{alltv} Hugh Hefner's aborted wedding becomes a TV special

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

{alltv} Hugh Hefner's aborted wedding becomes a TV special

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A week after being jilted by his 25 year-old fiancee, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is making the most of his new "runaway bride" theme.

Hefner, 85, said in a Twitter message that an aborted TV special about what would have been his third wedding has been revived with a new twist.

"The marriage special planned for Lifetime TV is now going to have a 'runaway bride' theme & will air in July," Hefner said in a Tweet late Tuesday.

"Holly & Kendra were here today lending their emotional support as we shot for the Lifetime TV special," he added, referring to two of his former girlfriends best known as the stars of reality TV show "The Girls Next Door".

A two-hour special featuring wedding highlights was due to air on the cable channel on July 13 but was initially canceled after fiancee Crystal Harris called off the June 18 wedding.

Lifetime could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Hefner has been keeping busy with former girlfriends and Playmates since being dumped a week before his third marriage.

He also ordered "runaway bride" stickers to be placed over Harris's picture on the cover of the July issue of Playboy and claimed he spent the night of what would have been his wedding watching the 1999 romantic comedy "Runaway Bride", starring Julia Roberts.

Hefner has allowed Harris to keep her $90,000 diamond engagement ring, and the Bentley car he had given her, his spokesman told celebrity magazine Us Weekly.

Harris, meanwhile, has returned Hefner's beloved Cavalier King Charles spaniel Charlie after taking the dog with her following their split.

"Crystal brought Charlie back because she thinks he's happier here & I appreciate it, because I really missed him," Hefner said on Twitter on Sunday.

The marriage would have been Hefner's third. Harris has since said she did not believe she was the only woman in Hefner's life and was irritated by his 9 p.m. curfew and long meetings with attorneys over a prenuptial contract.