Karissa Shannon, once a prominent figure in Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion and a star of E!'s "The Girls Next Door," has stepped away from the spotlight to pursue a more private and traditional life in Michigan. Shannon, 36, recently shared her new direction in an interview on Lisa Guerrero's "Unleashed" podcast, detailing a desire for family and personal well-being.
Shannon, who moved into the Playboy Mansion with her twin sister Kristina at age 18, explained her decision to leave Los Angeles and Hollywood behind. "I was like, you know what? Get out of the spotlight, cut the lights, cut the cameras, let me go find out where I want to live, where I can be in privacy, no one knows who I am, and live a normal life and just figure out what I want to do," she stated. She emphasized a need for self-reflection and healthier habits, aiming to detox from her previous environment and social circle.
Her aspirations now center on building a family. "What I want more than anything is to be a housewife, be a mother, I want to be able to give my kids what I didn't have," Shannon said. "I want a normal family life. I want a husband. I want to be in true love, I want real love. And I'm dating right now."
Shannon also discussed her evolving relationship with her twin sister, Kristina. She expressed a need for individuality, noting that they were often presented as a single unit in their career. "We were always pushed that in our career, to be the same person, dress alike and do the same things, but we're really different," she commented, adding that she prefers to spend less time with her sister to foster personal growth.
Reflecting on her time with Hugh Hefner, Shannon stated she was never attracted to him due to their age difference but acknowledged the financial security he provided. "His power that he had and the brand that he had and being able to take care of me... I've never been taken care of, I've always had to take care of myself," she said. While she recognized the opportunities her involvement with Hefner and "The Girls Next Door" provided, she also questioned the career path she might have taken independently.
In a 2022 A&E docuseries, "Secrets of Playboy," both Shannon twins made serious allegations against Hefner. Karissa claimed to have become pregnant by Hefner and undergone a secret abortion to avoid media attention. The docuseries noted that many allegations had not been part of criminal investigations. Holly Madison, another former girlfriend of Hefner's, reacted with surprise to Shannon's abortion story at the time.
The Shannon twins' upbringing was marked by instability, raised by their grandmother and living in a trailer park. They left school early to work, and by age 17, began pursuing modeling, which led to a test shoot for Playboy. They were named Playmates in July and August 2009 and subsequently moved into the Playboy Mansion and joined "The Girls Next Door" for its final season, replacing Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, and Bridget Marquardt.
Shannon and her sister have recounted their naiveté in accepting the offers, believing that being Hefner's girlfriends simply meant appearing on the show. They expressed that they initially didn't believe an older man like Hefner was sexually involved with the women in the mansion. However, they eventually engaged in sexual relations with him after turning 19, describing the experience negatively but stating they felt pressured to stay due to career opportunities and a desire to support their grandmother.
After "The Girls Next Door" was canceled in 2010, the twins remained in the public eye, appearing on "Celebrity Big Brother UK" in 2012 and later moving into hardcore pornography. While Karissa has left that industry, her sister Kristina has pursued an AI chatbot based on her likeness and maintains an OnlyFans page. Karissa's current focus, however, is on building a family and living a more private life away from the entertainment industry.