Playboy returns to its roots after woke rebrand featured a Lizzo centerfold, transgender Playmate and NO nudity

Playboy is going back to basics following a woke rebrand that almost tanked the iconic brand for good. Not only has Playboy brought back its print magazine after a five-year hiatus, it's also reversed its prior ban on nudity after nixing its signature T&A spreads during the #MeToo movement. Beauty influencer Lori Harvey serves as the magazine's comeback cover girl, while glamorous Guess model Gillian Nation appears in a fully nude centerfold to celebrate being crowned the 2025 Playmate of the Year.

Playboy's return to racy content and traditional beauty standards is a far cry from where the publication was just a few years ago. In 2017, just one month after the death of Playboy's founder and editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner, the magazine featured its first transgender Playmate with French model Ines Rau gracing the pages. Discussing the bold decision to include transgender women in Playboy after 64 years of biological females, Hefner's son Cooper, then 26, said at the time, 'It's the right thing to do. We're at a moment where gender roles are evolving.'.

Cooper eventually left the company in 2019 and an editorial team of two women and a gay man, all under the age of 32, took over the magazine with a mission to make Playboy more progressive. 'Today, we strive to be more inclusive, stretching and redefining tired and frankly sexist definitions of beauty, arousal and eroticism,' the team announced. Playboy magazine is back with nude pictorials, edgy articles and stunning cover models after a woke rebrand failed to take off. Lori Harvey is pictured on 2025 cover.

Playboy previously pushed for 'inclusivity', adding celebrity pictorials with the likes of Lizzo (pictured) and featuring woke political activists in its pages. Nudity was officially canceled and celebrity pictorials included stars like Lizzo and non-binary pop star Halsey. Playboy Bunnies were retitled to 'brand ambassadors,' while Playmates were referred to as the 'September Playmate' instead of 'Miss September' to make things less gendered.

The magazine also started featuring male models, with influencer Bretman Rock becoming Playboy's first ever gay male cover star, while actor Ezra Miller, who identifies as both transgender and non-binary, posed for a 'queer' pictorial before suffering from mental health issues and multiple arrests. One Playboy cover featured three activists - including one who used performance art to raise awareness about the H.I.V. epidemic - posing naked underwater.

'The water is meant to represent gender and sexual fluidity,' executive editor Shane Singh proudly told the New York Times. The same issue featured a profile on politician Pete Buttigieg, who would go on to make history as the first openly gay Cabinet secretary under Joe Biden. They also conducted an interview with #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke and LGBTQ activist Sam Brinton - who was fired from the Biden administration after being charged with grand larceny.

Non-binary pop star Halsey was one of the last major celebrities to grace the woke Playboy before the magazine was pulled. Gay male influencer Bretman Rock (left) and transgender model Ines Rau (right) both appeared in Playboy. The influencer, who is gay and non-binary, promoted his issue on social media at the time. A launch party for Playboy's progressive rebrand in 2019 included a drag queen and disgraced Joe Biden staffer Sam Brinton (far left).

Pictorials were shot largely by women or gay men, and intimacy coordinators were added to photoshoots. To promote the woke rebrand, Playboy held an event in West Hollywood featuring discussions on topics like feminism and conversion therapy. As many predicted, Playboy's new direction was a dud, and the print magazine ceased publication within a year. Now Playboy is in the midst of making a major comeback, with a focus on returning to its raunchy roots.

Instead of transgender Playmates, the magazine's first print issue in five years features American model Gillian Nation in a fully nude spread. Lori Harvey covers Playboy's comeback issue with a stunning photoshoot and accompanying article that dubs her 'America's hottest nepo baby'. Instead of transgender Playmates, the magazine's first print issue in five years features American model Gillian Nation in a fully nude spread.

The 27-year-old was born and raised in rural Montana, and her pictorial was shot outdoors on a farm with a cowgirl theme to reflect her upbringing. Instead of preaching her political views in the accompanying interview, Nation discussed being homeschooled and shared her love of masculine men. 'I like a masculine guy. I'm very feminine, so I appreciate the contrast,' she said. 'And I like someone who is funny. If a guy can make me laugh I'm immediately more attracted to him. Also, kindness, charisma, and confidence.'.