Bridget Marquardt Defends Jessica Biel’s Role in Playboy Movie
Holly Madison Weighs in on Jessica Biel’s ‘Playboy’ Movie Amid Criticism
Bridget Marquardt is playing nice.
After Hugh Hefner’s ex-wife Crystal Harris publicly implored Jessica Biel to step back from her role as the Playboy publisher’s wife in the upcoming film Playmates, The Girls Next Door alum defended the choice to take the part.
“Honestly, I don’t think Jessica probably even knows who she is and if she does—she might know now—but I don’t think Jessica should respond,” Marquardt said during an Oct. 16 appearance on the TMZ podcast. “I think they are looking for attention and I don’t think she should respond to it.”
Indeed, Biel has not yet responded to Harris’ Oct. 9 Instagram post, in which the 40-year-old—who was married to Hefner from 2012 to 2017—posted a screenshot of a direct message to Biel where she alleged abuse she suffered from the magazine founder. (E! News had previously reached out to Biel’s rep concerning the post but did not hear back.)
And when it comes to whether Biel should move forward with the project? Marquardt is ready to yell action, noting, “I think she should totally do the role, yeah.”
Biel’s casting as Hefner’s wife in the upcoming Playmates film—directed by Lorraine Nicholson and also starring Bill Pullman as Hefner—was announced earlier this month. And though the businessman was married to Harris, as well as Mildred Williams and Kimberley Conrad, the 7th Heaven alum’s character will be fictional.
For Marquardt, she doesn’t think Harris has a right to tell anyone not to tell the story.
“What bothers me is that somebody doesn’t want other people to tell their story,” she continued. “I don’t like that she doesn’t want Lorraine to tell her story or Jessica to be a part of it. I feel like everybody should be allowed to tell their story.”
Meanwhile, the former Playboy cover star, for her part, is excited about the upcoming Searchlight film, especially considering Nicholson—daughter to Jack Nicholson—spent a large part of her childhood at the Playboy mansion.
Photo by Michael Loccisano/WireImage
“I’m happy for Lorraine and I’m excited to see what she comes up with,” Marquardt mused. “I believe her time at the mansion was in the early to mid ‘90s and she was kind of a teen, pre-teen at that time.”
Marquardt—who lived at the mansion during the aughts—emphasized that the film was going to depict a truly unique time at the Playboy mansion.
“Hef was married with small kids,” she recalled. “I’ve heard that the lifestyle and everything at the mansion was totally different back then. So, I’m excited to see the movie. I hope that it’s true to her experience there and I would like to see a glimpse of what life was like back then and coming from her perspective.”
For a look at life inside the Playboy mansion, keep reading….
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Hefner had blackmail on those who lived in the house, according to numerous people:
In episode one, bunny mother PJ Masten alleges that Hefner had sex tapes of women as "collateral." His ex-girlfriend Sondra Theodore adds, "The thing is, he had tapes on everybody." Hefner's former security guard, Stefan Tetenbaum, says that it wasn't just sexual in nature: "Every place had microphones and little cameras... we had to be very careful because we knew we were being monitored." In episode 10, Miki Garcia and Theodore reveal that they were told in the case of Hefner's death, his executive secretary Mary O'Connor was instructed to "destroy" all sex tapes. Former executive assistant Lisa Loving Barrett says that she was told they were put in a barrel and thrown out to sea.
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Holly Madison doesn’t think she actually loved Hefner:
In the past, the bunny used to say she wanted to marry and have kids with Hefner, but she now says, "I think I definitely thought I was in love with Hef but it was very Stockholm Syndrome." Madison adds that she used to think everyone disliked her because they were jealous but later realized "Hef always pits the main girlfriend against the other girls." Theodore thought he did this intentionally, speculating, "If everyone's a little unsure of themselves, he can get his way."
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Holly alleges were pressured into getting plastic surgery:
Madison says that Hefner expected all the women to look a certain way, claiming, "The plastic surgery amongst the girlfriends in the mansion was compulsive, everybody was doing it with very few exceptions." According to numerous individuals, Hefner would tell the women they weren't "photogenic enough" and then pay for them to go under the knife. Madison later rebelled against Hefner by cutting her hair, which angered him, according to Madison and Marquardt.
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In 2008, Madison left after Hefner became “even meaner”:
According to Marquardt, Hefner was "pretty abrasive in the way he said things to Holly" and would berate her for her appearances. Eventually, Madison wanted to leave but she was "afraid" to, because he had "a mountain of revenge porn waiting to come out." She contemplated committing suicide but the Girls Next Door series "saved" her because she felt she had a "sense of purpose."
Victor Blackman/Daily Express/FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Playboy bunnies were targeted by club members:
Former security guard Jim Ellis and bunny mother PJ Masten claim that the women who worked at Playboy clubs were vulnerable to the club members, alleging that the women were often drugged and assaulted by men who frequented the clubs. In one 1978 incident, six Playboy bunnies were kidnapped, drugged and raped while held captive in New Jersey, according to The New York Times. Masten said at least 40 to 50 women were assaulted, but they were not allowed to report crimes to police or take victims to the hospital. Masten said she was a member of the "cleanup crew," who made sure assaults weren't shared with the public.
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Bobbie Arnstein and Adrienne Pollack were accused of trafficking drugs for Hugh Hefner:
The DEA and FBI were convinced that there was rampant drug use going on in the Playboy Mansion, so they targeted Hefner's secretary, Bobbie Arnstein. When the FBI arrested Arnstein, they found cocaine in her purse and tried to make her flip on Hefner. Playmate Adrienne Pollack had previously died of a drug overdose, but the authorities reopened the case after rumors surfaced that she and Arnstein were supplying drugs to the bunnies. According to the New York Times, Hefner said that the FBI was on a "witch hunt" and there is no truth to the rumors. Arnstein later committed suicide in January 1975, at which point the FBI's case went cold. Now, Hefner's ex Sondra Theodore claims that she was "a drug mule" for Hefner, saying in episode four, "Luckily, I had angels watching over me and I never got caught."
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Hefner’s sexual desires were fleeting and he always had to find “something naughtier,” according to Theodore:
The ex-girlfriend claims that their sex lives became increasingly wild and she once walked in on him having sex with their dog. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she says, adding that she never left him alone with their dog again. PJ Masten alleges that they made porn star Linda Lovelace perform oral sex on a German Shepard, which Theodore was also present for. Shortly after that, Theodore broke up with Hefner but she remains traumatized by the things she witnessed.
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Women were pressured into sleeping with Hefner if they wanted to be Playmate of the Year:
Madison recalls most of the women feeling pressured to sleep with Hefner if they wanted to be considered for Playmate of the Year, claiming, "Not every single one of them did, there were a few exceptions, but I think a lot of people felt like they had to."
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Hefner allegedly "pimped" bunnies out to VIPs who drugged them, the latter of which Miki Garcia testified about in front of Congress:
According to playboy Dona Speir, it was commonplace for the women to be hired to entertain the high rollers during events, claiming, "It was like they were pimping us out." Former playmate Christy Thom adds that it felt like they were "prostitutes." In 1985, Miki Garcia testified in front of the U.S. Commission on Pornography, claiming that "more than one" playmate participated in an international call-girl ring, according to The Chicago Tribune. In episode seven, Miki claims that women were being "coerced into terrible things" by Hefner and other Playboy staff, who "trapped" the models with "unfair" contracts.
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Holly Madison, Page Young and more claim Hugh Hefner was aware of assaults against playmates:
Hefner's former bodyguard Jim Ellis said that Bill Cosby's arrest wasn't a "surprise," claiming, "Everybody that worked at the mansion knew that he was basically a predator." Masten claims in episode eight that she told her boss but was warned that she'd lose her job if she told Hefner.
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Hugh Hefner had a romantic relationship with Dr. Mark Saginor:
Saginor's daughter Jennifer says in episode nine that Hefner was in love with his personal doctor, Mark Saginor, who was arrested on charges of assault (the charges were later dropped). "What I've realized over time is that their connection was much more than just best friends," Jennifer says. "It's my personal belief that the love of Hef's life was my father." Sondra Theodore also claims that Hefner and Saginor were "lovers."
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There were “shadow mansions” where women were drugged and assaulted:
Jennifer Saginor claims in episode nine that there were "shadow mansions" that emulated the Playboy mansion. And though Hefner settled down with wife Kimberly Conrad, the mini mansions continued to flourish, with Saginor claiming that the men would set up "fake photoshoots," where they'd promise aspiring models potential contracts. Saginor alleges that the nude photos and videos that were taken of the women were used to blackmail them into having sex with guests.
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