'You Gave Me My Life:' Former Playboy Cover Girls Mourn the Death of Hugh Hefner

As the death of Hugh Hefner shakes the world, the so-called "Playmates" are sharing moving tributes to the Playboy mogul.

Model, actress and animal rights activist Pamela Anderson posted to her Instagram account a video of her weeping for the 91-year-old Hefner who died at his mansion in Los Angeles on September 27. The 1990s sex symbol, who graced the cover of Playboy a record-breaking 14 times, accompanied the video with an eye-watering message addressed to the iconic publisher.

"I am me because of you. You taught me everything important about freedom and respect… You gave me my life…" Pamela wrote.

In her post, the Baywatch star also mentioned that Hefner had troubles with his back, almost lost his hearing and moved with great difficulty, but didn't want others to see him like that.

Kim Kardashian West and Paris Hilton paid their tributes and spent much of Wednesday night sharing memories of Hefner.

​One of the original five supermodels, Cindy Crawford, also shared a post dedicated to the Playboy founder. She posed nude twice for the magazine in July and October 1988 and was ranked fifth on Playboy's list of the 100 sexiest stars of the 20th century.

Many ladies noted how much their life had changed after Hefner made them part of the Playboy "family." Jenny McCarthy, an American actress, model, television host, author and screenwriter, began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year.

​Just a year after Playboy chose Donna D'Errico as its Playmate of the Month for September 1995, the model became another Baywatch actress, along with Pam Anderson.

​Shane and Sia Barbi, popularly known as The Barbi Twins, featured the cover of Playboy on the September 1991 issue, which broke records by selling out in less than two weeks.

​Other Playmates mourning the death of Hugh Hefner include Joanna Krupa, who appeared twice on the cover of Playboy; Aubrey O'Day aka the Playboy cover girl for the March 2009 issue; Heidi Montag, who graced the magazine cover in September 2009; Miriam Gonzalez, Playboy model of the Month for March 2001, and July 2015 Playmate Kayla Rae Reid.