Holly shares why she was afraid to leave the mansion. Bridget remembers seeing Hef pull Holly's hair.

A&E's 10-part Docuseries "Secrets of Playboy," which aired on Monday, began with a 2-hour premiere. The second hour focused on the "Girls Next Door."

Holly Madison, who had only appeared briefly in the premiere episode, dominated the second one. She explained why she felt "getting into Playboy was a dangerous decision" over the long-term.

Holly, Hugh Hefner’s main girlfriend, has spoken out about the events she witnessed in the Playboy Mansion. Holly even published her own book, "Down the Rabbit Hole": Curious Adventures of a Former Playboy Bunny. It includes stories that she repeated or talked about more in the doc.

Madison said at the top the hour, "I feel like Hef was portrayed on 'Girls Next Door' as a kind grandpa but that is not how he really is." It would make me angry at how manipulative Hef was. Hef controlled every part of our lives."

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Madison told us that her ex had said that he struggled to connect with her, and she had recently been diagnosed as "not quite Neurotypical." Madison confirmed Holly's diagnosis with a doctor after her mother stated that Holly was Aspergers. She believes this played a role in her getting involved in the Playboy community. She said, "I've been looking back at everything and seeing it through that lens now" and added that she felt drawn to the spotlight as "that would be an easy way to connect to people," something she had struggled with previously.

Holly was introduced to Hefner's world through going to parties in her 20s. While she wasn't attracted to him physically, Holly said that she found him "very charming". Holly said that she liked the mansion's "cozy" and sorority atmosphere. She also thought she would get support if she joined his harem. After a night with Hef's girlfriends she returned to the house and went to bed. This was her first experience with Hef.

"There was no such thing as romance, seduction or any other kind of sexual activity. The room was dark and there was a huge screen of porn. The women were around him and he was lying in the middle. I have never had casual sex before. She suggested that maybe she wasn't ready for it. It was very robotic and mechanical. It was very gross to me that Hef didn’t want protection. It had such a heavy impact on me."

She felt "humiliated" that morning but she eventually moved into the mansion. She said that "the indoctrination begins almost immediately" and claimed that everyone in Hef’s inner circle only talked about Hef's "wonderful". Holly claims that she eventually became Hefner's main girlfriend, and that was when Hefner began pitting women against one another. She said he used her to "tool" other women and asked them why they weren't "more Holly-like." Madison added: "Then everyone hated me."

Sondra Theodore, one of Hefner’s ex-girlfriends in the late ‘70s, stated that this behavior was not unusual for him.

"When Hef was my girlfriend, every girl wanted to be in my shoes." She claimed that Hef would pit us against one another. "There was always a tiff with different girls. He could have his way if everyone was not sure of themselves.

She said that Charles Manson was her obsession, and the control and admiration he received from his women "family" also made her believe that he was obsessive.

"Holly and I bonded because Holly was very clear that I didn't want her position," Bridget Marquardt, "Girls Next Door", costar. "Some of the girls would love to have that position. They want to be free from all rules and still enjoy all the perks. Holly wanted a life that was free from all her girlfriends.

Holly stated that she believed she was in love at the time with Hefner. But, now, she sees it more like a "Stockholm Syndrome." Although she believes that he was manipulating the women around him, she said at the time that she "never blamed" him for the drama. She instead blamed the other women. She realized that "this was going on for years before my arrival."

Madison and Marquardt both recalled how cruel Hefner was to Holly, particularly after Holly got a shorter haircut. Madison claimed that Hefner "flipped on" her and said the cut made her appear "old, hard, and cheap." Bridget agreed with Madison, saying that Hefner was "very abrasive" in his words to Holly and adding that it made Madison feel "depressed".

"The drama between myself and the other ladies became so terrible. Imagine having sex in a room with women who hate you, and you know they all talk s--- about your," Holly described the atmosphere in the house. "There was a time when I felt very low and I didn't know what to do. I wanted to drown in the tub. It was like I was trapped in a cycle of misery."

Madison felt that being on "Girls Next Door", gave her the confidence boost she needed during those difficult times. Before the women discussed their contracts, she said that it gave her a sense of purpose.

"They made it very clear that they would not allow us to do it," Bridget said. Holly then explained that she initially hesitated to sign the contract because she felt it was "a contract for a relationship" with Hef since the show was about his girlfriends. Holly said that she felt "prostitute-ish" after signing the contract.

Hef suddenly appeared in front of me while I was in the shower. Hef opens the shower door and says, "Why aren’t you signing that contract?" "I need you to sign the contract!" Bridget agreed. Bridget said, "I signed the contract, weeping and soaking wet."

Bridget stated that Hef was "definitely very in need of Holly's attention" during their time at the mansion and she always wanted to be by his side.

"I recall that we went to this event aboard the Queen Mary. We got Hef to spend the night and we were so excited." She continued, saying that the girls wanted to run around on the boat in their pajamas. He said no, Holly couldn't come. She grabbed her hair. He pulled her hair, and she was leaning back. He would be alone in his bedroom if she wasn't there.

Madison explained why she didn't feel able to make an easy exit as a few of Hef’s closest friends appeared on the screen.

"I was afraid to leave the mansion when I lived there." She claimed that there was a constant fear in my head: "If I left, there was just a mountain of revenge porn just waiting for me to come out." Hef would take naked photos of these women, when they aren't thinking clearly, and you'd go out with him. It's so gross.

Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget ran off for the hills leaving Holly and Hef behind. She initially believed that things would improve if they were just the two of them. However, she stated that he "started getting more meaner" after that.

Bridget explained that Holly sent me all of these messages and they had an altercation downstairs at dinner. "And she stood up to leave and he said, "Quit being so a bitch," but not the C-word. She was done.

Holly stated that Hef was the only woman Holly could compare herself against, and she had no other women to help her. Holly decided that it was time to go.

"Playboy caused a lot of damage. Since I left, I have had many types of therapy. Holly said that, except for the animals at the zoo I don't miss anything," and then she defended her decision to publish a tell-all book.

"My book was not motivated by money, and it wasn't motivated to revenge. I knew he was somewhere he couldn't answer to anyone. She said it was only for me so I wouldn't be forced to live a lie that I had to constantly tell people things were great. "I love the fact that people are talking about power abuse and relationships inequalities. That is what I hope helps someone.

"A lot of people were very hostile to my story when I first came out with it," she said. She said that people want to make women in these situations villains, but she stated that before Hef, I had so much faith in myself and it was just destroyed." "I want people understand why I felt trapped and why I chose that place in the first instance."

Hef's inner circle wasn't all thrilled by the book.

Joel Berliner, Hef's long-time friend, said: "God loves Holly, I wish she has a beautiful life. But what she did in that book was an affront to Hef, and all that he stood for." Alyson Reynolds, Hef’s friend and photographer, said: "I don’t know why she would want to write a book such as that."

Hef made his own statement regarding the publication of the book.

He said that he had been in many romantic relationships with women over the course of his life. Many went on to lead happy, productive, healthy lives. I am proud to say that many of them are still close friends today. Unfortunately, there are some who want to rewrite history to keep their place in the spotlight. As the old saying goes, "You can't win them all!"

Playboy released a long statement to E! in the wake of the docuseries. Playboy also stated that it was not Hugh Hefner’s Playboy today.

The company stated that it trusts and validates these women's stories and strongly supports those who share their experiences. "As a brand that values sex positivity, safety, security and accountability are fundamental to our business. We can only learn from our customers' experiences and actively listen to them.

Further, the statement noted that over 80 percent of its workforce are women. It also stated that it "will not be afraid to confront those parts of our heritage as a company that don't reflect our values today."

The statement concluded that "We are committed towards our continual evolution as a business and to driving positive changes for our communities."

Mondays are the new episodes of Secrets of Playboy on A&E.

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Title: Secrets of Playboy: Every Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt Bombshell In New Docuseries
Sourced From: toofab.com/2022/01/24/holly-madison-bridget-marquardt-hugh-hefner-secrets-of-playboy/
Published Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2022 04:00:06 +0000

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