Holly Madison is the executive producer and host of Investigation Discovery’s The Playboy Murders, a true crime series that examines deaths connected to the Playboy brand. The docuseries explores the darker side of fame and the vulnerability that often comes with it, particularly for women involved in the modeling and entertainment industries. In a sneak peek for season 3, Holly called out the dangers of GHB, a drug commonly known as the “date rape drug.”
“GHB is extremely scary because it doesn’t look or taste or smell like anything. Oftentimes, people don’t even know it’s been put in their drink until it’s too late,” Holly, 45, said in a clip for an upcoming episode. “When somebody slips that into someone else’s drink, they want that person to be incoherent and passed out so they can have sex with them without any resistance or consent.”
The new season dives into chilling cases that highlight how women tied to Playboy were sometimes caught in situations where power dynamics, drugs and toxic environments played a devastating role. Former Playboy casting director Sam Rhima and Nik Richie, the founder of gossip site TheDirty, also spoke in the series about the use of GHB and its disturbing prevalence in Hollywood nightlife.
“Nobody does GHB as a party drug. Nobody does a drug that’s meant to date rape people,” Sam explained.
Nik, 46, added, “Take a capper, a little dose of GHB, and lights out.”
Holly, who lived at the Playboy Mansion and was one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends from 2001 to 2008, has long spoken out about the culture inside the mansion. She has previously made it clear that her involvement with the brand, and her later escape from it, were what fueled her desire to tell these stories with care and empathy.
Holly Madison
“It’s definitely emotionally heavy for sure,” Holly told the New York Post in an interview published on April 30. “I just try and focus on what I know about the women through the research, through the people who’ve come forward to speak … It’s horribly tragic that these stories have to be told anyway. Since they have to be told, I try and do it the best way possible and try to honor her memory as much as I can.”
She also pointed out the importance of shifting how victims are framed.
“There’s always like the gold digger stereotype, or when usually those women are at the lower end of the power imbalance,” Holly continued. “I like to try and focus on what was this woman pursuing? What were her dreams? Where did she come from? What were your insecurities growing up? Everything that’s relatable.”
Season 3 of The Playboy Murders features six new episodes, each highlighting a different case. Stories include the 2017 death of Playboy casting assistant Kimberly Fattorini, September 2000 Playmate Kerissa Fare’s connection to an alleged serial killer and the 1973 death of former Playboy Bunny Adrienne Pollack, whose mysterious end raised questions about the culture surrounding the Playboy Clubs during that era.
Season 3 of The Playboy Murders premieres on Monday, May 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ID and streams on Max.
