Ex-Playmate Brande Roderick Defends Hugh Hefner: He Was A 'Wonderful Person'

Former Playmate Brande Roderick is speaking up in defense of the late Hugh Hefner.

The Playboy founder's reputation has come under attack due to an upcoming A&E docuseries, "Secrets of Playboy," in which former Playmates share their alleged experiences with Hefner and their time at the Playboy mansion.

However, Roderick stood by the late publisher, telling Ashleigh Banfield on an episode of her NewsNation Now show "Banfield" that Hefner was "a wonderful person."

"I learned so much from him. The (girls) were there of their free will — No one was holding a gun to their head," she continued.

The 47-year-old model, along with one of Hefner's former girlfriends Sondra Theodore, spoke to Banfield about the late media mogul.

Unlike Roderick, however, Theodore blasted Hefner for allegedly holding "Pig Parties," which would involve aides driving down Sunset Boulevard and finding very young girls to bring back to the Playboy mansion. Once there, the teens would be plied with food and booze and then taken "to the slaughter" at the infamous grotto.

"They’re talking about men preying on these young girls, well how about the girls preying on these rich men?" Roderick scoffed. "And they’re talking about going down to Sunset Boulevard to pick up girls? You’re kidding me, that’s ridiculous. It’s natural. That’s what people do — they go out (and pick up other people)."

Roderick said she feels "sad" that she has to defend Hefner, whom she described as an "amazing" person who "has done so much for so many people."

She then hit out at the former Playmates who attacked Hefner, accusing them of using him to promote and sell their books or gain fame.

"And the fact that some women are coming out because they have a book coming out (or) they want 15 more minutes of fame... and to do it now is disgusting," she added. "Why not go on the other documentaries while he was alive and say that? He’s not those things."

Former Playmate Holly Madison, who also dated Hefner, was among those who spoke out against him. In the documentary, she compared the Playboy mansion to a "cult," explaining that they were "kind of gaslit and expected to think of Hef as, like, this really good guy." She also alleged that they were isolated while staying there.

Playboy released a statement addressing Madison's allegations.

"Today’s Playboy is not Hugh Hefner’s Playboy," the magazine said, adding that they "trust and validate" the women and their stories.

The magazine also expressed support to those who came forward and talked about their time in the mansion, explaining that the brand has "sex positivity at its core."

"We will never be afraid to confront the parts of our legacy as a company that do not reflect our values today. We are committed to our ongoing evolution as a company and to driving positive change for our communities," Playboy added.