Who is Holly Madison, once Hugh Hefner’s ‘lead’ Playboy bunny girlfriend, and where is she now? The Girls Next Door alum just called out Hefner’s widow for copying her memoir writing style
Holly Madison is a not a happy bunny!
The former Playboy Playmate is feuding with Hugh Hefner’s widow Crystal Hefner over her new memoir, according to recent reports.
The two women both had romantic relationships with Hugh Hefner, but Madison – who penned several books about her experiences in the Playboy mansion – isn’t impressed with Crystal Hefner’s new book, saying she thinks she copied her writing style.
“Anybody who’s read my book that came out eight years ago and then read her book, tell me the narrative voice doesn’t sound exactly the same,” Madison said in a recent appearance on the LadyGang podcast. “Drives me up a wall.”
“I’m weirded out by it, especially since she had a ghostwriter,” Madison added. “Like, do your research and don’t copy.”
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Madison unleashed her memoir titled Down the Rabbit Hole in 2015, while Crystal’s book – Only Say Good Things – came out in January, per People.
So, who is Holly Madison exactly?
Holly Madison was Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend
Holly Madison dated Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner between 2001 and 2008 whilst living at his Playboy Mansion in LA, according to E! News, and was considered his “lead” or “No 1 girlfriend”. She was reportedly scouted to be a bunny after doing a stint at Hooters restaurant.
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She got into reality TV
After leaving the mansion, Madison got into the reality television game. According to her website, she spent five seasons starring on the E! hit television show, The Girls Next Door, and then enjoyed two seasons of her own spin-off series, Holly’s World.
In 2022, Madison dropped a bombshell in the Secrets of Playboy documentary, describing her intimate nights with Hefner as “very mechanical and robotic”, and saying: “I think I definitely thought I was in love with Hef but it was very Stockholm syndrome”.
She’s published more than one memoir
The former Playboy bunny has three books to her name. These include Down The Rabbit Hole, which debuted at No 1 on The New York Times Bestseller list (2015), The Showgirl Next Door: Holly Madison’s Las Vegas (2011), and The Vegas Diaries: Romance, Rolling the Dice, and the Road to Reinvention (2016).
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What happened to Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner?
Per E! News, Madison called off the relationship in 2008, years before Hefner’s death in 2017. “I tricked myself into thinking I had feelings for Hef,” she wrote in Down the Rabbit Hole. “He had this gentlemanly veneer, he was intelligent, and I loved watching old movies with him. I focused on the positive things, not the negative.”
As reported by E! News, Madison claimed she had suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, and that Hefner’s accusations of infidelity ultimately led to their split.
Who is Holly Madison’s ex-husband?
Madison was married to music entrepreneur Pasquale Rotella from 2013 to 2019. According to his profile, he is the founder and creator of the world’s largest dance music and experience company, Insomniac, and is also an experience creator, businessman, philanthropist and film producer.
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How many children does Holly Madison have?
- Madison, 44, who’s penned three books about her experience in the Playboy mansion, isn’t impressed with Crystal Hefner’s latest book, claiming she’s copied her writing style
- Once dubbed Hugh Hefner’s ‘No 1’ girlfriend, Madison then did five seasons of hit E! television show The Girls Next Door, and two seasons of her own spin-off series, Holly’s World