Former Playboy Bunny warns young women about Hollywood’s ‘cult-like’ mentality

Holly Madison quickly discovered that beneath Hollywood’s glitz and glamour lurked a much darker reality.

The former Playboy Bunny is returning as the host of Investigation Discovery’s true-crime series, “Lethally Blonde,” which explores real cases where beauty and fame collide with murder and scandal.

The “Girls Next Door” alum told Fox News Digital she wants viewers — especially wide-eyed hopefuls bound for Los Angeles — to recognize the red flags hidden behind Hollywood’s allure.

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Holly Madison is the host of the true-crime series “Lethally Blonde,” which explores cases involving women whose dreams of fame, modeling or success took a dark and sometimes deadly turn. (ID)

“I felt pretty quickly when I moved to L.A. that Hollywood was an unsafe environment,” said the mother of two. “Being a 19-year-old from the middle of nowhere who just moved to LA, you would get people who approached you on the street and wanted to get you into escorting and things like that. [You’re thinking], ‘Oh my God, danger’s right around every corner.'”

Before becoming a household name through Playboy and “The Girls Next Door,” Holly Madison was an aspiring model trying to break into the entertainment industry.  (Ethan Miller/American Media/Getty Images for American Media)

“To me, when I went to the Playboy Mansion for a pool party, to me that seemed like a safe harbor,” she admitted. “Of course, once I got on the inside, it’s a lot more complicated than that. But I saw it as a safe harbor in the beginning because I heard so many crazy Hollywood stories. And you just meet people out on the street who you know have bad intentions. It can be a scary place.”

Holly Madison is seen with a parrot at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, 2006. (Hector Mata/AFP)

The 46-year-old, who grew up in Alaska and Oregon, dreamed of having a successful modeling career like Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson. After settling in Los Angeles, Madison moved into the Playboy Mansion when she was 21 years old.

WATCH: HOLLY MADISON REVEALS HOLLYWOOD DANGERS BEHIND THE GLAMOUR

“I think what probably surprised me [about Hollywood’s celebrity culture] was just how deep the cult mentality can be. I definitely was in the thick of it,” she explained.

After rising to fame through Playboy and “The Girls Next Door,” Holly Madison relocated to Las Vegas. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“Obviously, being a young girl from a small town, I knew what it felt like to look at anybody famous. They were really cool [and you had] stars in your eyes. But I think I was surprised to see how pervasive that mentality is, even among people who’d been in Hollywood for a number of years.”

Holly Madison is seen here at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California, on June 21, 2007. (Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)

“I think [I was] surprised by how deeply the cult-like mentality can form around one famous person or multiple famous people,” she noted.

Madison said that in the entertainment industry’s high-stakes world, people chasing their big break will do just about anything to succeed.

Season 2 of “Lethally Blonde” airs Mondays at 10 p.m. and streams on HBO Max. (ID)

“When I was in the Playboy world, I knew of a woman who had lied about her age to become a centerfold,” Madison said. 

“And before the centerfold was published, she did admit that she lied about her age, so the whole thing got scrapped. But I sometimes think when you’re that young person, you want the opportunity so badly, you can be willing to lie about your age. And inside, you feel like an adult, you feel like you can handle these things. Sometimes you can’t.”

Hugh Hefner is seated with Bridget Marquardt, Holly Madison and others at The Palms Casino Resort during Playboy’s 50th anniversary celebration. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“When I was young and first trying to get into the entertainment industry myself, you’d hear cautionary tales now and again, and some basic safety advice,” she reflected. “But I don’t think the power imbalance between older people in power and younger people who want to be in the industry can ever truly be clear to you until you are older yourself.”

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The TV personality shares two children with ex-husband Pasquale Rotella. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“You can be aware of it to a point when you’re young,” Madison stressed. “That’s why I think it’s important to share stories like these, so people, young women, can be aware.”

Madison was Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend from 2001 to 2008, despite a 53-year age gap. Hefner was known for having multiple girlfriends at the same time — at one point, as many as seven.

Television personality Holly Madison and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner appear together in Madison’s dressing room after Hefner attended the adult production “PEEPSHOW” starring Madison at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on July 18, 2009. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images for BASE Entertainment)

She previously alleged to Fox News Digital that as one of Hefner’s girlfriends, there were strict rules to follow, including maintaining a no-nonsense 9 p.m. curfew. Madison also claimed that all of Hefner’s girlfriends had to maintain a certain look, and they couldn’t date other men or have an apartment of their own.

Holly Madison (right) moved into the Playboy Mansion in 2001 at age 21 and went on to become Hugh Hefner’s longtime girlfriend. (Robert Mora/Getty Images)

Madison left the Playboy Mansion in 2008. Eight years later, she published the memoir “Down the Rabbit Hole,” in which she alleged she experienced years of verbal and emotional abuse while living there. She has also repeatedly described the mansion environment as “cult-like.”

Before he died in 2017 at age 91, Hefner accused Madison of rewriting history. Madison has continued to stand by her account.

On Nov. 4, 2005, Madison modeled a black Roberto Cavalli-designed Playboy Bunny costume at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas during the unveiling of Playboy’s reimagined Bunny uniform. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

Since leaving the Playboy Mansion, Madison has built a successful second act as an author and podcaster, sharing candid insights about Hollywood and her own experiences.

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Holly Madison is a longtime Nevada resident. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“I think it’s very difficult to reinvent yourself when you’ve come onto the scene with a property that’s so memorable,” she said. “And ‘Girls Next Door’ was very memorable, and Playboy’s very memorable. So it’s very hard to pivot and completely divorce yourself from that.”

Hugh Hefner is seen here with girlfriends Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt, and Holly Madison while filming Season 6 of “The Girls Next Door.” (Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)

“I went through a phase where I didn’t want to talk about anything from my past at all because I wanted to completely start fresh,” said Madison. “But I’ve just come to a place now where I just embrace it. I do what I want to do. And if other people want to think I’m only what I was in the past, that’s fine. I’m just going to do what I want to do. 

Holly Madison is a bestselling author, having published memoirs that detail her personal and professional journey. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“I would say my advice to anybody out there who wants to reinvent themselves is just go for it. Do what makes you happy. Be who you want to be. Don’t let the past be a chip on your shoulder. Think of it as other people’s problem.”

Madison urges any woman wanting to pursue show business not to make decisions too quickly.

Former Playboy Bunny Holly Madison rose to fame on the hit reality TV series “The Girls Next Door” about the Playboy Mansion. (Michael Bezjian/WireImage)

“Never be afraid to take time to read a contract,” she warned. “Take your time. Especially if you’re ambitious, there’s a feeling of, ‘I need to get it done now.’ I definitely thought that when I was younger, but it doesn’t hurt to take a breath. And there are so many ways you can break through these days. Through social media, there are so many ways you can create your own thing. So I would say to just take your time and follow what feels right for you.”

Holly Madison is seen here during Bunnie Xo’s “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic” book tour at The Palazzo Theatre at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas on Feb. 26, 2026. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

“I call it a high-stakes environment when you’re involved in some kind of [situation] where there’s a lot of competition, and maybe your looks and your youth could land you a lot of money or a good gig. 

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Holly Madison was the host and executive producer of Investigation Discovery’s “The Playboy Murders.” (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

“People can get really competitive. That brings out all kinds of jealousies and heightened emotions, which can play into these cases. There are also predators of all kinds in the industry. So there are a lot of warning signs. … Some of these worlds can be so seductive, you truly don’t see them.”

Looking back, there’s one thing Madison would have done differently.

“[I would have] taken more pictures and kept more receipts,” she said.