Sondra Theodore (1981): Playboy
‘Monster’ Hugh Hefner’s Ex-Girlfriend Claims ‘He Groomed Us All’ Amid Sex Drugging Accusations
Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend has claimed he ‘groomed’ the women who worked for him amid revelations about the billion-dollar empire made in an upcoming documentary.
Hugh Hefner and friends 1970s
Hefner’s former girlfriend, Sondra Theodore, shared her insights in a trailer for Secrets of Playboy; an A&E documentary that promises to unravel ‘the glamourous mythology behind the Playboy empire created over several decades’.
The series includes interviews with the ‘Bunny Mother’ PJ Masten, Hefner’s ex-girlfriends, and former Playmates Rebekka Armstrong, Susie Krabacher, Dona Spier and Tylyn John, as well as archival footage of the publisher with Anna Nicole Smith, Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy.
A new trailer exclusive to E! News sees Masten claim there was ‘a secret world’ behind Playboy, saying it was ‘all about powerful men preying on beautiful young women’.
Meanwhile, Theodore alleges the empire was ‘a manipulation from the beginning’, adding, ‘[Hefner] groomed us all.’
Interviewees recall instances of women being drugged, asked if they liked ‘snuff films’ and being ‘passed around to Hefner’s friends’, with Theodore describing Hefner as a ‘monster’ with ‘the things he got turned on by’.
Playboy ‘VIPs’ are accused of having ‘assaulted and raped young women’, while Hefner himself is described as a ‘predator’ who ‘ruined women’s lives’.
Responding to the accusations in a statement, Playboy told E! News:
We trust and validate women and their stories and strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences in this documentary. As a brand with sex positivity at its core, we believe safety, security, and accountability are paramount.
After nearly 70 years in business, there are many elements of Playboy’s long history of which we are immensely proud, and there are elements we find unworthy of our principles. Today, we strive to live up to the positive aspects of our legacy, and are proud of the work we have done in recent years to stand for freedom and equality while advancing our mission of pleasure for all. The Hefner family is no longer associated with Playboy.
The newly-released clips from the show come after earlier accusations emerged in a previous trailer, in which Theodore alleged Quaaludes, a powerful sedative, ‘were used for sex’.
Hefner’s former girlfriend claimed men knew that the drugs were ‘such a seduction’ that they could ‘get girls to just about anything they wanted’, while Hefner’s former executive assistant described them as ‘leg-spreaders’. Hefner said to be one of a few people involved in the business to have a prescription to the drug to help ‘feed the machine’.
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Patti McGuire & Sondra Theodore
Patti McGuire & Sondra Theodore