From Donna D'Errico to Elle Macpherson, these ladies are sharing the impact the late Playboy founder had on their lives and careers.
Did Hugh Hefner unshackle women from old fashioned ideas about sexuality, or was he just a creepy man who got rich off the objectification of his bunnies?
Read: American Playboy: The Many Wives and Girlfriends of Hugh Hefner
“I believe life should be lived with zest and style and celebration,” he once told Inside Edition.
And like him or not, he certainly did.
Actress Donna D'Errico got her big break when she was named “Playmate of the Month” in 1995. Baywatch producers took notice and she was given a starring role.
"Playboy opened those doors for me," she told Inside Edition.
Stacy Fuson also broke out in Playboy. She went on to appear on shows like Entourage and Modern Family.
"Hef was a very kind, gentle, loving person," she told Inside Edition.
Anna Nicole Smith famously became a star after Hefner named her the 1993 “Playmate of the Year.”
Many famous personalities posed for Playboy. Among them were Drew Barrymore, Sharon Stone, Cindy Crawford and Kim Basinger.
Supermodel Elle Macpherson spoke to Inside Edition about her decision to pose for the magazine.
"I have tried to do with all of my integrity that there is nothing wrong with nudity," she told Inside Edition in 1994.
Hef's critics included feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who went undercover as a bunny at a Playboy Club in the 60s.
"I do not find the body of work admirable at all. I think it is part of the problem, not part of the solution," she said in a 1998 interview with Hefner.
Watch: Why Hugh Hefner's Wife Crystal Had to Remove Her Breast Implants
Inside Edition has covered Hefner's career over the last 30 years. No question was ever off-limits, as he was open about his Viagra use and his love life.
In 1992, he spoke about his legacy to Inside Edition, saying, "There is a message in my life and it is that there is an infinite number of possibilities that one ought to find one’s own road and do it their way."
Watch: Ex-Playboy Model Accused of Affair With Donald Trump: I Have Class and Integrity
