Ex-Playboy bunny Holly Madison recalls how Hugh Hefner 'screamed' at her over a haircut

Madison dated Hefner from 2001 - 2008 and wrote about the experience in her book, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny. Photo / Getty Images

Holly Madison, one of the most well known of Hugh Hefner's Playboy bunnies, has revealed an incident where Hefner's temper flared dramatically over her decision to get a haircut.

Madison, 41, who dated Hefner and lived at the Playboy mansion from 2001 until 2008, shared the less than flattering memory of Hefner in a teaser clip for upcoming A & E docuseries Secrets of Playboy.

In the clip, Madison alleges that when she cut her hair into a long bob style, Hefner "screamed" at her, saying the style made her "look old, hard and cheap".

Hefner, who died in 2017 at the age of 91, certainly had a type. All of his girlfriends had long blonde hair and, it seems, when Madison chose to break the mould, he was displeased.

An effort to differentiate herself from the other blonde bunnies in the Playboy mansion seems to have ultimately been Madison's motivation for the new hairstyle.

Madison revealed in the documentary clip: "I got to a point not too far into my time there - I think I was only six months in - where I kind of broke under that pressure and being made to feel like I needed to look exactly like everybody else."

In an effort to differentiate herself from the other Playboy bunnies, Madison chopped her long blonde locks (seen here in 2003) and Hefner screamed at her over it. Photo / Getty Images

She continued: "My hair was really long naturally and I was just like, I'm gonna go chop my hair off so I can at least look a little different."

Of Hefner's reaction Holly recalls: "I came back with short hair and he flipped out on me and he was screaming at me and said it make me look old, hard and cheap."

She said: "I remember there were times probably within the first couple years I lived there when I felt like I was just in this cycle of gross things and I didn't know what to do."

Bridget Marquardt, who lived in the Playboy mansion at the same time as Madison and starred in the reality series, Girls Next Door, alongside her, also shares her memories in the upcoming documentary.

Bridget Marquardt (R), lived in the Playboy mansion at the same time as Holly Madison (L) and starred with her in the reality series, Girls Next Door. Photo / Getty Images

Marquardt, 48, recalls that Hefner was often critical of Madison's appearance, saying: "Hef would be pretty abrasive in the way he said things to Holly. She came down with red lipstick one time and he, like, flipped out and said he hated red lipstick on girls... Even though other people could wear red lipstick and it didn't seem to bother him."

Madison has previously opened up about her time with Hefner in her book, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny. In the book she talks about the intense competition between the bunnies at the mansion, a rivalry very much encouraged by Hefner.

Madison wrote: "Everyone thinks that the infamous metal gate was meant to keep people out. But I grew to feel it was meant to lock me in".

So much has already been said about Hefner and the Playboy mansion, it will be interesting to see what twisted tales this new documentary will reveal.