Secrets of Playboy

Hugh Hefner sold himself as a champion of free speech who created the Playboy brand to set off a sexual revolution that would liberate men and women alike, but over the years he used Playboy to manipulate women to compete for his favor and silenced whistleblowers.

In the 2000s, Hugh Hefner reinvented himself and his brand through the runaway success of the reality show “Girls Next Door,” starring his girlfriends. The series made mansion life seem like a fairytale, but Holly and Bridget reveal the reality.

Playboy hired the most attractive women in the world by promising an environment where they would always be protected, but outside of the Playboy Mansion, the Bunnies faced dangers and abuses that were covered up by the Playboy “cleanup crew.”

Thousands of women across the nation vied for the chance to become a Playmate, but only 12 were chosen for the reality competition "Who Wants to Be a Playboy Centerfold?" The two-hour prime-time special aired on Fox in 2002, bringing together aspiring Playmates in typical house reality show fashion. Photo shoots at the Playboy Mansion and a nude centerfold layout culminated in eliminations and, ultimately, a winner, whose prize was to become the Playmate of the Month. Contestants share what the show was truly like, how the experience changed them, and how being associated with Playboy fulfilled dreams and also caused heartache.

After a divorce in the late 90s, Hugh Hefner became a bachelor again, and the era of the seven girlfriends emerged. For some, being one of the seven girlfriends was a highly coveted position that was as much a job as it was a relationship. Hef's girlfriends were not only supported by him, but they were used to publicly promote the Playboy brand during lavish events and club outings. But being a girlfriend was not all glitz and glam. The inner-drama that ensued among the girlfriends played out on the public stage.

In 1977 Playboy introduced pictorials featuring often barely-legal college women. Playboy went to university campuses across the country and hosted auditions for female students to pose and represent their school. While some of these women jumped at the chance to audition, others protested the magazine's presence on campus. For those that were selected, the choice to pose for Playboy sometimes resulted in unanticipated, far reaching consequences, in their personal lives and their careers.