Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend Sondra Theodore is coming forward with shocking allegations about the Playboy founder.
The magazine empire is being explored in a 10-part A&E docuseries premiering on Monday titled “Secrets of Playboy.” The special will feature new interviews with the former Playmate, along with numerous members of Hefner’s staff and inner circle. Hefner died in 2017 at age 91.
In response to the docuseries, a spokesperson for Playboy issued a statement.
“Today’s Playboy is not Hugh Hefner’s Playboy,” the statement began. “We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those 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.”
“The most important thing we can do right now is actively listen and learn from their experiences,” it continued. “We will never be afraid to confront the parts of our legacy as a company that do not reflect our values today.”
“As an organization with a more than 80% female workforce, we are committed to our ongoing evolution as a company and to driving positive change for our communities,” the statement concluded.
Theodore talked to a reporter about why she’s speaking out now, what it was like meeting Hefner at 19, as well as what compelled her to finally leave the Playboy Mansion.
Sondra answered, “I had been trying to come forward with my story, along with former Playmate Miki Garcia, for the past 10 years. We were blocked at every turn. We had people who were interested, and then all of a sudden they weren’t interested. We were being shut down. We prayed for a woman like filmmaker Alex Dean to come along, a strong woman who was brave enough to take on Playboy and show us in the good light. We found that only a woman could really understand our stories.”
Sondra went on to say, “All of a sudden, she was in our lives. We thought, she’s here. So we decided to go ahead and do it. It was difficult for me, especially going back in the public eye. I’ve been living a really quiet life on a mountain. And I really liked it that way. But this was just too important. We had to do it. We had to get the story out.”
When how she met Hefner, she answered, “I was invited to go up to a party at his house with my high school best friend. I really didn’t have a concept of who he was. I told my mom, “I’m going to Howard Hughes’ house.” *laughs*. She goes, “He’s dead!” And I said, “Well, there’s this other guy with a HH in his name, it’s Hugh Hefner.” She immediately went, “Oh no, please don’t go up there.” I told her, “Don’t worry, I’m going with my friend and we’re coming back home together.” We wanted to check out what the party was all about. We ended up being introduced to him and he then took us on a tour of the property, just the two of us.”
“He was very, very charming. I’m a 19-year-old girl who went to LA to be an actress. I felt like my world was becoming wonderful and I was meeting my prince. He had all the smooth moves and knew exactly what to say. We went back to the house and we started dancing to a Barry White song called “Baby Blue.” By the end of the night, my nickname was Baby Blue. I was in love before the night was over.”
The reporter then asked, “How soon did you become an item and start dating?”
Sondra replied, “Right after that first night. But I didn’t move in right away. That took about six-eight months. He started introducing me as his girlfriend and I became a Playmate right away. Things just started snowballing, and before I knew it, I was there for over five years.”
“I worked really hard to become an actress. My phone had been ringing off the hook. I’d go from one job to another. My star was shining and then all of a sudden, my phone wasn’t ringing anymore. I mentioned it to Hef and he said, “You don’t need to work anymore.” I didn’t understand it. I remember he had security follow me. He said, “You’re my girlfriend, I get death threats and you could be a target.” Something in my gut told me this didn’t feel right.”
When we broke up, a publicist told me I was supposed to be in a movie with Mary Tyler Moore, which would have been a big career move, to play her daughter. But he wouldn’t let me. I also learned from an executive that a memo went out, saying that nobody was allowed to tell me of any work coming in. And if I didn’t have any money, I couldn’t leave. He kept me secluded and pretty much under his thumb.
Sondra went on to talk about how she was slowly groomed and it was almost a form of brainwashing.
“He broke me. He kept on and on about it. Finally, I made a deal that I would try it once and if I didn’t like it, he couldn’t make me do it anymore. You know, just leave me alone about it. Before then, every time he would ask, I would say, “Never, it’s never going to happen. It’s never going to be part of my world.”
“We started with just one girl. I’m not bisexual. I’m not gay. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I put that out there. It’s not something I would have ever pursued outside of being with him. But you have to understand, I fell in love with him. I was 19. He used to tell me things like, “We could be together forever if you did things that pleased me.” I didn’t have a prayer. The girls, we formed these incredible bonds. None of us were doing any of this outside of the mansion.”
“It was something that we just did for him. Why? Because we were young and stupid. That’s the bottom line. And then drugs were introduced, which made everything easier. But it was all playacting. How did I make sense of it? I didn’t. I buried it so deeply. I later realized how damaging it can be to a relationship in the end. I think any time you involve a third, fourth, fifth person in your relationship, things are going to get sticky. I would eat a worm or jump off a cliff than go into that situation ever again.”
