



Down the Rabbit Hole
Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny
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4.3 • 130 Ratings
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
The real, untold, and unvarnished story of life inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and the man who holds the key—from the woman who was Hef’s #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door.
A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice in Wonderland after she plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.
But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.
In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the Mansion, the drugs, the sex and the infamous parties, as well as what her relationships with her Girls Next Door co-stars, Bridget and Kendra were really like. Holly talks candidly about a subsequent abusive relationship, her own successful television series, and the hard work of healing, including her turn on Dancing with the Stars. A cautionary tale and a celebration of personal empowerment, Down the Rabbit Hole reminds us of the importance of fighting for our dreams—and finding the life we deserve.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Far darker than its candy-pink cover suggests, Down the Rabbit Hole chronicles Holly Madison's time as Hugh Hefner's "number one girlfriend". Madison portrays Hefner as controlling and manipulative, and life at the Playboy Mansion as stiflingly scheduled—curfew at 9 p.m., sex on Wednesdays and Fridays. The experience stripped Madison of her self-worth and left her clinically depressed. More reflective than the typical celebrity memoir, the reality star’s account provides a fascinating, troubling look into the Playboy mythology and our cultural obsession with the female body.
Customer Reviews
Down the Rabbit Hole:
I used to love watching the 'Girl's Next Door’ so I was really interested in the behind the scenes exposure, as I had always wondered what really went on. I certainly wasn’t disappointed and having watched so many of the re-runs, I started noticing things myself. I was so relieved when Holly left the mansion in the book and not surprised by her attracting a similar situation. Her line about being a 'Stepford Wife’ is eerily spot on; who wouldn’t lose their own identity in that almost cult like situation. I’m glad I had the chance of the audible book as listening to holly read it was an added perk. Overall a good fan book.
MUST READ
The overall book was super enjoyable to read! It definitely wasn't what I was expecting but it's such a page turner and the quickest book I've ever read because I loved it so much and now a wee bit of a fan girl over holly x
Definitely recommend!
Truly an eye-opening book that shows you that things aren't always as they seem behind closed doors. Very inspiring in the way that if you're not happy, it's never too late to recreate your life as you had always imagined and to never give up on your goals! Towards the end of the book I was holding back tears from such an incredible story.