Playboy

The Playboy Mansion can still be yours, because TMZ has learned the impending sale has fallen through ... because the buyer demanded access that would disrupt Hugh Hefner's life.

The buyer was 32-year-old Daren Metropoulos, the son of a billionaire businessman, who has become a master at re-branding tired products, including Ghirardelli Chocolate and Bumble Bee tuna. We're told the purchase price was around $110 million.

The sticking point ... according to the deal, Hefner had the right to live out his life in the mansion before Metropoulos could do his thing ... restoring it and adding onto the structure. We're told Metropoulos wanted a significant amount of access during Hef's remaining years ... and Playboy felt he was being unreasonable.

The parties haggled for weeks ... sending several dozen versions of the deal back and fourth, to no avail. The deal officially fell apart Thursday night.

The Mansion is going back on the market Monday.

Dani Mathers -- the Playboy Playmate who took a picture of a naked woman in an L.A. gym -- has hired no less than the famous lawyer who got Michael Jackson acquitted ... and she has reason for worry.

We've learned Mathers hired Tom Mesereau, who not only got MJ off ... he won a murder acquittal for Robert Blake.

TMZ broke the story, the LAPD launched a criminal investigation after the gym where the photo was taken filed a police report. Mathers not only snapped the pic in the locker area, she shamed the woman by writing a snarky caption and posting it on social media.

Our LAPD sources say they are on the hunt for the victim and are working closely with LA Fitness execs, combing over surveillance video and checking member swipes during the time in question to ID the victim. And, we're told, they're close.

Our sources say the LAPD would like to present a criminal case to the L.A. City Attorney but need the cooperation of the victim.

Kendra Wilkinson is NOT standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow Playmate alum Dani Mathers -- in fact, she's going off on her for the despicable gym sauna pic.

We caught up with Kendra at LAX and she didn't mince words about the former Playmate of the Year. Check out the vid ... she's clearly pissed at Dani for mocking an unwitting woman.

She's also got beef with anyone trying to drag Playboy into Dani's mess.

Dani Mathers is now in the crosshairs of cops, because TMZ has learned there's now a criminal investigation over the pic she took in a gym locker room.

We found out the brass over at LA Fitness went to cops Friday and filed the report, accusing the former Playboy Playmate of egregiously violating a member's right of privacy by taking a pic of her while naked in the shower, and then humiliating her by posting the pic with a disgusting caption.

We're told the police investigation is based on a criminal law prohibiting the dissemination of private images.

The woman in the pic has not come forward ... the report lists "Jane Doe" as the victim.

Dani has already been punished ... we've learned Playboy has suspended her from all Playmate activities including her show on Playboy Radio.

On the criminal front Dani could get a big break ... if the victim never comes forward the case might well be dropped.

Dani Mathers is in full-on damage control mode ... firing off an apology to her fellow Playboy Playmates.

The 2015 Playmate of the Year sent the bunnies an apology for her "thoughtless and mean-spirited" Snapchat post that cost her a radio gig and her LA Fitness gym membership.

In the email, obtained by TMZ, Dani calls posting a photo of an unwitting woman in a gym sauna a mistake ... apologizing for "the negativity and hate that this has brought forward." She also says there's no excuse for her behavior and she's laying low.

She never explains WHY she's doing a mea culpa to the Playmates, but it's a good bet she's afraid Playboy might yank her title ... so she's throwing herself on the sword.

Dani Mathers is getting it from all ends for posting that photo of a woman in the gym sauna -- she's now out of a job and looking for a new gym too.

The 2015 Playmate of the Year has had a regular gig for years on the 'Heidi and Frank' radio show on L.A.'s KLOS -- but Friday morning they announced management is suspending Mathers indefinitely ... in the wake of the invasive Snapchat.

We've also learned Mathers has been banned from LA Fitness, and not just locally. A spokesperson tells us she "is not permitted back at any club, ever."

TMZ broke the story ... L.A. Fitness says it's already reported the incident to cops.

Dani Mathers is in a heap of trouble, because we've learned the cops are now involved over the photo she took of a naked woman in a gym shower.

We've learned LA Fitness has contacted the LAPD, after confirming Dani is indeed a member of the gym and the person who took the pic.

Dani posted the pic with the caption, "If I can't unsee this then you can't either."

A spokesperson for LA Fitness tells TMZ, "Her behavior is appalling and puts every member's privacy at risk. We have handled this internally and also notified the police."

The gym goes on to say cell phone usage and photography are prohibited in locker rooms, adding, "This is not only our rule it is just common decency."

Former Playmate of the Year Dani Mathers did a despicable thing -- posting a pic of a naked woman in the gym shower without her permission, and then got shamed herself ... into making a totally empty apology.

Mathers thought it'd be funny to mock the unwitting woman's body -- she captioned the pic, "If I can't unsee this then you can't either."

She got the appropriate backlash as the Internet immediately ripped the 33-23-31 sized model for ... 1. exposing the woman's privacy -- and 2. having the balls to criticize the woman's body.

Playboy's 2015 PMOY then made a video mea culpa, claiming it was an "accident" -- which makes next to no sense.

Playboy Playmate Kayla Collins is lucky to be alive today, after her car flipped multiple times on the streets of Hollywood.

Miss August 2008 was driving Sunday night when a car struck her Audi, sending it flying in the air and flipping 3 times.

Miraculously, Kayla did not suffer serious injuries.

She should do an Audi commercial.

Sophie Tweed-Simmons is willing to make the leap from lingerie model to nekkidness ... but it's gotta be artsy. We'll explain.

The 23-year-old spawn of Gene Simmons and former Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed told us the possibility of posing nude crossed her mind after her lingerie photos got so much attention.

She says it would have to be tasteful "with the best photog/director for a reason that serves the art and myself. I would never do porn." Translation: nothing as explicit as Penthouse.

Our modeling sources say Sophie's already met with Wilhelmina L.A., so she's on her way.

She says her end goal is Sports Illustrated, Maxim or Vogue -- and even though Playmates no longer bare all, Sophie's down to become only the 3rd mother-daughter Playboy centerfold duo.

Family Jewels, indeed.

Hugh Hefner's no rapist enabler ... so dragging his name into Bill Cosby's sexual assault case is ABSURD ... so claims Hef in new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

The Playboy magazine founder just asked the judge to dismiss him from Chloe Goins' lawsuit against Cosby, arguing the suit reeks of a desperate ploy to drum up publicity and force Cosby to settle.

Hefner goes on to say he's never been implicated in a single act of sexual impropriety against a woman.

Former Playboy playmates Karissa and Kristina Shannon have taken their sisterly bond to a new level.

The twins got close and sweaty this week during a desert photo shoot. They painted their naked bodies in 24 karat gold and posed in see-thru black bodysuits.

Sean Stewart's gf Daisy Lea is suffering severe memory loss ... is all we can assume since she went shopping in Bev Hills -- without a single stitch of underwear.

Maybe Daisy -- an extremely flexible Playboy Playmate -- was on her way to a photo shoot, but when she and Sean strolled out of Barneys her tiny wardrobe malfunctioned. Or maybe it functioned exactly as planned.

For the record ... Barneys sells underwear.

Hugh Hefner has sold the Playboy Mansion ... and turns out it's to the guy next door.

Hef's neighbor, Daren Metropoulos, is in escrow to purchase the property. No one's saying how much it's going for ... but we're told it's north of $100 mil.

Hef put his famed Holmby Hills estate on the market in January with a hefty $200 million price tag. The buyer also had to agree to let him live there for the rest of his life.

Daren, whose father is billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos, bought the property next door back in 2009 for $18 mil. We're told he's a huge fan of the neighborhood and intends on keeping the exterior of Hef's home the way it is now. The inside is super dated, and it will almost certainly be gutted and restored.

Daren's family used to own Pabst Brewing Company. He's a big L.A. party guy, so it's not hard to read between the lines ... the allure of the mansion and the parties will go on.

Jose Canseco's biggest contribution to humanity continues to astonish us ... his daughter, Josie, who's turning up the hotness once again ... this time with a semi-nude Playboy photo spread.

Ex-Playboy Playmate Ashley Mattingly called the police on a man she says angrily showed up at her home after a year of flooding her with calls and texts.

Ashley, Miss March 2011, tells TMZ ... a guy named Joey claimed to be a DJ and contacted her about doing a club appearance, which she ultimately turned down. Ashley claims Joey kept reaching out anyway -- and even left her a sterling silver Tiffany necklace on Easter.

But according to the police report filed by Ashley, and obtained by TMZ, he showed up at her Orange County home last month and took back the necklace. Ashley called police to report a "stalking," but Joey was gone by the time cops got there.

Ashley wanted the incident documented, but didn't want to press charges.

Joey admits taking back the necklace, but says he's no stalker. Police reviewed text messages and say they didn't see anything threatening.