Former reality television star Kendra Wilkinson has publicly announced she is undertaking an 'alcohol detox', following a wave of online trolling directed at her appearance. The 40-year-old, best known for her role on The Girls Next Door, shared the news with her followers via Instagram Stories on Thursday.
From Playboy Party to Personal Detox
In a candid car selfie, a fresh-faced Wilkinson wore a simple black top and smiled for the camera. She accompanied the image with a direct message: "Rise and grind. Please respect my alcohol detox people." She added a firm instruction to her friends and followers to support her decision.
This personal health move follows a period where Wilkinson has been targeted by critics commenting on her fashion sense as she transitions from her Playboy past to a new career in real estate. Last year, she spoke openly to People magazine about her history with alcohol and depression during her time at the Playboy Mansion. "I struggled with depression before and at the mansion. I drank a lot," she admitted, clarifying her motivations for living there. "I was there for the partying... I was not there for Hugh Hefner to be my boyfriend."
Building a New Life in Real Estate
Wilkinson's day was far from quiet despite her detox announcement. She later posted a clip from a 2025 entertainment industry conference before heading to conduct a real estate showing in Sherman Oaks, California. The star, who obtained her real estate licence in 2020, has fully embraced her new profession, joining high-profile agency The Agency, founded by fellow reality star Mauricio Umansky.
Her career shift was the focus of her Discovery+ docuseries, Kendra Sells Hollywood, which aired for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. In an Instagram post last October, she reflected on her evolution, posing in a conservative blouse and trousers in front of a Sotheby's sign. "I know I don't have the best dress sense," she wrote, addressing the trolls directly. She expressed pride in her new path, stating she had just opened escrow on a Venice Beach property and was "pouring myself into this business."
Overcoming Public Scrutiny and Personal Challenges
Wilkinson first rose to fame at just 18, becoming one of Hugh Hefner's live-in girlfriends featured on The Girls Next Door. The show, which documented life inside the Playboy Mansion alongside Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, ran for six seasons from 2005 to 2010. She lived at the iconic estate from 2004 until 2009.
Now a mother-of-two, she shares son Hank IV, 15, and daughter Alijah, 11, with ex-husband Hank Baskett. Despite their divorce in 2018 after nine years of marriage, Wilkinson has referred to those years as the "happiest days of my entire life" and praised Baskett as an amazing father. Her journey from a teenage Playboy fixture to a focused businesswoman and parent underscores the significant personal transformation she continues to navigate, both in private and in the public eye.
