I recently chatted with Holly Madison from E! Entertainment Network's hit television show, The Girls Next Door. This gorgeous girl next door grew up in rural Alaska before moving down to Los Angeles seven years ago. She began attending parties at The Playboy Mansion after one of Hugh Hefner's friends spotted her in a Hawaiian Tropics Modeling Contest. Over the years, she managed to transcend the infamous pack of seven blonde girlfriends that Hugh Hefner used to drape on his arm. As the herd thinned, she rose through the ranks to share his life and his bedroom. Hef calls her his #1 girlfriend and together they have evolved into what she says is a very real and very substantial relationship.
What makes their arrangement questionable, even to Holly, is the presence of two other young women in Hugh Hefner's life: girlfriend, Bridget Marquardt and girlfriend, Kendra Wilkinson. All three women, beautifully unique in their own way, share a romantic relationship with Hugh Hefner. Holly, Bridget and Kendra graced the cover of Playboy Magazine's November 2005 issue with a cover story entitled, "In Bed with The Girls Next Door," further adding to the intrigue of how they truly interact with one another behind closed doors. According to Holly, all three women are close friends and are enjoying the opportunities coming their way with the success from their show on E!. It may not make for a conventional home life, but it certainly makes for great television! The Girls Next Door takes a candid look inside The Playboy Mansion and the lives of Holly, Bridget, Kendra and The Man, himself. The show became E! Entertainment Network's top rated television series in its first season. The foursome just began shooting the second season of the hit show, this past week. This new season, to begin airing in August 2006, will ring in Hef's 80th birthday and Kendra's 21st birthday, and will follow them on a whirlwind trip through Europe.
Holly and I share some girl talk about her emergence as a bona fide television personality with the success of The Girls Next Door, Playboy Magazine's sometimes controversial image, life inside The Playboy Mansion, her love of animals (my kind of girl), and her position in Hugh Hefner's life, his heart and his empire.
PR.com (Allison Kugel): I just read that you begin filming the second season of The Girls Next Door this month.
Holly Madison: Yeah, we actually start on Wednesday. We have a lot of fun stuff planned for the next two and a half months; I'm really excited about it.
PR.com: It shoots for about two and a half months? That's the time period?
Holly Madison: Yup.
PR.com: What are you doing differently this season than you did for the first season of the show?
Holly Madison: We've got a lot of fun events coming up in the next two and a half months. I don't know exactly what's going to end up on the show because it is reality. You never know what's going to come up. We have Hef's 80th birthday coming up this weekend. So that's a really big celebration. We have a lot of things going on for that. We're going to Europe, to 6 different cities at the end of May. It's all of our girls' first time in Europe so we're really excited about it. We have Kendra's 21st birthday in June and we'll probably do something special for that, and maybe another pictorial.
PR.com: Are you excited about another pictorial?
Holly Madison: Yeah! Well I've heard rumors, so I'm not going to count on that, but… (Laughs)
PR.com: Was that something that you were ever expecting or anticipating to happen, before you were offered the first [Playboy] pictorial?
Holly Madison: I was never expecting to do a pictorial because Hef had, in the past, put a lot of his girlfriends in the magazine and he kind of thought of it as overkill and kind of a mistake. So he's like, "I'm not going to put any more girlfriends in the magazine." But when we started the show, of course, there was a different kind of interest in that. I was not expecting to do the pictorial at all. But I was excited because I had seen so many Playmates come in and do it over the years, and seen how much fun they have and how great their pictures turn out. Of course I've always wanted to do it. I just never thought I'd get a chance.
PR.com: And weren't you offered to do something for Playboy's website at one point?
Holly Madison: Oh, yeah. I did the Cyber Girl thing, but we didn't end up using it.
PR.com: I know that Bridget [Marquardt] had said that she wanted so badly to be in the magazine, and that was a dream come true for her.
Holly Madison: Bridget wanted to be a Playmate. It's wonderful to be a Playmate, so to be on the cover of the magazine was really exciting for her.
PR.com: And the pictorial wasn't just about being Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, it was about being on a hit television show.
Holly Madison: Yeah, once The Girls Next Door came out, there was some interest in the pictorial… it's cool; I'm glad it took this long. I think it's better that way.
PR.com: I saw the episode when you guys were getting all dolled up to shoot your pictures and when you were shooting your pictorial. So when I saw the issue, I was all excited. I was like, "Oh my God, The Girls Next Door!" and I had to buy it!
Holly Madison: Oh that's so cool, thank you!
PR.com: And you all looked awesome.
Holly Madison: Thank you. One of the things I love about the show is that we have a lot of female fans, which is a lot of fun.
PR.com: It's funny because many women have a love/hate relationship with what they think of Playboy and everything that Playboy represents. What's your take on that?
Holly Madison: Well, I think the attitude comes straight from whoever is making the judgment call. I think a lot of people see Playboy as really empowering to women. I think a woman can use Playboy as much as Playboy can be seen to be using a woman. But I just think a lot of people, when they judge someone for posing for Playboy, they don't really understand. They tend to pinpoint somebody as a "Playboy Bunny" and think that's all they're doing with their life, when really it's one more project and it's not necessarily something that defines a woman. It's one aspect of their life. They're beautiful and happen to have that one job. It doesn't mean they're not off achieving other things and have other aspects to their personality.
PR.com: Do you think that Hef sees women as full, three dimensional beings?
Holly Madison: You know, Hef always has to be on the lookout for beautiful women from a business standpoint. He sees all the pictures come in and has to choose all the Playmates. But I think on a personal level, and I can say this from personal experience, I think he's a lot more in tune with a woman's personality than someone might think. When I got together with Hef, I wasn't necessarily his [physical] ideal, and it's our personalities that drew us together. I mean, I may look like his ideal now (Laughs), but I wasn't then!
PR.com: (Laughs) Are you referring to plastic surgery or working out or…?
Holly Madison: More just tanning, makeup, getting hair done… just simple things that I hadn't really had the time or interest to do before.
PR.com: Were you more of a tomboy?
Holly Madison: I wouldn't describe myself as a tomboy. I was just somebody who really didn't care. I was working all the time, I was in school, and I just didn't have the time or money to buy makeup and sit around and learn how to do it. But now being in the position that I'm in, looks are kind of… part of the job.
PR.com: Watching the show, and I know that you've said this, the editors try to create each of you as a specific personality or character, and they try to be consistent with it. You appear to take your position, I guess within The Playboy Mansion and within Hef's life… you come off as if you treat it almost like a job. Like you're a representative of sorts…
Holly Madison: Well, there are some aspects… I mean, I'm always really adamant about my position. Despite what I just said earlier about it being a job, my relationship with Hef is an emotional relationship. But there are aspects of being Hef's girlfriend and living here at the Mansion… because I care about him, I do want to represent him and the company well, so I just try and keep that in mind when presenting myself to the public.
PR.com: He has been quoted as saying that your relationship with him is, and this is his quote, he says, "It's as perfect a relationship as I've ever had." So, why do you think he still feels the need to have two other girlfriends in his life?
Holly Madison: Well, before I came along, Hef had this whole thing going on with seven girlfriends. I think part of that was because he had been hurt in relationships before and he didn't really want to be particularly close to one girl. He just kind of wanted to have a lot of girls around and have fun and, you know, it just happened to be something that was good for his image as well. That wasn't why he started to do it, but it turned out that way. Since we've become closer, the numbers have become less and less. Kendra [Wilkinson], Bridget and I are just really good friends and we have the show going on now and that's a lot of fun. So, you know, it's working for now. But I do want to settle down with him eventually.
PR.com: Is that something that you and he discuss, the fact that you'd like for it to be just the two of you?
Holly Madison: We've discussed it a little bit, but not seriously. It's not something that I'm really counting on or believe until it happens.
PR.com: So when you met Hugh Hefner, he had seven or eight girls?
Holly Madison: When I met him, he had seven girlfriends.
PR.com: A lot of those girls got kicked out of the Mansion, right? Is there like, a certain etiquette that girls need to follow, and they didn't follow the rules or they got in trouble with him?
Holly Madison: Well, with each girl it was different. Some girls left on their own. The relationship wasn't working out for them anymore. But some of the girls were just here for the wrong reasons. I mean, you can probably imagine some of the girls wanted to get into this because of the money or because they thought it was going to get them into the magazine, or because they wanted a little bit of fame. If the sincerity isn't there and the personality isn't there, they're not going to last.
PR.com: Did he sense when girls were being opportunistic?
Holly Madison: Hef is a total gentleman, so even when he did sense that somebody was being opportunistic, it's not that he'd break the relationship off right there. He'd still kind of put up with them for a while. It takes a lot to get kicked out of here. You have to be a really mean person, you know what I mean? (Laughs) And a lot of that happened because the girls were mean to me.
PR.com: So it got very catty, as far as girls vying for his attention?
Holly Madison: It wasn't so much girls vying for his attention. Some of the girls would come into the relationship and they wanted to be a girlfriend because they thought they'd make money, or get into the magazine, or be famous, or take advantage of the situation in some way. And once they actually moved into the house, they didn't like the fact that Hef and I have a real relationship. I think they expected me to be some sort of ring leader that was arranging for the girls to gain financially, or something. That just wasn't me. So I think they kind of wanted to do away with me, and start rumors and create lies and things like that. So, I wasn't convenient to their situation.
PR.com: I read this book recently. There's this girl named Jill Ann Spaulding who wrote a book…
Holly Madison: Oh yeah…
PR.com: And she wrote a scathing book. I don't know if she meant to do this, but she painted a portrait of girls who didn't feel like supporting themselves, didn't feel like creating their own livelihood; they looked to Hugh Hefner as a meal ticket or somebody who could save them from a minimum wage job or not being able to pay their rent…
Holly Madison: I don't endorse Jill Ann's book at all because I've read it and there are things in there that are just flat out lies. As far as creating that sort of a picture, I couldn't see myself or Bridget and Kendra as those people. But there were definitely girls here, within the past five years, who were like that. So that has been an accurate portrait of some people as far as I see it. Everybody's a peer now. They're here because they want to be here. They're here because they're having fun, because we all share this lifestyle and we're all great friends. Nobody is here because they're getting paid or because they feel that they're taking advantage of someone. I think that's great because Hef's a good guy, and I'm glad that when I came along it kind of changed the situation, because he didn't deserve that.
PR.com: Do you have any kind of relationship with Kimberly Hefner (Hugh Hefner's wife. They are separated.) and with his two sons (Marston and Cooper) who live right next door?
Holly Madison: I don't see Kimberly a lot, but Marston and Cooper come over and they play games with Hef. They have game nights where they'll sit around and play chess and things like that. They're really great kids. But, you know, I don't take any part in like, step-mommy or anything. (Laughs)
PR.com: You had mentioned a little bit before that you, Bridget and Kendra have a lot of female fans. What kind of feedback do you get from young women and girls?
Holly Madison: I get a lot of fan mail and feedback through the Internet. It's really nice because you see a lot of negative things, but I see a lot of positive things too. Way more positive than negative. Or just really supportive, like, "I love watching your show, I think it's so funny. It's a great guilty pleasure, and I think you guys are great. I can see how much you love Hef." It's just nice to hear supportive things like that.
PR.com: Do you feel that you, Kendra and Bridget are creating a Girls Next Door brand?
Holly Madison: Yeah, I do feel like Bridget, Kendra and I are creating a Girls Next Door brand. We actually just met with a guy yesterday about doing The Girls Next Door bobble heads. (Laughs)
PR.com: That's funny. (Laughs) You know you've made it when you get your own bobble head!
Holly Madison: Exactly! We've made it! We have one that's next to Hef's now.
PR.com: What kinds of ideas are you coming up with to leverage this into some kind of enterprise? Do you have any ideas of your own that you're working on?
Holly Madison: I have a few things. I just started a website (www.hollymadison.com). I have a web store, and I'm doing my own line of tube socks because I wear tube socks all the time on the show and people want to know where to get them. I take advantage of opportunities that come my way. I'm also in school right now. I'm studying business, and I'm taking French classes. I'd love to carry The Girls Next Door brand as far as I can, but I got into it knowing that I wanted to have fun with it, but I don't want it to dictate my life and center around my personal life. I'd love to go as far as I can with the brand, but I definitely have things going on that I can fall back on. It's not my first priority in life.
PR.com: Are you pursuing a Bachelor's Degree?
Holly Madison: Yeah, I'd love to get a Bachelor's Degree in business. I want to become fluent in French. I don't know as far as where that goes with a career. I'm interested in a lot of things. I'm designing The Girls Next Door jewelry line. So, I'm kind of all over the place right now, just taking opportunities where I can get them.
PR.com: I know that on the E! Website they're selling Girls Next Door panties and tank tops and stuff. Are you girls making money from that or is that going to E!?
Holly Madison: Well, everybody gets a cut of it. E! gets a cut, we get a cut, Playboy gets a cut. It's a big family there and it's a lot of fun to do all of it.
PR.com: And what's the nature of your relationship with Bridget and Kendra? Um, is there um, a romantic relationship there or are the three of you just friends?
Holly Madison: Oh no, Bridget, Kendra and I are just friends.
PR.com: Okay. (Hey, I had to ask!) And you each have a relationship with Hef?
Holly Madison: Yeah (Spurts of nervous laughter escape from her).
PR.com: Okay. (Laughs) You've said that two of the things that you and Hef have in common are jazz music and watching old movies. What's your favorite old movie that you like to watch together?
Holly Madison: My favorite, favorite, old movie is City Lights, but I was also thinking of Once Upon a Time in America which isn't that old, and I'd love to see that again. That's one of my favorites.
PR.com: Who's in that movie?
Holly Madison: Once Upon a Time in America is with Robert De Niro. It was made in 1984, and it's a [cool] gangster film. The other one I mentioned, City Lights, I think it's 1930 with Charlie Chaplin.
PR.com: I'm always on the lookout for movies … and what kind of jazz music do the two of you listen to?
Holly Madison: We like the old Dixieland stuff. But one thing I'm listening to right now is a compilation called French Stars of the 30's and 40's, since I'm learning French. So I'm listening to Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier.
PR.com: Very cool. Where did you get your fascination with French culture and learning to speak French?
Holly Madison: I wanted to learn French in high school, so I took a year, which was all that was required. Then I moved on to Spanish because I thought Spanish was easier. But I was initially more interested in French. I don't know why I'm interested in it. I think maybe because I'm half French as far as my ancestors go. But, we are going to Europe at the end of May, and the majority of our trip is going to be in France. So maybe I'll be able to talk a little bit once I get there. I just started taking classes a month ago.
PR.com: And all of that stuff is going to be filmed for The Girls Next Door?
Holly Madison: Yeah. The cameras are going to be around all the time.
PR.com: I was also fascinated to learn that you grew up, at least part of your childhood, in Alaska.
Holly Madison: Yeah, it was great.
PR.com: Did you live in a part of Alaska where it would be light for months at a time and then dark for months at a time?
Holly Madison: It wouldn't be light all day; I wasn't that far north. I lived more around Juneau. I lived on Prince of Wales Island which is in the southeastern part of Alaska, near Juneau. It would stay light pretty late into the night sometimes, but when I was in Alaska, it was from age 2 to age 11. Everything there seemed normal to me. I don't remember feeling like the weather was extra cold, or feeling like I was extra isolated or extra rural. That was just the way things were. I'm really glad I got a chance to grow up there because it was more time playing in the woods and using my imagination and reading, and a lot less time doing things that kids these day do… I don't know, plopped in front of a video game or hanging out on street corners. (Laughs)
PR.com: Do you think that helped to ground you to some degree?
Holly Madison: Yeah, I think growing up in Alaska definitely helped to ground me. I think it helped create the part of my personality that Hef likes, because growing up in Alaska in the 80's could be considered similar to growing up in an earlier part of the century. Just because things were so rural and we didn't necessarily have access to television in some of the areas we lived in, or other sorts of technology. So I'm pretty old-fashioned.
PR.com: You didn't watch any television in those years?
Holly Madison: Not really. I mean we did have a TV set and a VCR, and we had like three Disney movies. We moved around quite a bit on Prince of Wales Island, and it depended where we lived if we actually had access to television and cable. So sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't.
PR.com: And then when you were 11 you moved to Oregon?
Holly Madison: Yes.
PR.com: What made your parents want to move up to Alaska?
Holly Madison: My dad was in the timber industry. He just got promoted, and the job happened to be in Alaska, so he took the job. And then as I got older, my parents who were from Oregon wanted to move back down to Oregon so we could have more of a quote "normal" family, and go to a regular junior high and high school. So they moved us down to Oregon, which I didn't like as well as Alaska.
PR.com: What caused you to want to move down to Los Angeles?
Holly Madison: My family had vacationed in California about once a year. We'd go to Disneyland and stuff, and I just fell in love with it. I love the weather and I love the culture down here. I love the positive attitude. I love everything about it.
PR.com: I've lived in Los Angeles on and off since 1998. I'm in New York right now, but I do miss L.A.
Holly Madison: I've lived here since 1999 and I don't want to live anywhere else.
PR.com: I've been to The Playboy Mansion too. I was there in 2002, I think.
Holly Madison: Oh awesome! I was here back then!
PR.com: Oh really? I was at the 4th of July party.
Holly Madison: I love 4th of July! Did you see a girl in a red, white, and blue bikini and a bunny tail that was, like, all wet?
PR.com: No, why? Was that you?
Holly Madison: (Laughs) Yeah…
PR.com: Because you know what, I seriously don't remember. What do I remember??
Holly Madison: It's hard to remember any one person, because the parties are so big.
PR.com: It was so big! I know that I sat next to Keith Hefner (Hugh Hefner's brother) at dinner. And on the other side of me was Ray Anthony…
Holly Madison: Oh, I love Ray!
PR.com: Yeah, so I was sitting between them, and I was sitting with some random girls I became friends with that day, who I never saw again. But yeah, it was a lot of fun!
Holly Madison: Aww, that's cool, well hopefully you'll be back…
PR.com: I just remember, it was funny because I brought a Louis Vuitton purse with me and I left it in the telephone room. I remember running around and saying, "Has anyone seen my purse, has anyone seen my purse?" (Laughs)
Holly Madison: Did you find it?
PR.com: Yes! (Laughs) I also know that you're an animal lover.
Holly Madison: Yes, and we have so many [at The Playboy Mansion] which is just a great opportunity. We have tons of exotic animals and a great zoo department, and we have a zoo permit here. So it's a great opportunity for me to learn, and I've actually started writing articles for my friend Christopher Ameruoso's pet magazine that's coming out. The first issue is out now. It's called The Coolest Little Pet Magazine. It's like the size of a little TV guide, and I wrote my first article about the Squirrel Monkeys. It was a good opportunity to have an excuse to learn more about the species.
PR.com: This is an animal that's on the property?
Holly Madison: Yeah, we have Squirrel monkeys, a Spider monkey, and a Tamarin monkey. So three different types of species of monkey… and then we have over a hundred different species of birds, so there's a lot to work with.
PR.com: Are you going to write a regular column?
Holly Madison: Yeah, it comes out four times a year, so I'm working on my Kinkajous story right now.
PR.com: And how many dogs and cats live at The Mansion, in total?
Holly Madison: There are nine dogs in total. Hef has two dogs that he's had forever. And I have four dogs, Bridget has one, and Kendra [Wilkinson] has two. And then Gizmo is the one indoor cat. But we also have two strays that wandered onto the property that we feed, named Geller and Little-bit. So there are three cats. They know where to go, they're smart.
PR.com: Do your parents ever come down to L.A. to visit you?
Holly Madison: Yeah, my parents usually come down to visit once a year, and they came down last Christmas. It's an unconventional situation, but my dad grew up with Playboy. He has his favorite Playmates from the 70's and we have them sign the old issues for him, and he gets all excited. So, I think that kind of takes some of the shock off of it.
PR.com: Takes the edge off…
Holly Madison: Yeah, a little bribe. (Laughs)
PR.com: Did your parents initially give you a lecture about the age difference between you and Hugh Hefner, or about the unconventional nature of your relationship?
Holly Madison: Well, I've always been a very headstrong and stubborn person, so ever since I moved out of the house, my parents knew the control was over; she's going to do what she wants. They know that Hef's a nice guy. They've come down here and met him and seen the place and they know I've got somewhat of a good head on my shoulders. So they think it's alright. And if they don't, they don't tell me! (Laughs)
PR.com: Right. (Laughs) Do they have a good rapport with Hef?
Holly Madison: I think they're a little shy around Hef. I think they don't really know what to say around him. But a lot of people are, so that's forgivable. I know I was, for a long time.
PR.com: Do you have favorite celebrities who come up to The Mansion?
Holly Madison: I'm kind of celebrity-shy to tell you the truth. I have this prejudice that because someone is famous, they're going to be mean, so I'm scared to go up and talk to celebrities. But one of our favorites is Jon Lovitz. He always comes up here and he's really funny.
PR.com: Are there any that are just not pleasant to be around or that you've heard horror stories about?
Holly Madison: I haven't had any unpleasant encounters with celebrities, because like I said, I'm shy and I try to avoid them! (Laughs)
PR.com: But you're a celebrity now and you're nice!
Holly Madison: Thanks! I don't feel like a celebrity. I don't take things for granted. I'm just excited to have the opportunity.
PR.com: Well, you're on the number one rated show on the E! Network and now you're going into your second season, so…
Holly Madison: Yeah, it's exciting. It's just great to have the opportunity because it opens up a lot of doors. You know, things like… I never thought I'd be in the magazine, which may not seem like a big stretch because I live here, but it was. And it was really fun!
PR.com: A big misconception is that the girls who live at The Playboy Mansion and the girls in Hugh Hefner's life are all Playmates.
Holly Madison: Yeah, a lot of people think that if you're a Playmate you dated Hef, or if you dated Hef, then you're a Playmate, but the two…
PR.com: Are they mutually exclusive? Is it two completely separate things?
Holly Madison: They're not mutually exclusive. I mean, definitely Hef has had girlfriends in the past who have been in the magazine, and because he's an 80 year old Play-ah, there's been a lot of us! (Laugh) So I can see where, over the years, the misconception has developed. So they're not mutually exclusive.
PR.com: Do you consider yourself to be a role model?
Holly Madison: Um… I don't consider myself a role model because my situation is so unique. I would never advocate somebody else, "Oh yeah, go out and share your boyfriend. It's fun!" That's the one part of the relationship I don't really like. If I'm going to be a role model for something, I just want to be a role model for following my heart and doing what I think is right for me. Not listening to what other people think and kind of trying to go out and discover for myself.
PR.com: Do you feel that it's important to get across the point that a woman can be intelligent and be a virtuous person, a good person, and also be sexual or be in a sexually charged environment? Is that something that you're looking to get across, or is that just where you happen to find yourself?
Holly Madison: No, absolutely. I feel like, just because so many of my good friends are Playmates or have been involved with [Playboy], and because I know these girls, I feel like it's a responsibility of mine. Any time I'm in the public eye, I always do my best to try and conduct myself in a somewhat ladylike fashion, or just get across the point that I am going to school and I do have a lot of hobbies and things that I do; that it's not just about being pretty. I feel like being pretty or putting on makeup during the day, that's just a tool to get something I want or to have a little fun. It's not what life's all about.
PR.com: Do you feel that Playboy perpetuates a certain type of beauty, you know, like large breasts or blonde hair? And do you think that it puts pressure on young girls to try to fit into that idealized mold of what a beautiful woman is?
Holly Madison: I think it can put pressure on young woman, but I think anything in the media can. I think fashion magazines can, I think television shows can. One thing that's important for women to remember about Playboy is that what we're selling is a fantasy. You know, everybody is airbrushed in some way, shape, or form. Everybody has a scar or a mole or a bruise that they're going to have to take out in a photo; or wrinkles around their eyes or something. And you know, what [Playboy] is selling is a fantasy. They're not selling a real life woman, and I think that's important for women to remember. I think it's also important to remember, don't take things so seriously. I think when people freak out that a Barbie Doll is too skinny, I think they're taking things way out of context. If a girl grows up thinking she's supposed to look like a Barbie Doll, she's a little whacked. You know what I mean?
PR.com: Well I would say that a lot of girls who have graced the pages of Playboy are very similar looking to Barbie Dolls. It's almost like a living incarnation of what a Barbie Doll would look like.
Holly Madison: Maybe so, I guess I don't see it that way. I don't see 12 inch waists on girls in Playboy…
PR.com: True, that's a major, major exaggeration, obviously. I think they said something like, Barbie would have to be like 6 foot 5 and weight 110 pounds. They once did an evaluation of, if Barbie were a real person, what her true measurements would be.
Holly Madison: She'd tip over.
PR.com: (Laughs) Yeah, she'd tip over. And that's not good, that's embarrassing.
Holly Madison: Yeah, I think a lot of the Playmates who come from Playboy that get a lot of attention just happen to be, you know, the Jenny McCarthys and the Pamela Andersons who look a certain way. But if you pick up a January issue of Playboy with a Playmate review, you'll find women with smaller breasts and you'll find women of color. We're trying to keep it diverse. That's one of the things that Playboy does strive for. There are a lot of blondes, but a lot of blondes try out too.
PR.com: I think the Playmate who was in the issue that you, Bridget and Kendra were in, (November 2005) she was an ethnic model…
Holly Madison: Yeah, she's Italian and Filipina.
PR.com: She was beautiful.
Holly Madison: Yeah, gorgeous!
PR.com: Was she in one of the Girls Next Door episodes?
Holly Madison: She was in episode two, where she was the new girl and I kind of showed her around. We took her ice skating and she saw her pictorial. She got a big following. I got a lot of emails, [from people asking] "Who's that girl, who's that girl?!" (FYI, she is Raquel Gibson, Miss November 2005)
PR.com: Did you feel pressure to get your plastic surgery? Was that something that you did for yourself or did you feel pressure to fit into a certain image, to be accepted in that world?
Holly Madison: I do feel pressure from myself to fit into a certain image. But the pressure certainly wasn't from Hef. When I wanted to get my breasts done, he didn't want me to do it. He was more worried about my health than anything else. That's a decision I made on my part. I wanted boobs to match the booty! (Laughs)
PR.com: (Laughs) Really? So he was more concerned about your health and didn't want you to have surgery??
Holly Madison: Absolutely. I know people probably won't believe me when I say that…
PR.com: People would be shocked to hear that, because he does seem to be a huge fan of breast implants.
Holly Madison: It does seem like that, because you do see a lot of women with implants in Playboy, but what a lot of girls who want to get surgery need to remember is that it's rare that a surgery turns out perfectly. A lot of girls come and try out for Playboy and they have horrible breast implants. They might be beautiful girls who have great faces and great bodies, and would have made it had they not had the implants that made their nipples uneven or the weird scars or something. So, he knows the downside of it too.
PR.com: If Hugh Hefner were a shoe salesman, would you still be in love with him?
Holly Madison: Absolutely. I don't know if I would have gotten a chance to get to know him the way I did, but if I did get to know him the way I did, absolutely.
PR.com: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Holly Madison: I don't know if where I see myself is where I'm actually going to be or where Hef sees me, but I see myself as a mom. I want to have two girls and I want to name them Marilyn and Daisy.
PR.com: You have it all figured out!
Holly Madison: Yeah, I have it all planned out. (Laughs)
PR.com: Have you discussed this with Hef?
(Hugh Hefner passes by in the hallway and peaks his head in to say hello to Holly)
Holly Madison: (She calls out to Hugh Hefner) I'm having an interview! Why did you look at me funny?? Did you hear me? (She turns her attention back to me) Oh, he was just laughing at my laugh.
(She erupts back into what appears to be a trademark giggle)
PR.com: Tell him we're saying nice things about him…
Holly Madison: (She screams out to Hugh Hefner who is still in the hallway) We're saying nice things about you!!
Hugh Hefner: Uh oh. (Laughs)
Holly Madison: (Imitating him) Uh oh.
The new season of The Girls Next Door begins this
August on the E! Network. To learn more about Holly, visit www.hollymadison.com.