Far from its reputation as a place of freedom, fun and endless parties, one woman who lived in the Playboy mansion from the age of 11 described it as a 'weird, f*cked up place'.
More than two years after the final print edition of Playboy was released, stories about what life was like living with Hugh Hefner in the infamous mansion continue to emerge, with the latest coming from the Channel 4 documentary, Secrets of Playboy.
The doc features comments from 51-year-old Jennifer Saginor, who was just 11 years old when she moved into the mansion where her dad, Mark Saginor, aka 'Dr Feelgood', worked as Hefner's former doctor.
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Saginor first saw the mansion when she was just six years old, and remembers at the time thinking it was a 'magical kingdom'.
Looking back, though, Saginor admitted: "It's taken me a long time to unravel what I experienced growing up and how I feel."
The 51-year-old recalled having a 'sense of loyalty to this inner circle' after being 'initiated' at a young age, saying: “I didn’t want to break that loyalty because I knew there would be serious consequences."
However, she noted: “It was such a weird f*cked up place. "
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Saginor said she viewed Hef as a father figure and said she had 'so many happy memories' with him, though claims things took a turn when she moved into her teenager years.
She recalled: "Hef would kiss with his mouth open in sort of a French kiss sort of way. I always thought it was strange that someone who was like my uncle would kiss like that – but my father told me that’s what people do when they love each other."
During her time in the mansion, Saginor realised the women were seen 'as commodities' and recalled being told by her father that she might 'gain weight in [her] hips'.
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"At a young age he’d go over our bodies with us – my sister and I," she said. "That was nerve-wracking because I don’t think either of us thought we measured up to what we thought was acceptable. I got my own surgery at 15. It’s just awful.”
Saginor remembered seeing women with 'naked with men all around them' and remembered thinking she 'never' wanted to be like them.
As she grew up, she found herself falling in love with one of Hefner's girlfriends and says she slept with her while underage. She claimed 'cameras everywhere' made clear that Hef knew what she had done, but that he 'didn't care'.
When she turned 17, she claims to have been called to Hefner's room where she found him and the girlfriend in bed.
“I feel like in that moment, Hefner crossed a boundary because he had always treated me like a daughter," she said.
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Saginor has opened up further about her experiences in a book titled Playground: A Childhood Lost Inside the Playboy Mansion.
In response to the Channel 4 documentary, a Playboy spokesperson said: “We trust and validate women and their stories and strongly support the individuals who have come forward to share their experiences in this documentary.
"After almost 70 years in business, there are many elements of Playboy’s long history which we are immensely proud and there are elements we find unworthy of our principles…
“We are proud of the work we have done in recent years to stand for freedom and equality while advancing our mission of pleasure for all.”
Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy /Channel 4Topics: Playboy, Hugh Hefner, TV and Film