A 12-part television documentary series,
Secrets of Playboy, debuted on
A&E January 24, 2022, in which Hefner's former male and female employees and partners made claims of systematic sexual misconduct and manipulation, recreational and
manipulative drug use,
peer pressure,
sextortion, blackmail, rape, forced and violent
anal sex,
sexual assault without
consent and/or while victims were in a state of drug-induced stupor or unconsciousness,
spying, videotaping without consent, and illegal sex with minors by Hefner and his celebrity friends and guests at the Playboy Mansion and other locations.[95] The
PLBY group, now publicly owned, distanced itself from Hefner in a statement released shortly before the first episode was broadcast, saying, "Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy. We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those individuals who have come forward to share their experiences.