Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend of seven years and one of the most recognizable Playboy bunnies, has been slowly leaking information about her time at the Playboy Mansion over the years — especially since Hefner’s 2017 death. It’s complicated information to reckon with: Hefner and his iconic Playboy brand have always signified and oftentimes dictated American sexuality, giving men permission to ogle women and treat them like objects. Its legacy is a mixed one of propelling date rape culture and disenfranchising women, but also one that looked its nose down at prudishness and was celebrated for it. But Madison’s revelations allege what we always should have known: that beneath the bunny-patterned facade was a sick and sadistic environment for women, and Hefner got away with some terrible things.
