When E!'s The Girls Next Door first aired in 2005, it propelled Playboy CEO Hugh Hefner’s
then-girlfriends — Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson — into stardom.
And their respective spin-offs seemingly solidified their positions as A-list stars.
"Come on in my house, in my house.
I'm gonna give you candy."
"Welcome to the Playboy mansion."
However, while these three used to be everywhere, they've recently been pretty quiet.
So, what happened to these likable, business savvy ladies?
Is this a case of dwindling fame, intentional shying away from the spotlight, or simply
a matter of focusing on other areas of their lives?
Here's why we may not have heard from The Girls Next Door in a while.
Spinoff shut-down
When the girls each made the decision to leave the Playboy Mansion, all three were offered
their own spin-off shows that eventually reached various levels of success.
Kendra ran for four seasons.
Holly's World ran for two.
And Bridget's Sexiest Beaches for just one.
Bridget's beach series for the Travel Channel never really took off.
Kendra split from E! in 2012 due to creative differences, and instead signed on to begin
production of Kendra on Top for WEtv.
It was rumored Holly's World got the ax when the President of E! wanted to "get rid of
the more Playboy trashy element."
Kendra's relationship drama
The highs and lows of Kendra's family life and marriage were documented in great detail
through appearances on both Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and Kendra on Top.
"Get the F--- out of here.
The world's greatest husband?
Father?
You ain't no father no more motherf-----.
It's divorce time."
Kendra and her footballer-turned-entrepreneur husband Hank Baskett have essentially made
it through hell and back in their marriage.
That includes Baskett's alleged sex scandal with transgender model Ava Sabrina London
in 2014 — when Kendra was 8-months pregnant with their second child.
At the premiere of their season of Marriage Boot Camp, Kendra disclosed to People that
the therapy, support, and the two week bubble the show provided ended up being their saving
grace.
"We needed the help and we really needed to focus on what our real issues were and what
we need to do to solve them.
We went in fighting each other, we went out fighting the world.
And that's where we remain right now."
The former Playboy model added, "We're in an amazing place.
Everyday is work.
We're working on it every single day and we're both willing to put in the work."
Focusing on family
While Kendra on Top is on hiatus, Kendra has shifted her focus to her family.
In January 2017, Kendra and her brood were seen vacationing in Big Bear, California.
On a trip to Disneyworld in August 2016, Kendra and her hubby shared a sweet moment on Instagram
walking around the park, looking on in wonder with the kids.
"I miss you so much!"
Kendra may be out of the spotlight for now, but her light is shining on the ones who matter
to her the most.
Kendra has to heal
Recently, Kendra has happily reconnected with her estranged father, Eric, and her brother
Colin.
"Oh, my God."
"Heh heh heh."
"Oh my F------ God."
But her relationship with her mother, Patti, sadly remains as strained and toxic as ever.
In an interview with People.com, Kendra explained:
"Right now, things are still very bad between me and my mom.
I've done all the work, so it has to come on her end now.
She's going to have to be the one to prove to me that she'll never sell me out again."
"We're going to put our work in.
I want your word at the end of the day.
You know, and I want you to get the reward, family to get the reward."
Dealing with loss
While the last couple of years have brought on a great deal of joy to Kendra in terms
of rebuilding estranged relationships, 2016 was also a year marked by great loss for her
family.
Her beloved grandmother who helped raise her passed away in early April 2016.
Their close bond was notably often showcased on the several reality series Kendra participated
in over the years, and the difficult time surrounding this heavy loss was documented
on an episode of Kendra on Top.
"Hank!"
"What!"
"Momom just had a stroke.
I just don't know what to do."
Wilkinson penned a beautiful tribute to her "Mommom" on Twitter, saying,
"You will forever be in my heart."
A few months later, Wilkinson took to Twitter again to write another heartbreaking tribute,
this time to her dog Raskal, who had been a faithful companion to the reality star for
13 years.
Holly’s speakeasy success
In May 2014, Holly opened 1923 Bourbon and Burlesque, a popular speakeasy-themed club
in the basement of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas.
Holly wore many hats in the creation of the club, including playing managing partner and
hostess, as well as creator, producer, and occasional performer of the burlesque show.
It was reported that she later split from the bar after she and the other burlesque
showgirls filed a lawsuit against the owners for secretly recording them in a backstage
dressing room.
Mama Madison
Holly’s spin-off series documented her lead in Planet Hollywood's burlesque Peepshow.
However, she made the decision to leave in 2012 when she announced her pregnancy and
married now-husband Pasquale Rotella.
It was reported that Holly gave birth to her daughter, Rainbow, on March 5, 2013 and son,
Forest on August 7, 2016.
Holly’s writing chops
After the cancellation of her TV show, Holly penned two popular tell-all memoirs, including
the 2015 New York Times Bestseller, Down the Rabbit Hole.
Throughout the book, she opened up about life at the mansion, what Hugh Hefner was really
like, and her self-recovery after leaving.
These reveals sparked some bad blood between Holly and Kendra.
"Things might get ugly.
Let's go confront this b---."
Bridget's career moves
Bridget is probably the least famous of the former Girls Next Door stars.
But she's cultivated a successful, albeit quieter, career earning a net worth of $4
million.
After her beach spinoff was cancelled, she planned to follow in her former roommates'
footsteps with her own reality series on E!, but unfortunately it was never picked up by
the network.
Bridget has also appeared on Kendra, Holly's World, Top Gear US, and Celebrity Ghost Stories.
But most impressively, she became a contributing writer for Yahoo's Animal Nation series in
2012, for which she hosted short documentary pieces.
Now Bridget is taking a break from show biz and focusing on her Etsy shop, Celebrate with
Bridget, which she opened in 2013.
Her homemade handiwork has glowing reviews and a 5-star rating.
Bridget's wedding
In 2015, Bridget announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Nick Carpenter.
Although no official reports have come out as of the making of this video, one can surmise
that Bridget and her fiancé are still excitedly planning their big day.
Bridget told Us Weekly last May, that despite the tension, she intends to invite both of
her former The Girls Next Door co-stars.
Bridget’s fertility struggles
Bridget first opened up to Us Weekly about her plans to start a family in May 2016.
Through her remarkable openness, she helped to normalize the struggle of infertility and
undergoing treatment.
"I feel like there is a lot of shame and embarrassment and people aren't really talking about [infertility]
as much as they should.
I feel like if people talked about it more and came out publicly with their struggle,
people would realize they aren't alone…and not feel so awful about things."
Having frozen her eggs at age 34 while still living in the mansion, Bridget later talked
about her fertility struggles in an interview with KTLA-TV.
"Well, I've had a few health issues since I left the mansion, and so fertility has come
as like a big issue for me."
But her former housemate Kendra is sending her positive vibes for this wish to come true.
Kendra disclosed to E! News that if she could give Marquardt one gift, "I would give her
a baby.
I would send her wishes and prayers to have a baby."
Demanding women’s rights
While no announcements have been made regarding their next projects, Holly, Kendra, and Bridget
have been working behind the scenes, opening up about their personal experiences and using
their fame to do good.
Most recently, Kendra delivered an empowering speech at Amber Rose's SlutWalk in LA in October
2016.
She stated:
"They blame us, they shame us.
They don't want us to have the power [...] The real fight starts tomorrow.
The real fight when you face the double standards we're faced with everyday — the media, everywhere.
You've got to stand up to the media, your friends, your family.
Whoever victim shames, stand up to them."
Holly also recently took a public stand for women's rights, and the Daily Times reported
that she participated in Las Vegas' Women's March.
Looking forward
The Girls’ collective move away from the spotlight is most likely due to them finally
being able to settle down.
And with all of their past successes, it’s a well-deserved break from living in front
of the camera.
But it’s likely not the last we’ll see of The Girls Next Door.
While nothing's been explicitly announced from Holly and Bridget, they've still got
their ongoing creative and business projects.
Meanwhile, Kendra's fans are still hoping for the return of Kendra on Top.
And she recently teased on Twitter that she's been taking acting lessons.
So, we’ll probably be seeing Kendra on-screen somewhere soon enough.
All in all, despite not hearing much from these ladies in a while, let's hope there
are big things to come for The Girls Next Door...
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