Category: Women of Playboy Stories By Laura Diez

Marilyn Grabowski spent over 40 years as Playboy’s West Coast Photography Editor. Known as “Mo,” she was the woman who decided what was “sexy” for generations of Americans, discovering Pamela Anderson, Dorothy Stratten, and Anna Nicole Smith along the way. She formed friendships with women who came through her studio, and may have been the recipient of allegations about what went on at the Playboy Mansion. This is the complicated legacy of “Mo.” Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Youth 02:24 Photo Editor, Talent Scout 05:02 Artistic lens 06:21 Nose surgery 08:13 Pamela Anderson 10:08 Dorothy Stratten [See More…]

Mary O’Connor was Hugh Hefner’s secretary for over 40 years, and unofficially served as a “house mother” to the women of the Playboy Mansion throughout her time. We’re discussing Mary’s early life and career at Playboy, her presentation on Girls Next Door, and her role as confidante and friend to the women. Plus, the controversy: the allegations of what her job truly entailed, and where her ultimate loyalties lied. Could Mary have been truly a friend to the women that were vulnerable to a system that she was responsible for maintaining? Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:14 Early career [See More…]

Christie Hefner, Hugh Hefner’s daughter, served as President and CEO of Playboy Enterprises (and is the longest running female CEO of a publicly traded company!). We’re exploring her legacy and impact on how the brand continues to be remembered. She also made some interesting, diplomatic points through her few public statements, acknowledging the progressive workplace she was fostering internally, versus the negativity their product was associated with, culturally, and the life her father led. Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 00:52 Kimberley Conrad video update from Crystal Hefner 02:01 Family, Early Career 04:17 Business Decisions 06:26 Christie’s Playboy vs [See More…]

By popular demand, we’re visiting the story of Carrie Leigh: the 19-year-old model who became Hefner’s live-in girlfriend for five years… and then sued him for $35 million. Carrie Leigh was the first person on record to refer to the world of Playboy as a “cult.” We’re covering her rise in the public eye as “first lady of the Playboy Mansion,” and the palimony suit alleging she was promised marriage, children, a Malibu beach house, and an annual salary. Plus: the (suspected?) allegation against Carrie Leigh by Jennifer Saginor, author of Playground, that they had a romantic relationship while the [See More…]

We’re exploring the story of Kimberley Conrad – Playmate of the Year 1989, Hugh Hefner’s second wife, and maybe one of the most overlooked women in the entire Playboy story. We’re getting into all of it: her January 1988 centerfold, being named the 30th Playmate of the Year in 1989, the wedding that surprised the nation, and raising two kids inside the “family environment” of the Playboy Mansion. Plus, the 1998 separation and the prenup, the house literally next door, the stories of her surveillance, and one of the very few times she broke her silence — to defend Hugh [See More…]

Sondra Theodore was only 19 when she began dating Hugh Hefner (age 50) – and over five years, beginning in 1975, she experienced increasingly traumatic situations at the Playboy Mansion. She shares her stories on two episodes of A&E’s Secrets of Playboy docuseries: on season one, she details manipulation and coercion, referring to herself as a “mule” for Hugh Hefner; and on season two, she and her daughter recount family-oriented events at the Mansion that turned into her daughter seeking refuge there at the same age Sondra was when she moved in. You can find the podcast, Characters, here on [See More…]

Karen Christy was Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend in the 1970s in Chicago, before the final move for the Playboy brand to Los Angeles. This week on my podcast, Characters, I asked Holly Madison if there was anyone from Playboy history she’d like to still meet – Karen Christy was her response! You can find the podcast here on my channel or wherever you listen to podcasts. Find me on socials here: https://linktr.ee/literallylaurad Watch…Women of Playboy/Girls Next Door Laura Diez hosts guest conversations and shares stories and pop culture history…on SloppBoxx.Com.

Welcome to the Women of Playboy series! Starting off with “the blueprint,” the “queen bee,” Barbi Benton – Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend from 1969 – 1979, credited with finding the Los Angeles Playboy Mansion. We’ll speak about her early career, impact on the Playboy brand in the 70s, and career moves in the entertainment industry. Also, we are speaking extensively about her legendary Aspen, Colorado home, The Copper Palace, designed by architect Bart Prince. Plus, I’ll share my personal opinions on why Barbi may have never spoken negatively about Hugh Hefner and Playboy. Follow me on tiktok – https://www.tiktok.com/@UCHFFyn-TuvHxUPfv4fX2UYQ Time stamps: [See More…]