Hundreds of former Bunnies, staff and ex-girlfriends sign an open letter, in which they state that the Playboy founder was 'a person of upstanding character, exceptional kindness and dedication to free thought.'
- Feb 3, 2022
AceShowbiz - Hugh Hefner has received outpouring support from over 500 former Playboy employees, Playmates, Bunnies and ex-girlfriends. Hundreds of people have defended the Playboy founder amid the "unfounded" misconduct allegations on "Secrets of Playboy".
"We sign our names to support Hugh M. Hefner. From all we know of Hef, he was a person of upstanding character, exceptional kindness, and dedication to free thought," an open letter, which was obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, February 1, stated. "He demonstrated a commitment to living an honest life beyond everything else."
The statement went on to read, "Our time within Hugh Hefner's Playboy and the organization's subsidiaries remains a period all of us are fond of." The letter concluded, "I proudly sign this letter in recognition of Hugh Hefner's character amid unfounded allegations in the A&E show."
Several of the women who signed the letter also issued personal statements about the claims on the docuseries, including Kimberly Hefner, Renee "Sloan" Baio, Barbara Hedden and Joy Jamieson. "All people should be encouraged to share their individual experience in this world, but no one should be emboldened to re-write the truth at the expense of another person's character," wrote Kimberly, who was married to Hugh for 21 years from 1989 to 2010.
"What the allegers who speak out now seem to ignore is that there were many of us throughout the years who were there with them as well," Kimberly went on to add. "I'm saddened, mostly, that these accounts take light away from true victims of sexual abuse, and hope that in time those selling lies to defame Hef find peace within their own lives."
As for Renee, she blasted Holly Madison's claims. "I was there as Holly had just moved in right before me. I was there when she was moving her belongings into Hef's bedroom. Holly craved and eagerly longed to be the #1 girlfriend." Holly alleged that Hugh mistreated her during their 7 years of dating.
Also signing the letter was Barbara, a Bunny at the Playboy Clubs from 1972 to 1974 and a mansion regular throughout the '70s and '80s. "I met Hef several times and hung out at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. All who were in his inner circle knew Hef had no expectations of anyone," Barbara wrote.
The open letter wasn't the first time that Hugh's friends and those from his past have come to his defense. His son, Cooper Hefner, previously spoke out in support of his late father ahead of the docuseries' premiere.
On January 23, Cooper tweeted, "Some may not approve of the life my Dad chose, but my father was not a liar." Cooper then praised his dad, "However unconventional, he was sincere in his approach and lived honestly."
"He was generous in nature and cared deeply for people," Cooper gushed. Continuing to defend his father, Cooper added that "these salacious stories are a case study of regret becoming revenge."
Meanwhile, the current leadership of Playboy issued a statement before "Secrets of Playboy" premiered. The note slammed the late founder's alleged "abhorrent actions" and detailed a commitment to "positive change" under new leadership.
"First and foremost, we want to say: we trust and validate women and their stories, and we strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences," the statement read. "As a brand with sex-positivity at its core, we believe safety, security and accountability are paramount, and anything less is inexcusable."
