rule He Demanded'

Kristina Shannon is opening up about her time living at the Playboy Mansion, including the strict rules she says Hugh Hefner imposed on the residents.

In an exclusive interview with OK! while discussing her partnership with the AI platform OhChat, the former Playboy Playmate recalled feeling “so controlled” while living at the Mansion and claimed Hefner once placed her on “room arrest” after she wanted to travel to Rome, Italy, to film a larger role in a movie directed by Sofia Coppola.

“I remember one time Hef wouldn't let me go to Rome, Italy, to film a bigger part in the movie I was doing with Sofia Coppola,” Shannon shares. “I was even put on room arrest because Hef wanted everyone back by midnight so he could have his orgies.”

“It was a rule he demanded everyone follow,” she adds.

Kristina, who rose to fame alongside her identical twin sister Karissa Shannon, joined E!’s Girls Next Door in 2009 after becoming Playboy Playmates. The twins moved into the Playboy Mansion and became part of the reality series alongside Hefner and his then-girlfriend Crystal Harris (formerly Crystal Hefner).

Looking back, Kristina says her experience at the Mansion was a mixture of positive and negative memories, particularly because of how young she was at the time.

“Everything I did, from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep, was on camera while I lived at the mansion. I was constantly being watched,” she explains. “I do appreciate some of the good things Hef did for me, but overall, everything was extremely controlled.”

Kristina also pushed back on the idea that Hefner was solely responsible for launching her career.

“First off, he didn't launch my career. I was 15, working at WingHouse, and had already appeared on billboards, menus, and in commercials,” she declares. “But yes, Playboy definitely helped bring me into the mainstream.”

While she remembers opportunities like meeting Steven Spielberg and working with directors including Sophia, Brett Ratner and Michael Bay, Kristina said therapy has helped her process the more difficult parts of her Playboy years.

“Playboy will always be a part of my life and, in many ways, my family,” she notes. “A lot of good things happened while I was there, but a lot of bad things happened too, especially considering how young I was. Therapy and working with my psychiatrist have helped me tremendously.”

Today, Kristina is focused on creating an identity separate from her sister and the “Shannon Twins” persona.

“At the moment, I'm not speaking to my sister, and I can't say why. I do pray for her, though, and I wish the best for her,” she reveals. “We're not a team anymore, we work as two individuals.”

Kristina admits working independently has allowed her to make decisions without having to consult her sister first.

“In many ways, it's made things easier because I can make my own decisions and do what feels right for me without having to discuss every move with her first,” she reflects.

Part of that new chapter is her newly launched AI digital twin, Kristina AI, created with AI platform OhChat.

Kristina mentions wanting to take control of her likeness as AI continues to evolve, pointing to her friend Paris Hilton's public conversations about unauthorized AI use of celebrities’ likenesses.

“AI is taking over the world, to be honest,” Kristina acknowledges. “Everyone's likeness is going to get used one way or another, so I wanted to get ahead of it and do this on my own terms with OhChat instead of it happening to me without any say in it.”

Kristina was personally involved in creating her digital twin, providing voice recordings, photos and videos to help make the virtual version resemble her.

“My digital twin is spot on. She looks the same and has my personality,” she teases.

And while Kristina is embracing the futuristic technology, she doesn't see Kristina AI as a replacement for herself.

“AI is really popular, but I don't think it’s ever going to replace a real human connection,” she dishes. “Kristina will always be the best version of myself.”

As for what's next, Kristina wants to continue acting, modeling and reality TV while building a life that feels more authentic to her.

“I'll never stop doing reality TV because I genuinely love it. And I'm not gonna lie, I love the attention, haha,” she quips. “I also want to keep acting, modeling, and, of course, working with OhChat while creating exciting features for my digital twin.”

“I'm happy, living authentically, and finally able to be myself,” Kristina concludes.