Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 16:52 03 Feb 2022 GMT
Hundreds of former Playboy employees and Playmates have thrown their support behind the late Hugh Hefner following allegations made against him in a new documentary.
A&E documentary Secrets of a Playboy aims to unravel "the glamorous mythology behind the Playboy empire created over several decades" by Hugh, who passed away in 2017.
The 10-part docuseries lifts the lid on the "dark underbelly" of Playboy and how its venues allegedly became a seedy playground for drug use, sexual abuse, and even bestiality.
Now, hundreds of former staff members, as well as Playmates, have spoken out in support of the late Playboy founder, writing an open letter, obtained by People Magazine.
"We sign our names to support Hugh M Hefner. From all we know of Hef, he was a person of upstanding character, exceptional kindness, and dedication to free thought," the letter states, per People.
"He demonstrated a commitment to living an honest life beyond everything else. Our time within Hugh Hefner's Playboy and the organization's subsidiaries remains a period all of us are fond of. I proudly sign this letter in recognition of Hugh Hefner's character amid unfounded allegations in the A&E show."
Ahead of the documentary's release, the PLBY Group, the company behind the magazine and its related properties, issued an open letter seeking to separate the current Playboy magazine from Hefner.
"First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the 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, and anything less is inexcusable," the open letter reads in part.
"As you know, the Hefner family is no longer associated with Playboy, and today’s Playboy is not Hugh Hefner’s Playboy."
The letter adds: "Please join us in doing the most important thing we can do right now — listen. It is critically important that we listen as these women share their stories and that we continue to fight harassment and discrimination in all its forms, support healing and education, redefine tired and sexist definitions of beauty and advocate for inclusivity across gender, sexuality, race, age, ability, and zip codes."
The series delves into the hidden truths behind Playboy with exclusive interviews with insiders, including Hefner's ex-girlfriends Holly Madison and Sondra Theodore, as well as former 'Bunny Mother' PJ Masten.
The documentary sees people who were once close to Hefner recall instances of women being drugged, asked if they liked "snuff films" and being "passed around to Hefner's friends".
Playboy "VIPs" are accused of having "assaulted and raped young women", while Hefner himself is described as a "predator" who "ruined women's lives".
