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Hugh Hefner’s as the face of Playboy has never been in question.
Having run the company from 1953 to his passing in 2017, Hugh’s influence shaped American media and beyond. What has been in question is the practices and means of obtaining such prominence. What happened within the walls of one of LA’s coveted and envied houses? The true answers are only going to come from two sources.
The house itself or the women who operated inside the Playboy Mansion.
Luckily, the latter is choosing to speak up.
A&E’s Secrets of Playboy is a docuseries that is taking a closer look into stories and events that happened at within Playboy. The women who were in Playboy Enterprises are going to talk about the many scandalous things occurred during their time there. Former playmates including Holly Madison and Sondra Theodore were featured in the two-episode premiere on January 24. Holly detailed her Stockholm Syndrome during her 7 years under Hugh’s wing.
A&E’s Secrets of Playboy – Holly Madison’s Conformity
Holly believes she and other playmates were constantly “gaslit”, and in hindsight, she feels the Playboy environment was cult-like. Madison also details Hugh’s controlling behavior. As one of his partners, Holly had a curfew of 9 P.M. She was recommended to not have friends over and she couldn’t leave the compound unless it was a family holiday. Madison even mentioned that she and other girlfriends were given a $1,000 allowance every week.
Sondra Theodore, and other members of the Playboy legacy, spoke about the rumored surveillance that the Playboy Mansion had equipped. They revealed that the house was bugged from top to bottom. Cameras and microphones were everywhere within the mansion, even on the bodies of the staff. Hugh was allegedly very meticulous about recording others. Supposedly, media members, stars and athletes were all in fear of getting blackmailed.
Sondra Theodore spoke about her shock when she saw herself on two screens in a bedroom. For which, Hugh Hefner had set up with cameras in the late ’70s to early ’80s. She also claims that when other people were invited into their bedroom, he would pretend to turn the cameras off at their request. But alas, a video tape of them would emerge a week later.
TMZ revealed, days prior to the premiere of the docuseries, Sondra Theodore even mentions Playboy’s “Pig Nights”. “Pig Nights” allegedly started with 2 pimps bringing in carloads of prostitutes from Sunset Blvd. to the mansion. Then would end up at a dinner party that really served as an appetizer for sex parties.
A day before the premiere of A&E’s Secrets of Playboy. One of Hugh’s four children untethered their silence on the matters that involved his late father.
Cooper Hefner, who left Playboy Enterprises in 2019, has nothing but respect for his father.
The reformed Playboy Enterprises, now named the PLBY Group, even penned an open letter to their team and community prior to the premiere.
They are distancing themselves from the likes of Hugh Hefner.
First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences. As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable.
Today, our organization is run by a workforce that is more than 80% female, and together we are building upon the aspects of our legacy that have made a positive impact, including serving as a platform for free expression and a convener of safe conversations on sex, inclusion and freedom.
We will continue to confront any parts of our legacy that do not reflect our values today, and to build upon the progress we have made as we evolve as a company so we can drive positive change for you and our communities.
“…today’s Playboy is not Hugh Hefner’s Playboy.”
That statement could not be more true.
Playboy’s redirection back in 2020 has brought them a resurgence since they ended the print version of the magazine that same year. The online-only magazine finds themselves in several markets now-a-days. Sexual wellness, style, apparel, gaming, lifestyle and beauty has been their focus. Lately, the brand has been in business with NFTs and just launched a OnlyFans-esque platform titled Centerfold. Having the ever rising star of Cardi B as your Creative Director in Residence, seems like the right choice for the sex positive brand.
The next episode of Secrets of Playboy airs on Monday January 31 on A&E. Who knows what else will be revealed in the next EIGHT EPISODES of the docuseries.
