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Why Holly Madison Had Nothing to Say to Hugh Hefner Before His Death

By Paige Strout Jan 20, 2023 7:35 PMTags
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Holly Madison has no regrets.

The former Playboy bunny called her relationship with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner quits several years before his death in 2017. And as far as last words go, the star exclusively revealed on the Jan. 19 episode of E! News that she didn't have any to share with her late ex.

"It was odd because after I left the relationship, I was so shell shocked because I realized that this vision I'd had of him the whole time as this amazing person was just kind of something I had wished for and kind of made up in my own head," Holly explained. "And I realized the person I was looking at was really a stranger. So, I never really had any desire to say anything to him."

Though she had no interest in talking with Hugh following their 2008 breakup, the 43-year-old has opened up over the years about their unconventional relationship and her time in the Playboy Mansion. And like most things in life, there were pros and cons to both.

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"I knew there was problems in the relationship the whole time, and, obviously, super huge red flags," Holly stated. "But there was also the other side of the relationship where we were really close and he would tell me all these positive things, so I always hoped that things would change."

But according to Holly, her relationship with Hugh did start to change when she realized "he had kind of been causing all this drama between me and the other girls," as she added, "I couldn't put up with it anymore."

Laurence Cottrell/FilmMagic

Just as she's told her own story, she's helping to tell the not-so-pleasant stories of women like her on the new ID docuseries The Playboy Murders. The show follows several true crime cases that intertwine with the world of Playboy.

"There were so many cases I'd never heard of, and I was so intrigued and wanted to learn more," the Girls Next Door alum told E! News. "So, because this was about six different stories that were so different from my own—but I could relate to these women just because of our backgrounds—I really wanted to be a part of it."

Hear more from Holly in the full interview above.

The Playboy Murders premieres Monday, Jan. 23, at 10 p.m. on ID.

E! News airs Mondays through Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. on E!.

Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.