Kendra Leigh Wilkinson (born June 12, 1985) is an American model and television personality best known as one of the three live-in girlfriends of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. She is a co-star of the E! reality television series The Girls Next Door, which follows the lives of Hefner's current girlfriends. Wilkinson lives in her own room in Hefner's mansion with her dogs, Rascal and Martini. In 2006, she appeared in the Playboy Special Editions Sexy 100.

Biography

Early life

Wilkinson was born in San Diego, the older of two children. Her mother, Patti, was originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and had been a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles. Her father walked out on her family when Wilkinson was four. Wilkinson grew up in Clairemont, a middle-class community in central San Diego, and attended Clairemont High School, graduating in 2003. She played softball for six years with Clairemont Bobby Sox.[1] Her family resides in San Diego. Kendra had a high school sweetheart for which she dated all throughout high school named Jordan Rydzewski.

Career

Wilkinson met Hefner at his 78th birthday party in April 2004, where she had been hired to be one of the "painted girls": women who are completely nude except for painted-on accessories. Apparently he had seen her picture on a fax machine at the Playboy Mansion and wanted to know who she was. Shortly after they met, Hefner asked Kendra to be one of his girlfriends and he moved her into the Playboy Mansion.

Wilkinson has made several cameos on different programs such as Las Vegas, Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She also appeared in Akon's music video "Smack That." While on the set of the video, Eminem poured a bottle of water on her head, sparking an altercation. The incident was discussed on The Girls Next Door.[2] Kendra also showed her creative side as a rapper on MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar which debuted on August 30, 2007. Wilkinson rapped to Ludacris’ “Fantasy”, apparently in response to the question asked by the show's host, “Can Kendra move her mouth as fast as she moves her booty?”[3] She went on to take second place, losing to Shar Jackson on October 18, 2007.

Her stated career goal is to become a massage therapist or sports announcer. As of December 2005, she has become a regular "blogger" columnist at the website of the Philadelphia Eagles,[4] the team for which her mother had been a professional cheerleader.[5]

Wilkinson is coming out with her own clothing line, Kdub Clothing.

Kendra owns two dogs, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Rascal and a Jack Russell Terrier named Martini, as seen on The Girls Next Door. In 2007, she appeared in Nickelback's music video of "Rockstar", along with Girls Next Door co-stars, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt