Hugh Hefner’s ex Holly Madison claims she was ‘afraid to leave’ Playboy mansion
American model and TV personality Holly Madison alleged she experienced Stockholm syndrome during her relationship with Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who passed away in 2017 at age 91.
According to Fox News, the claim was made on Monday night during the premiere of A&E’s docuseries “Secrets of Playboy.” The 10-episode show debuted with a two-hour premiere that features an exclusive new interview with the former Playboy Bunny.
Madison, who dated Hefner from 2001 to 2008, claimed she was afraid to leave the Playboy Mansion out of fear of repercussions, specifically a “mountain of revenge porn” that the late publisher allegedly had in his possession.
“When I lived at the mansion, I was afraid to leave. Something that was always lingering in the back of my mind, I think since the very beginning, was that, if I left, there was just this mountain of revenge porn just waiting to come out,” Madison claimed, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly.
She continued, “When you would go out with Hef, he’s taking all kinds of naked pictures of these women, when we’re wasted out of our minds, and he would print out like eight copies for him and all the women. He would pass them around. It’s just gross.”
According to the outlet, Madison said she “definitely thought I was in love with Hef” during their relationship. However, she insisted that those feelings were rooted in “Stockholm syndrome.”
“Stockholm syndrome is when somebody starts to identify with somebody who is their captor in some way. And I feel like I did that with Hef 100%. Like, I never blamed him for any of the drama that went on, I always blamed it on the other women, you know?” Madison explained.
She further shared, “Hef was innocent in my eyes. And then later, one of the girls was telling me how Hef always pits the main girlfriend against the other girls. That situation was going on for years since I came along.”
In response to the doc, a spokesperson for Playboy issued a statement to Fox News.
“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 statement began.
It continued, “The most important thing we can do right now is to actively listen and learn from their experiences. We will never be afraid to confront the parts of our legacy as a company that does not reflect our values today.”
“As an organization with a more than 80% female workforce, we are committed to our ongoing evolution as a company and to driving positive change for our communities,” the statement concluded, as per Fox News. (ANI)