Before all the fame, parties, and Playboy headlines, Hugh Hefner was just a young man in love. In 1949, long before he became the face of a global empire, he married his college sweetheart. That woman was Millie Williams—his first wife and the one who knew him before the spotlight ever hit.
While Hefner’s life would later be filled with models and mansions, their early relationship tells a quieter story. It was a different time, and that chapter in his life often gets overlooked.
Here’s what we know about Millie and the life she chose after stepping away from it all.
Who is Hugh Hefner’s First Wife, Millie Williams?
Millie, born Mildred Williams on March 10, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, is best remembered as the first wife of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. While Hefner built his name through bold headlines and a very public lifestyle, Millie chose a different route—one rooted in privacy and distance from the fame that followed their divorce.
There is no precise information on how and when they met; however, ABC News has mentioned them as childhood sweethearts who got married on June 15, 1949. Their marriage lasted for ten years, during which they welcomed two children—Christie, born in 1952, and David, born in 1955.
Christie would go on to play a major role in the Playboy business, eventually becoming its Chairperson and CEO. David, on the other hand, kept a low profile, channeling his energy into filmmaking and creative work far from the Playboy spotlight.
Their marriage wasn’t without its complications. Before the wedding, Millie admitted to an affair while Hefner was serving in the army—something he later described as the most devastating moment of his life.
Out of guilt, Millie gave him permission to be with other women during their marriage, hoping it might help them move forward. That decision, quiet at the time, would ultimately play a part in shaping the lifestyle Hefner embraced in the years to come.
Their marriage ended in 1959, quietly and without public drama. Despite the emotional toll, the separation was handled privately, and both moved on with their lives in different directions.
Millie’s Life After Divorce From Hefner
Following her split from Hugh Hefner in 1959, Millie moved on quietly. She remarried the following year, tying the knot with Edwin Gunn on April 10, 1960. During this second marriage, her children briefly took on the Gunn surname—a change that didn’t last. As they grew older and became more connected to their father’s legacy, Christie and David eventually reverted to the Hefner name.
However, Millie’s second marriage also ended in separation, and from that point forward, she faded even further from the public eye. Unlike Hugh, who became known for living under the constant glow of media attention, Millie kept her distance from fame. Details about her personal life after her second divorce—whether she remarried again, pursued a career, or remained single—are largely unknown.
Millie never sought the spotlight and has maintained a private, low-profile life ever since. At 98, she continues to live away from the noise and spectacle that once surrounded her, embodying a quiet contrast to the world her ex-husband helped create.
Where is Millie Williams Now?
Millie has kept her life entirely out of the spotlight for decades. There’s no public record of where she lives or what she’s doing today—and even her daughter Christie, who remains active in the public eye, hasn’t shared any updates about her.
Still, multiple trusted sources confirm that Millie is alive and well. At 99, she seems to have embraced a life of quiet privacy, far removed from the public world.
Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Hugh Hefner, passed away in 2017, leaving behind a legacy.
