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Kendra: The Real Reason I Turned Down Playboy

Get the truth behind the reality TV star's decision not to pose again for the men's magazine

By Marc Malkin Oct 27, 2010 6:55 PMTags
Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, CEG TCA PartyGregg DeGuire/PictureGroup via AP IMAGES

You might have seen the tabloid speculation that our pal Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett has turned down an offer to pose in Playboy for the fifth time because she was concerned about her weight.

That's bogus.

Kendra tells us the real story…

In short, the magazine came calling while the E! reality star (new season premieres Nov. 7) and football player hubby Hank Baskett were living in Philadelphia. At the time, Kendra said she wanted to pose again to prove to people that she was still sexy—that moms can still be sexy.

The 25-year-old mommy of one hired a photographer to take some test shots. Hank didn't found out about it until he came home that afternoon to find his wife posing in the living room in some rather skimpy attire.

"He didn't yell at me," Kendra says. "He wasn't mad at me for doing that photo shoot. He actually sat down with me and he went over the reasons of doing it. And you know, my reasons weren't right. I wanted to do Playboy for the wrong reasons. The wrong reasons are to prove people wrong, not to prove it to myself but to people and to put my middle finger up to everybody and be like, 'I'm going to do Playboy!' But that wasn't the right reason, you know?"

Kendra insists she's feeling really good about herself these days. She's moved back to the L.A. area with baby Hank Jr. while daddy Hank is off in Minnesota playing for the Vikings. They're looking to buy a house and settle down on the West Coast. "I feel sexy again," she says. "No joke, every person I have run across is  like 'Oh, my god! You look so skinny!' I'm like, 'Oh, my god, really?' Like that's crazy! I haven't even had a chance to work out!"

And Kendra even showed off her C-section scar for the photographer: "I was like, 'C-section scar, bitches!' You know, I don't care. I can make fun of myself. I don't really care. At the end of the day I'm not some supermodel. I'm me. I'm Kendra, you know? I'm not trying to be someone I'm not."