Life Inside the Playboy Mansion: Fear and Manipulation

Holly Madison, a former Playboy bunny, has shared her experiences of living in the Playboy mansion and dating its founder, Hugh Hefner. She described her time there as far from enjoyable, filled with fear and manipulation. Madison was in her 20s when she moved into the mansion in 2001, while Hefner was in his 70s. She stayed until 2008. Her fears were not just about staying in the mansion but also about leaving it. She saw other women face tough times after leaving, which made her cautious. Madison was not allowed to work outside the mansion, but she knew she needed to build a career for herself. She feared the emotional impact of leaving the mansion and wanted to be prepared. She compared her experience to being in a cult, similar to Scientology. Everyone around Hefner saw him as infallible, and any criticism, even mild, was not tolerated. Madison felt she was treated like a suppressive person, a term used in Scientology for those who go against the church. Madison also revealed her discomfort with group activities in the bedroom with Hefner. She found it disgusting and made her feelings known. Other women in the mansion also did not enjoy these activities. They saw it as a chore they had to endure to avoid being kicked out. Madison's time in the Playboy world was marked by fear and a sense of being trapped. She felt she was manipulated by Hefner, who was a master at controlling people. She struggled with connecting with others and fell into a pattern of dependence on Hefner. Madison is now hosting "The Playboy Murders, " a show that delves into the tragic stories of people in the Playboy world. She hopes to shed light on the darker side of the Playboy empire. The show airs on Mondays at 9 p. m. on ID and streams on Max.