Kendra Wilkinson has responded to online critics who say she has “aged poorly” since leaving Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion, addressing the comments head-on in a candid social media post.
The former model and reality TV star — known for appearances on The Girls Next Door and Kendra on Top in the 2000s — said she’s choosing to accept her appearance as she enters her 40s.
Wilkinson first found fame at 19 after Playboy founder Hefner reportedly spotted a photo of her that came through a fax machine. Not long after, she appeared as one of the event’s “painted girls” at his 78th birthday party, wearing only body paint.
Her rise was rapid: she became one of Hefner’s girlfriends and soon landed an E! reality series. After five years at the mansion, she left when she began a relationship with Philadelphia Eagles player Hank Baskett and moved on to her own spin-off show, Kendra.
In 2009, she welcomed her first child — an experience she has previously said was followed by post-partum depression and weight gain, reaching 10 stone.
Speaking to E! at the time, she described how hard it was to see the change in herself: “I looked in the mirror one day and was really depressed.”
Since then, Wilkinson’s life has shifted significantly, including having a second child, earning a realtor’s license, and going through a divorce — developments that she says have reshaped how she views herself and other people’s opinions.
In a caption shared alongside an Instagram selfie on Sunday, March 8, Wilkinson wrote: “I used to use a light filter on myself but now I’m just embracing myself as it is.
“I’ve seen many people comment saying I’ve aged ‘poorly’ and that is ok. I’m ok with aging ‘poorly.’”
She continued: “For some reason I’m happier than I’ve ever been lately even with a little weight gain and wrinkles and I’m not going to tie my happiness again into the negative energy.”
Wilkinson said the change in outlook has influenced how she carries herself day to day, adding: “I am a balanced, single, positive, fun woman who loves life and i hope that i can manage this feeling forever now after working hard to get here to this place.”
She also reflected on how early fame shaped her, and how her priorities have shifted over time: “I was verrrry young when i started tv and lived a crazy chaotic 20 years of impressing others but now it’s about ME.
“Giving back to ME. Even with less money and Way less fame.”
Wilkinson emphasized that her current focus is centered on family and a more grounded career path: “I’m now a realtor and a mom of a 16 and a 11 yr old. Watching them grow has been my [ultimate] happiness over everything else.
“I’m so beyond grateful for today! Love ya!! Happy Women’s day!!”