Playboy Bombshells- What You Never Knew?

After Holly Madison, Sondra Theodore, Miki Garcia and others speak out about their alleged experiences at the (in)famous mansion.

A&E docuseries Secrets of Playboy premieres today. In it, countless experiences were shared by people who were close to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

The Playboy's mansion, where he threw celebrity parties and actually lived with his multiple girlfriends became famous very fast

It became every young boy's dream. For many girls, it was a nightmare. Also, it became an enormous influence on young men’s view of women as they became just pretty toys to play with.

Playmates Holly Madison and Sondra Theodore claim that awful things went on behind closed doors. Regardless of the fact that it all looked to be a place of limitless fun, enjoyment and satisfaction.

"The reason I think the mansion was very cult-like looking back on it is that we were all kind of gaslit and expected to think of Hef as like this really good guy," Madison now believes she was a victim of gaslighting and Stockholm Disorder from living in the famed mansion.

Many others shared their stories

Theodore, fellow Playmate Miki Garcia and more agreed to speak in the docu-series.

Hefner was not the guy everyone thought he was.

He blackmailed his housemates, as many of them alleged.

In the first episode bunny mother, PJ Masten said Hefner kept sex tapes of Playmates as "collateral." Sondra Theodore adds, Hef’s ex said "The thing is, he had taped everybody." Hefner's former security guard, Stefan Tetenbaum, says that it wasn't just sexual in nature: "Every place had microphones and little cameras... we had to be very careful because we knew we were being monitored."  Miki Garcia and Theodore reveal In episode 10, that in the case of Hefner's death, his executive secretary Mary O'Connor was instructed to "destroy" all sex tapes. Former executive assistant Lisa Loving Barrett said that the sex tapes were put in a barrel and thrown out to sea.

Plastic surgery was a must, Holly said

It was expected of the women to have a specific look. Hefner would say that the women were not "photogenic enough" and pay for their procedures. According to Madison and Marquardt, Madison later protested against Hugh by cutting her hair, which outraged him.

Marquardt admitted that Hefner was "pretty abrasive in the way he said things to Holly". He would verbally abuse her for her looks. Eventually, Madison wanted to escape even though she was "afraid" to because he had "a mountain of revenge porn waiting to come out." She was even suicidal. However, the Girls Next Door series "saved" her as it gave her a "sense of purpose."

Jim Ellis, who used to work as a security guard, and bunny mother PJ Masten claim that t Playboy bunnies were targeted by club members

Allegedly, the women were often drugged and assaulted by frequent visitors of the clubs and the mansion. In 1978 six women were kidnapped, drugged and raped. They were held captive in New Jersey, according to The New York Times. At least 40 to 50 women were assaulted, Masten said. They were not allowed to go to the hospital so the assaults would not be reported. Masten was a part of a "cleanup crew". Her job was to hide the crimes from the public.

Hugh Hefner was implicated in drug distribution with Bobbie Arnstein and Adrienne Pollack

The latter two were accused by the DEA and FBI.  The authorities were certain that Hefner's secretary, Bobbie Arnstein, was involved in massive drug consumption at the Playboy Mansion.  They went after her. When the FBI apprehended Arnstein, they found cocaine in her handbag and attempted to convince her to speak out against Hefner. Adrienne Pollack, a former playmate, overdosed and died. Consequently, the case was reopened after allegations emerged that both she and Arnstein were providing drugs to the bunnies.

New York Times published that, Hefner said the FBI was on a "witch hunt" and the rumours were all lies.

The FBI's case went cold after tragically died due to suicide in January 1975.

Recently Hefner's ex Sondra Theodore claimed in episode four that the was "a drug mule" for Hefner. "Luckily, I had angels watching over me and I never got caught," she said.

According to Theodore, Hefner's sexual preferences were changing all the time, because he always had to find and try "something naughtier."

She even walked in on him having sex with their dog

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she says, After that, she never left him alone in the room with the dog again.

PJ Masten alleges they forced Linda Lovelace, a porn star, to perform oral sex on a German Shepard. Theodore was also there and has confirmed Masten’s allegations. Traumatized by the things she saw and went through, Theodore left Hefner. But the trauma still remains.

Women were pressured into sleeping with Hefner if they wanted to be Playmate of the Year.

Hefner apparently "pimped" the women to VIPs who drugged them, according to Miki Garcia, who testified in front of the Congress

During parties and events, the women were routinely ordered and hired to entertain the big spenders, according to the source Donna Speir. She said: "It was like they were pimping us out."

They felt like "prostitutes," according to Christy Thom. As shown In the Chicago Tribune, Miki Garcia testified before the United States Commission on Pornography in 1985, stating that "more than one" of her playmates was caught up in an international call-girl ring. Miki reveals in episode seven that Hefner and other Playboy employees "coerced" women into doing "terrible things" by "trapping" them with "unfair" contracts.

Holly Madison, Page Young and others stated that Hugh Hefner knew about the assaults

Bill Cosby's arrest, according to Hefner's former security Jim Ellis, was not a "surprise," at all, as "everyone that worked at the mansion knew that he was basically a predator."

Masten said, in episode eight, she told her boss but was threatened she'd lose her job if she told Hefner. 

Hugh Hefner had a love affair with Dr Mark Saginor, his personal doctor. The doctor's daughter said in episode nine

"What I've realized over time is that their connection was much more than just best friends," Jennifer says. "It's my personal belief that the love of Hef's life was my father."

Sondra Theodore also claims that Hefner and Saginor were "lovers."

“Shadow mansions” were places where women were drugged and assaulted:

Even though Hefner settled down with his wife Kimberly Conrad, the mini-mansions continued to flourish, Saginor claimed that the men would set up "fake photoshoots," to take advantage of, and drug, assault and rape, potential Playboy bunnies. After that, the photos and videos were used to blackmail the women into having sex with guests.

"The Hefner family is no longer associated with Playboy, and today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy.

We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those 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. The most important thing we can do right now is actively listening to learn from their experiences. Today, our organization is run by a workforce that is more than 80% female and 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 our employees and our communities."  Playboy said, in a statement to E! News.

For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.