Hugh Hefner's widow Crystal issues statement after concerns Playboy founder's explicit scrapbooks could be made public

Crystal Hefner, Hugh Hefner's widow, has issued a statement over the Playboy founder's explicit scrapbooks, which she's worried could leak to the public.

Crystal, who was the third wife of Hefner, has said she has filed regulatory complaints with the California and Illinois attorney generals over concerns the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation is reportedly planning to digitize an explicit scrapbook.

It reportedly contains nude images of women, including herself, and may also contain images of underage girls.

She alleges some of the images in the collection could have been taken without consent.

If the scrapbooks are digitized, Crystal is worried a security breach or cyber attack could result in the intimate images being made public.

Speaking during a press conference at the office of her attorney, Gloria Allred, Crystal issued a statement giving more details on what is in the scrapbooks.

Crystal was Hefner's third wife (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)

It read: "The materials span decades, beginning in the 1960s, and may include images of girls who were underage at the time and could not consent to how their images would be retained or controlled.

“They may also contain images of women who did not consent to their images being taken in the first place. The scrapbooks include nude images, images taken before and after sexual activity, and other deeply intimate moments.

"They contain intimate material involving women who are now mothers, grandmothers, professionals, and private citizens who have spent decades building their lives with no idea these images were still being hoarded.”

Crystal issued a statement (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Crystal went on to explain: "I believe they include women, and possibly girls, who never agreed to lifelong private possession of their naked images, and who have no transparency into where their photos are, how they are being stored, or what will happen to them next.”

Crystal also explained she is 'deeply worried' about the risk that the images could become public.

"Artificial intelligence, deepfakes, digital scanning, online marketplaces, and data breaches mean that once images leave secure custody, the harm is irreversible. A single security failure could devastate thousands of lives," she said.

The scrapbooks reportedly contain information on the names of women Hefner slept with, the sex acts they performed, and even details of their menstrual cycles.

Attorney Gloria Allred echoed Crystal's concerns, adding: “Crystal is especially concerned that these scrapbooks could contain images of minor girls.

“Moreover, Crystal is also concerned that some of the images in the scrapbooks may have been taken without the informed consent of the adult women depicted, such as while they were intoxicated.”

Crystal has raised concerns over the images (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Crystal has also claimed that she was recently removed in her role as president of the foundation after disputes over the images.

UNILAD has reached out to the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation for comment.