The A&E docuseries “Secrets of Playboy” caused a wave in the entertainment world by exploring several facts behind the Playboy empire that had remained hidden to this day. It studies the world and culture created by Hugh Hefner and describes how the Playboy empire has affected past and present generations’ views on sexuality, power and what counts as a good life. While the controversies surrounding the late Hugh Hefner are common knowledge, the docuseries sheds light on claims about his sexuality, an avenue that hasn’t been explored much before. Therefore, with people now being quite curious, we decided to find out if Hugh Hefner was bisexual.
Was Hugh Hefner bisexual?
In 1953, Hugh Hefner launched the first issue of Playboy after leaving his job as an editor at Esquire Magazine the year before. Hefner’s magazine was an immediate success, and Playboy quickly grew into an empire that spawned an entire culture around his lavish, almost utopian lifestyle. In 1955, Playboy faced huge controversy when Hefner gave the go-ahead to publish a short story called “The Crooked Man”, which was about a future where heterosexuals were persecuted and despised by homosexuals.
The story did not sit well with many, who bombarded the magazine with angry letters. However, Hefner stood by his decision, stating, “If it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society, then the reverse was also wrong.” This, along with Hefner’s strong support for same-sex marriage, were early signs that he was quite forward on his views on the LGBTQ+ community. Moreover, according to historian Marc Stein, Playboy magazine provided the public with one of the safest and most influential places to discuss sexual freedom in such a conservative era.
However, Hefner’s alleged affairs with men were not revealed until his ex-girlfriend, Carrie Leigh, claimed in a 1999 interview that Hefner tended to have sex with men. She even went on to claim that she had cut off her “gay dating.” Around this time, Hefner confessed, saying, “There was a certain bisexuality to the straight, swinging part of my life.” However, he went on to clarify that it was just a phase of sexual discovery that he managed to shake off soon after.
However, the A&E docuseries also features an interview with another of Hefner’s ex-girlfriends, Sondra Theodore, who claimed the late magazine mogul was romantically involved with his personal physician, Mark Saginor. This view was also supported by Dr. Saginor’s daughter, Jennifer Saginor, who spent her early years in the Playboy mansion and claimed to have witnessed her father’s love affair. While admitting that Dr. Saginor and Hefner were “best friends” and “soulmates,” Jennifer went on to talk about their alleged sexual encounters.
Jennifer said: “They (Hefner and Dr Saginor) had a physical relationship. In the context of these different orgies, orgies sort of started out as something that was an opportunity for people to experience their open sexuality. She even revealed how Dr. Saginor allegedly gave up his family life and practice of being with Hefner and was present alongside the Playboy founder when he passed away in September 2017. So while he couldn’t never to be any official confirmation of Hefner’s sexuality, recent developments and revelations leave the impression that he was indeed bisexual.
Read more: Who owns the Playboy mansion today? What is its current value?
