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4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

The Dark Reality Behind ‘The Girls Next Door,’ According to Holly Madison

Madison has said the hit E! reality show gave her more freedom, money, and opportunities before she eventually left Hugh Hefner.

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The Girls Next Door—a reality series about Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends living in the Playboy Mansion—was one of the most iconic pop culture moments to come out of the early 2000s. The girls appeared to be living the life, helping host events at the mansion, going out in Los Angeles with Hefner, and having the mansion staff at their disposal. However, beneath the glitz and glamor lay a very different reality for Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson.

Madison has been the most outspoken of her time with Hefner and living at the mansion, and from her accounts, there’s little to be desired. Madison resided in the mansion from 2001 until 2008, during which her depression reached its peak. The Playboy mogul had strict rules for his girlfriends, resulting in their having zero social lives outside the mansion in the early days. She held on to her hosting job at Hooters to maintain a connection with the outside world and have extra money for as long as she could.

Madison’s struggle with depression

In her book, Down the Rabbit Hole, Madison recounts wanting to end........

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