Former Playboy model and The Girls Next Door star Karissa Shannon has left Los Angeles and moved back to her home state of Michigan to pursue a normal life.
The 36-year-old former television personality resurfaced last week on Lisa Guerrero's Unleashed podcast to discuss her decision to walk away from Hollywood and focus on her personal health.
"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," Shannon said during the podcast appearance.
Shannon explained that she stepped away from her former circle of acquaintances to build healthier habits and focus on her future goals.
"I needed a moment to myself where I can just build on my inner self... Get healthy habits, fully detox, get away from the circle of people that I was around," she said.
She added that her primary focus now is starting a family and finding a partner.
"So 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."
Life After Hollywood
While Shannon maintains her signature tanned skin and platinum blonde hair, her appearance has changed significantly since her early years on television.
Fans noticed the transformation following her podcast appearance, with one writing online, "She's lost a lot of weight I hope she's doing well and is getting not only physically healthy but emotionally and mentally with everything she's been through."
Another commenter wrote, "She looks great," while a third stated, "This isn't one of the twins... Looks nothing like her!"
Shannon told Guerrero that she is currently spending less time with her twin sister, Kristina Shannon, so both women can establish separate identities.
"I like to be a real person and be honest and be myself and I can't do that when I'm stuck together with somebody," Karissa Shannon said. "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."
Reflecting on her time at the Playboy Mansion, Shannon noted that she was never physically attracted to Hugh Hefner because "obviously he was too old," but appreciated that he provided for her.
"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. "I did get a lot of opportunities from being on the Girls Next Door show and from dating Hef, but also, who knows where I could have went if I would've went my own direction and just been a Playmate."
Allegations and Docuseries Claims
In 2022, Karissa and Kristina Shannon spoke out against Hefner in the 12-part A&E docuseries Secrets of Playboy.
Both sisters claimed they contracted chlamydia following a threesome with Hefner on their 19th birthday. Karissa Shannon also stated she became pregnant by Hefner, who was 84 at the time, and had a secret abortion to avoid media attention.
A&E included a statement with the docuseries noting that "the vast majority of allegations have not been the subject of criminal investigations or charges, and they do not constitute proof of guilt."
Questions surrounding the claim arose due to previous statements by Hefner's former girlfriend Holly Madison, who wrote in her 2015 memoir that she and Hefner attempted fertility treatments but found his sperm was "not viable."
When asked about the abortion claim on the Juicy Scoop podcast in 2022, Madison called the story "surprising," adding, "I'm never gonna say that I don't believe anybody's story because I wasn't there and anything can happen, but it's surprising."
Early Life and Playboy Mansion
Before entering the entertainment industry, the Shannon twins experienced a difficult and unstable upbringing.
Raised by their grandmother in a trailer park, the sisters dropped out of school at age 15 to work at a Hooters-style restaurant.
At age 17, a photographer suggested they submit nude photographs to Playboy. When they turned 18, they traveled to Miami for a test shoot, which was stopped halfway through after Hefner called to say he liked the images.
The sisters were named Playmates for July and August 2009, moved into the Playboy Mansion, and began dating Hefner. They joined Crystal Hefner on the final season of E!'s The Girls Next Door, replacing former cast members Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, and Bridget Marquardt.
The twins stated they initially believed becoming Hefner's girlfriends simply meant appearing on the television show, thinking his public persona was exaggerated.
"Hell no, you don't think an 80-year-old man is sleeping with three of these women," Karissa Shannon said.
The sisters said sexual activity began after they turned 19, describing the experience as traumatic and comparing it to "rape," but they remained at the mansion to protect their careers and support their family.
"Coming from [abuse] and our biological mom leaving, we really felt like we had to take care of our grandmother who raised us," the sisters said on the docuseries. "And we didn't want him to take away all of the success we had built. We thought he'd revoke our centerfold."
Post-Playboy Careers
The Shannon twins left the Playboy Mansion after E! canceled The Girls Next Door in 2010.
They continued appearing in public and on reality television, including UK's Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and an episode of Botched in 2015, during which time Karissa was also pictured attending events with Blac Chyna.
The sisters later performed in adult films for studios including Brazzers. While Karissa Shannon has since retired from adult entertainment, Kristina Shannon currently models in Miami, operates an OnlyFans page, and recently launched an AI-generated chatbot based on her likeness.
With Karissa Shannon now residing in Michigan and focusing on personal wellness, the twin sisters are pursuing separate paths for the first time in their careers.
