Hugh Hefner has been showered with tributes pouring in since the Playboy founder's death at 91 on Wednesday.
Hefner, who founded Playboy magazine in 1953, was credited with helping spur the sexual revolution a decade later with its centerfolds of naked women and controversial interviews, died at the Playboy Mansion, CNN reported.
At its peak in the 1970s, Playboy became synonymous with a lifestyle as the brand grew into merchandising, television shows, sponsoring events like jazz festivals and opening up a string of clubs.
Hefner was hailed with promoting civil rights and freedom of speech, but criticized by feminists, and others of reducing women to sexual objects, the BBC News said.
"My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom," said Cooper Hefner, chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises.
Stars went to social media to recognize Hefner.
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