Bridget Marquardt (born Bridget Christina Sandmeier; 25 September 1973) is an American television personality, model, and actress. She is best known for her role on the reality television series The Girls Next Door, which depicts her life as one of Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner's girlfriends. Although not a Playboy Playmate, she has appeared in nude pictorials with her Girls Next Door costars and fellow Hefner girlfriends Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson.
Early life and education
Marquardt was born in Tillamook, Oregon after her family moved there from Lodi, California. Shortly after her birth, Marquardt's mother moved the family back to California, where Marquardt was raised. Her parents divorced when Marquardt was in the fifth grade. Her mother remarried, and Marquardt and her younger brother Edward moved to their stepfather's ranch, where they later gained a half-sister, Anastasia. Marquardt attended Galt High School for her freshman and sophomore years and then transferred to Lodi High School from which she graduated in 1990.
Marquardt graduated from San Joaquin Delta College with an Associate Degree. She matriculated to California State University, Sacramento and graduated in 1998 with a B.A. in communications and an emphasis on public relations. In 2001, she earned her Master's Degree in Communications from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She later took a graduate level course in broadcast journalism through UCLA Extension, which was depicted on the first season of The Girls Next Door, most notably when she had to walk out of her first Playboy shoot to attend her final exam.[episode needed].
On the advice of friends who suggested she pose for Playboy magazine, Marquardt sent a letter to Playboy inquiring how to become a Playmate, before enrolling at San Joaquin Delta College. In 1998 at the age of 25, Marquardt entered Playboy's Millennium Playmate search. In 2001, Marquardt moved to Los Angeles and did local modeling jobs and small acting roles. After unsuccessfully testing twice for Playboy, she was invited to the Playboy Mansion and soon became a regular there. In October 2002, after more than a year of visiting the Mansion, she was invited to move in and become one of Hefner's girlfriends.
Bridget at LA Direct Magazine's "Remember to Give" Holiday Party on 13 December 2007 in Hollywood.
Marquardt is featured on the E! TV show The Girls Next Door, and has appeared with Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson in three cover pictorials in Playboy magazine, the November 2005, September 2006 and March 2008 issues. She has appeared in several films, including the horror/comedy Kottentail in which she portrays a scientist doing genetic research on rabbits. She appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm as herself along with Madison and Hefner in 2005. She also appeared as herself along with Madison, Wilkinson and Hefner in the Entourage episode "Aquamansion". The episode's final act took place at the Playboy Mansion. She also appeared in The House Bunny with her fellow models and Hefner alongside Anna Faris.
Marquardt appeared in a 2002 episode of The Man Show in a search to find new juggies.
Marquardt appears as one of Hugh Hefner's playmates in the video game Playboy: The Mansion, which was released in January 2005. Marquardt appeared in an episode of Celebrity Paranormal Project which aired on 19 November 2006. She took an online paranormal course because of her interest in paranormal activity.
On 1 June 2007, Marquardt started her Bridget & Wednesday Friday Show on Sirius Radio's Playboy station. In August of that year, she, Madison and Wilkinson appeared in the music video for Nickelback song "Rockstar." Later that October, Marquardt appeared as a contestant on the Fox Reality cable show The Search for the Next Elvira. She was one of the final six out of 20 contestants.
In 2008, Marquardt appeared on an episode of NBC's Last Comic Standing along with Wilkinson and Madison in an episode in which the girls were told funny "bedtime stories" by the competing comics. In June of that year, Marquardt landed her own TV series, Bridget's Sexiest Beaches, which aired on the Travel Channel. Marquardt and the rest of the Girls Next Door appeared in a 1 July 2008 episode of NBC’s Celebrity Family Feud.
February 2009 marked Bridget's final appearance in Playboy, in a nude photo spread shot with Madison and Wilkinson that was touted as a farewell to the Girls Next Door. After leaving Playboy Marquardt hosted Bridget's Sexiest Beaches, a TV series on Travel Channel, which debuted 12 March 2009, and ended after one season.
In April 2010, Marquardt announced plans for her own reality show. The pilot will shoot in April and will cover her life after the Playboy Mansion, and her current relationship. Bridget stated that on Twitter "I shot a pilot for a reality show that E! has been sitting on for a few months". In March 2011 Bridget announced on her Twitter that E! has decided to not pick up her reality show but stated that she is looking forward to other opportunities.
In the 17 September 2007 issue of Star magazine, Marquardt stated that she was married, but separated and had been living in the Playboy mansion since October 2002. According to the interview, her husband supported her move to Los Angeles, that they remained friends, and that they were in the process of divorcing. On 25 September 2008, Bridget told E! News, "I married my best friend when I was 23, but when I realized I wanted to move to LA to follow my dreams, we separated and eventually divorced." In a December 2008 interview, Marquardt stated that she was single, and in early January 2009, it was reported that Marquardt had moved out of the Playboy Mansion to "become her own person."
In late 2008, Marquardt began dating director Nicholas Carpenter. They live together in a house Marquardt purchased in Sherman Oaks.
As seen on various episodes of The Girls Next Door, Marquardt has a Pekingese dog named Wednesday, or "Wennie", and a black Persian cat named Gizmo.
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