LOS ANGELES—A report published Friday morning by TMZ that billionaire Hostess Brands heir Daren Metropoulos’ pending purchase of the Playboy Mansion was off turns out to have been “simply untrue,” according to a spokesperson for Metropoulos.
The Los Angeles Daily News reported later the same day that negotiations were still very much ongoing, quoting Metropoulous rep Hannah Arnold as saying, “Daren Metropoulos’ purchase of the Playboy Mansion is moving forward as planned. Gossip reports suggesting the deal has fallen through are simply untrue.”
The sticking point of the sale, TMZ noted, has been Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s insistence on remaining in the mansion for the rest of his life (Hefner is 90) without allowing Metropoulos the extensive access to the property he seeks during that time.
Metropoulos currently resides on the property next door to the mansion, which he purchased from Hefner in 2009 for $18 million and is believed to want to merge with the Playboy Mansion plot once Hefner is gone, according to the Daily News.
Stated Arnold, “Concluding this complicated transaction is clearly in the interest of the sellers as well as Mr. Metropoulos, who has worked to respect Mr. Hefner’s wishes in this unusual situation, as both a neighbor and friend, and continues to look forward to serving as the next steward of this iconic property.”
