Living in the Playboy Mansion wasn’t always champagne and caviar. Former Playmate and Hef’s #1 gal Holly Madison has written a book with revealing details about her time in the Mansion entitled Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny.
While Holly appeared bubbly and light-hearted during episodes of The Girls Next Door, the reality of life behind closed doors was the opposite.
“Life inside the notorious Mansion wasn’t a dream at all—and quickly became her nightmare,” according to the publisher. “After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.”
In the book, Holly also, “opens up about … the drugs, the sex, the abuse, the infamous parties, and her real behind-the-scenes life with Bridget, Kendra, and, of course, Mr. Playboy himself.”
Here is the official book overview from the publisher:
The shocking, never-before-told story of the bizarre world inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and, finally, the secret truth about the man who holds the key—from one of the few people who truly knows: Hef’s former #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door
A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice’s journey into Wonderland, after Holly plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show for four years—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Life inside the notorious Mansion wasn’t a dream at all—and quickly became her nightmare. After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.
But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.
In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the Mansion, the drugs, the sex, the abuse, the infamous parties, and her real behind-the-scenes life with Bridget, Kendra, and, of course, Mr. Playboy himself.
With great courage, Holly shares the details of her subsequent troubled relationship, landing her own successful television series, and the hard work of healing, including her turn on Dancing with the Stars. A cautionary tale and a celebration of personal empowerment, Down the Rabbit Hole reminds us of the importance of fighting for our dreams—and finding the life we deserve.
Despite the struggles Holly faced during her time as Hef’s girlfriend, she’s optimistic about revealing such harsh details.
“I’m excited to finally share my story and what I’ve learned from my personal experiences both inside and outside of the Playboy Mansion,” Holly told Us Weekly. “I think my stories will surprise people and I’m looking forward to lifting the veil of mystique and clearing up the misconceptions so often associated with my life.”
Are you surprised to hear life in the Mansion wasn’t all it was cracked up to be?
Holly’s memoir Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny will be on sale June 23.
PHOTO: WENN
