The costume was valued at $10 million, which is the figure Playboy gave out, and the woman wearing it says she had no idea she was in the running. On 8 February 2025, at Playboy’s Super Bowl weekend party in New Orleans, Gillian Nation walked in wearing a diamond-studded bunny outfit and was introduced as the magazine’s 2025 Playmate of the Year. Hours earlier she had been, by her own account, one of the last people to find out.
The contrast is the story. Nation grew up on a remote Montana farm, was homeschooled and rode horses, and says she got into modelling by accident after a hometown friend pushed her to send photos to an agency. Playboy’s own pictorial leaned on that background, shooting her at a ranch in Simi Valley, California. The title came with the magazine’s return to print after five years.
This profile uses independent reporting where it exists and says plainly where a fact comes only from Playboy or from Nation herself. A note on category: Belloria found no adult-film credits for Gillian Nation. She is covered here as a Playboy Playmate and model, not as an adult-film performer, and the piece contains no explicit description and no links to paid platforms.
Source note: Belloria could not open Playboy.com or Instagram directly. Playboy’s statements are relayed through Fox News Digital, OutKick, The Spun, International Business Times, DesignRush and Playboy’s PR Newswire release. Facts that come only from Playboy or from Nation’s own interviews are labelled. Aggregator and celebrity-bio sites, which conflict with each other and cite no sources, are flagged or left out.
Who Is Gillian Nation?
Gillian Nation is an American model based in Los Angeles who was named Playboy’s 2025 Playmate of the Year in February 2025. Playboy said she was discovered during its nationwide Bunny search, and described her as bringing a mix of small-town charm and Hollywood glamour to the brand. Her selection coincided with the magazine’s first print issue in five years, which carried Lori Harvey on the cover.
How Old Is Gillian Nation?
Sources conflict on Gillian Nation's birth date, so Belloria does not state an age. Several outlets called her 27 in February 2025, which would imply a 1997 or 1998 birth, while aggregator sites list 5 October 1995 or 5 October 1996.
Early Life and Background
Nation was raised on a remote farm in Montana and homeschooled, according to Playboy and Fox News Digital. Playboy’s creative director said in a statement that she grew up riding horses, and that this became the foundation of her pictorial. In a 2019 Maxim interview, Nation herself said she had been horseback riding and playing piano for about 15 years.
Aggregator sites disagree on her birth date (5 October 1995 in one, 1996 in another) and give no sources. Independent outlets gave her age as 27 in February 2025, which fits neither date, so Belloria does not state one. No independent reporting on her family or schooling beyond the homeschooling turned up.
Career
Getting into modelling
In Maxim’s November 2019 interview, Nation said she got into modelling by accident: a friend from back home convinced her to send pictures to an agency, and everything started from there. By then, Maxim reported, she had landed covers of Treats and Playboy Mexico. That is her own account, and Belloria could not independently date the start of her career. One aggregator says she began modelling at 19, which is unconfirmed.
Commercial work
Playboy’s announcement said she has worked with brands including Guess and CoverGirl. OutKick and The Spun repeated the claim, so it is not independently verified. In her Fox News Digital interview Nation said she works with brands that already lean on a glamorous look, naming Guess, and that she had been wary of being typecast.
The 2025 Playmate of the Year title
Playboy announced Nation as its 2025 Playmate of the Year on 8 February 2025, at an exclusive party it threw in New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend. The magazine said she was discovered during its nationwide Bunny search. Nation told International Business Times and Fox News Digital she had no clue she was being considered, and that nobody gave her details beforehand.
For the party she wore a diamond-encrusted bunny costume designed by Kali Hawk of H.CROWNE. The $10 million valuation comes from Playboy and was repeated by outlets including Fox News Digital and OutKick. Belloria found no independent appraisal. She also wore a dress inspired by the June 1979 cover of Monique St. Pierre, an earlier Playmate of the Year (Fox News Digital).
The pictorial and her decision to pose
Nation told Fox News Digital she was hesitant at first to appear nude because she did not want to be typecast. She said a mood board built around her Montana home, horses and ranch life, which resembled one she had made the previous summer, persuaded her. The shoot took place at a ranch in Simi Valley. She said she felt comfortable and that the day felt liberating. These are her own statements.
Asked about OnlyFans, she said anyone can post a naked photo and that she saw Playboy as more selective because its history is attached to the brand. Belloria found no independent reporting of a subscription-platform account for her.
Judge for the Great Playmate Search
In August 2025, Page Six and Complex reported that Nation would be one of the former Playboy models judging The Great Playmate Search, Playboy’s digital contest to find a Playmate for the Spring 2026 issue. Playboy’s 15 September 2025 press release again named her on the panel, alongside Shanna Moakler, Daphnée Duplaix, Summer Altice and Brande Roderick. Complex’s December 2025 report on the winner, however, listed the judging panel as the four other former Playmates and did not name Nation. The sources conflict, so Belloria cannot confirm whether she took part in the final judging.
Major Work and Notable Projects
- 2025 Playmate of the Year (Playboy): announced 8 February 2025 at the Super Bowl weekend party in New Orleans, with a pictorial in the relaunched print magazine (Fox News Digital, Playboy statements).
- Magazine covers: Treats and Playboy Mexico, as reported by Maxim in 2019. Belloria did not verify the issue dates.
- Brand work: Guess and CoverGirl, per Playboy’s announcement.
- Great Playmate Search panel (2025): named by Playboy’s press release and Page Six, but absent from Complex’s December 2025 panel list.
Current Projects and Latest Updates
Nation’s most recent confirmed milestone remains the 2025 Playmate of the Year title and its aftermath. Playboy later crowned a successor: Mahina Florence was named 2026 Playmate of the Year, a story Belloria covers in its own profile. The Great Playmate Search that Nation was announced to judge ended in December 2025 with Lauren Summer as winner.
Belloria found no independently reported new projects, campaigns or announcements for Gillian Nation from March to October 2026. A retail listing for a 2026 Playmate calendar says she appears on its cover, but that comes from a seller page and was not confirmed by Playboy in sources Belloria could open.
Social Media Stats
| X (Twitter) | IAFD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| @gillian_nation | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | Not applicable (no adult-film credits found) |
| Current count not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | Not applicable |
The only independent follower figure is The Spun’s February 2025 report of about 206,000 Instagram followers, shortly after her selection. Aggregator sites claim more than one million, which Belloria treats as unreliable because they conflict with that report and cite no source. One aggregator lists an X account, which Belloria did not verify. Social media figures are approximate and may change.
Personal Life
Nation keeps most of her private life out of the press. In her February 2025 Fox News Digital interview she said her parents were proud of the pictorial and that her boyfriend’s family, who she said are conservative churchgoers in Georgia, reacted warmly. She said that outside modelling she plays piano and keeps a journal. Belloria does not name a partner or repeat relationship claims from aggregator sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gillian Nation an adult-film performer?
Belloria found no adult-film credits for her. She is a model and Playboy Playmate. In a Fox News Digital interview she said she chose Playboy over subscription platforms such as OnlyFans.
How did Gillian Nation become Playmate of the Year?
Playboy said she was discovered during its nationwide Bunny search and named her Playmate of the Year at its Super Bowl weekend party in New Orleans on 8 February 2025. She told Fox News Digital she had no idea she was being considered.
Where is Gillian Nation from?
Playboy and Fox News Digital say she grew up on a remote farm in Montana and was homeschooled. She now lives in Los Angeles.
What was the $10 million bunny costume?
A diamond-encrusted Playboy Bunny costume designed by Kali Hawk of H.CROWNE, which Nation wore at the New Orleans party. Playboy gave the $10 million value, and Belloria found no independent appraisal.
Which brands has Gillian Nation worked with?
Playboy’s announcement names Guess and CoverGirl. Outlets repeated the claim, so it is not independently verified.
Was Gillian Nation a judge on the Great Playmate Search?
Playboy’s September 2025 press release and Page Six named her on the panel, but Complex’s December 2025 report on the winner listed four other former Playmates. Belloria cannot confirm whether she judged the final.
Who succeeded Gillian Nation as Playmate of the Year?
Mahina Florence was named Playboy’s 2026 Playmate of the Year.
How many Instagram followers does Gillian Nation have?
There is no current verified figure. The Spun reported about 206,000 in February 2025. Aggregator claims of over one million are unsourced.
What is Gillian Nation’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure. One aggregator estimates $2 million to $3 million without a stated method, and Belloria does not treat it as fact.
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