Hugh Hefner, who died aged 91 in 2017, built an empire on sexual fantasy, but RadarOnline.com can now reveal why life inside his infamous mansion was an “absolute horror” marked by ritualized s–, coercion and degradation that bore little resemblance to the glossy myth about his life the porn baron liked to share with the world.
Since Hefner’s death from a septic heart attack, women who lived at the Playboy mansion have increasingly spoken about what they say really happened behind closed doors.
Testimonies from the Secrets of a Playboy Docuseries
Hugh Hefner built a fantasy that insiders say hid a darker reality.
Their accounts, detailed in memoirs, podcasts and the recent docuseries Secrets of a Playboy, depict a controlled environment in which s– was routine, hygiene was poor and power rested almost entirely with Hefner.
One former insider said the reality of existence for Hefner’s “bunnies” amounted to “nauseating intercourse carried out to satisfy a slipper-clad perv,” adding the image he carefully sold to the public “collapsed the moment you lived it.”
Crystal Hefner, 39, Hefner’s third wife, described s– with him as a joyless process in her memoir Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself.
“This was a well-oiled and well-practiced sequence of events. One that went the same exact way every time,” she wrote.
“Picking some girls from the party and bringing them up. Changing into the uniform for the job: silk pajamas. The dimming of the lights. The music. The porn. Passing the pot. And then the s–.”
She added: “It was like Hef was just going through the motions of something that had once been fun and sexy. Or maybe it was never fun and sexy.”
Holly Madison and the Reality of the Playboy Mansion
Women said s– followed strict routines rather than romance.
Hef’s former girlfriend Holly Madison, 46, echoed that portrayal in her memoir Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny.
“When I think about it now, it’s almost comical,” she wrote.
“Every red-blooded American male has no doubt fantasized about what went on in Hugh Hefner’s bedroom with his harem of blonde bombshells. The answer? Not a whole lot.”
Madison has since spoken more bluntly.
Reflecting on group s– at the Playboy Mansion during an episode of the podcast Girls Next Level, she called it “hell.”
“He wouldn’t move,” she said. “He would be like a bump on the log in the middle of the bed. I can’t explain to you guys how embarrassing that whole routine was.”
Madison added: “You’re literally sitting there naked having s– in front of a group of people who hate you and talk s— about you while you’re having s–, and you can hear it. It was just, like, hell.”
Surveillance and Poor Hygiene Standards Under Hefner
Several women say refusing s– caused tension and punishment.
Bridget Marquardt, now 52, another former girlfriend of Hefner’s, said he meticulously tracked sexual access via a creepy journal.
“The black book kept track of a few different things,” she said. “It kept track of when somebody collected their allowance. He would mark it off so you couldn’t ask for it twice. It also kept track of who slept with him and when.”
She added refusing s– with Hef caused friction, recalling: “He’d be like, ‘Oh, you’ve been on your period for three weeks.'”
Other former staff described a disturbing lack of hygiene at the Playboy Mansion.
In Secrets of a Playboy, former valet Stefon Tetelbaum alleged: “I had to put on rubber gloves and pick up the dildos from the floor and put them in a special bucket.”
Crystal Hefner corroborated the seedy atmosphere, saying: “Everything was moldy and dusty, and it was just hoarder central in the mansion.”
Allegations of Abuse and Playboy’s Official Response
Survivors said abuse became normalized inside the mansion.
Beyond the squalor, the allegations grew darker.
There have also been claims of contracts signed under duress, drug use, threats of revenge porn, and sexual assault at the mansion.
A former associate of Hefner’s said the environment was “designed to normalize abuse until it felt inescapable.”
Playboy, now separate from the Hefner family, responded by acknowledging the testimonies.
“We trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences,” the company said.
“As a brand with s– positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable.”
