Hugh Hefner led an interesting life, but his legacy didn't end with his death. Hefner left behind children, ex-wives, and an entire estate. Not to mention, he left behind the iconic Playboy Mansion, which unfortunately fell into disrepair after Hef passed away.
And though his children remember him fondly today, there's one person who may not feel the same way. Hugh's "illegitimate son" probably doesn't have as rosy a reflection of Hugh as the rest of the Hefner children. But why is that?
A Woman Claimed She Had Hugh's Baby...
Back in the '80s, an unnamed woman came forward and claimed that she had had Hugh Hefner's baby. Of course, fans of Hef already know that he had children of his own, and he dedicated time to helping raise them.
In fact, Hefner's children even lived next door to the Playboy Mansion at one point (after he'd split from their mom). So finding out that he had another child probably wasn't a terrible shock to Hugh. It wasn't a great surprise to the public, either, for obvious reasons.
And Hugh was willing to meet the already-grown illegitimate son; at the time that his mother went public, Mark was 26 years old. Hugh remembered the mother, who he'd never married or had a serious relationship with, and was willing to meet with his alleged son.
But it turned out there was more to the story than what Mark or Hugh believed.
The 'Illegitimate Son' Wasn't Really Hugh's Child
Though Hugh Hefner embraced Mark as his own and began spending time getting to know him while waiting on paternity results, both would later be disappointed. Sources suggest that the mother of Hugh's 'illegitimate son' had her facts in order and that her story seemed convincing.
Though it was unclear whether she intended to falsify her son's paternity or not (and Hugh's camp suggested that she didn't), a DNA test proved that Hugh was not the father.
The man's "documents and a letter from his mother" seemed to add up, but it wound up being a case of mistaken identity, noted news sources at the time.
For his part, Hugh was "disappointed and saddened for everybody involved," and he apparently remained in contact with Mark even after finding out that the man wasn't his blood relative.
Whatever people previously thought about Hugh Hefner, the fact that he was willing to embrace a child who claimed to be his heir with very little proof is sort of admirable. Fortunately, DNA tests revealed the truth.
