Holly Madison Reveals She Felt ‘Gaslit’ by Hugh Hefner in ‘Secrets of Playboy’ Documentary

Holly Madison detailed her relationship with the late Hugh Hefner in a sneak peek of the upcoming A&E documentary Secrets of Playboy, revealing she felt “gaslit” into believing the magazine publisher was a “really good guy.” 

Reminiscing on what she described as a “cult-like” environment in his sprawling Los Angeles mansion, Holly, 42, said it was “so easy to get isolated from the outside world” there.   

“You had a 9 o’clock curfew, you were encouraged to not have friends over, you weren’t really allowed to leave unless it was like a family holiday,” the Girls Next Door alum claimed. 

“The sex always happened kind of like the same time, the same night,” she alleged about their regimented late-night rendezvous. “We would go out to a club every Wednesday and Friday, and that would be expected when we got home.”  

Holly said she decided to keep her waitressing job, working just one day a week ​to balance out her lifestyle amid her relationship with Hugh, which spanned from 2001 to 2008. Hugh died at the age of 91 in September 2017. 

“I wanted just to have something easy to go back to should things not work out, and he said it made him jealous and he would appreciate it if I quit my job,” she explained about what it was like when they were still together. “So, instead, we were given $1,000 a week as an allowance.” 

The 10-part series will “help unravel the glamorous mythology created by the Playboy brand over several decades,” per its synopsis, including archival footage and exclusive interviews with insiders. 

In a previous statement to E! News, the magazine said, “We trust and validate women and their stories and strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences in this documentary. As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount.” 

“After nearly 70 years in business, there are many elements of Playboy’s long history of which we are immensely proud, and there are elements we find unworthy of our principles,” the statement concluded. “Today, we strive to live up to the positive aspects of our legacy and are proud of the work we have done in recent years to stand for freedom and equality while advancing our mission of pleasure for all. The Hefner family is no longer associated with Playboy.”