The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Fans flock to mansion to honour ‘the king’
It took just minutes from the announcement of Hugh Hefner’s death for fans to line up outside the gates of his iconic Playboy Mansion in the Los Angeles hills.
One father brought his young children along on Wednesday night to the hedonistic home where men and women came to mourn the passing of a man they respected as a sexual liberator.
Construction worker Genaro Alcala, 40, said he brought his three children, aged between eight and 14, to appreciate “a god amongst gentlemen”.
News crews also lined the discreet avenue leading up to the 22-room mansion in Charing Cross Road, Holmby Hills, where Hefner died at the age of 91.
Laura Oritz, who works in marketing, and a friend were among the first to make it to the scene.
“He broke everybody out of their shell, he made it OK to be sexual, he made it OK to be yourself, he made it OK to flaunt what you have and to be involved with multiple people,” said Ms Ortiz, 27.
“He made it part of our culture, that was a big part of the revolution.”
Footwear shop owner Davon Artis, 26, consoled the friends who appeared emotional at the front gate, where flowers had begun to gather.
“The king has passed away, Hugh Hefner, a real-life icon,” Mr Artis said.
“He already lived in heaven on earth, now he’s in heaven. He always said life is too short to be living someone else’s dream.”
Playboy sold the mansion last year for $100 million (£75 million), but there was one key condition – Hefner could rent it for as long as he desired.