P.J. Masten has claimed "40 to 50 young women" were "silenced" by Playboy after making allegations of abuse.
P.J. Masten made allegations against the late Don Cornelius
The former Bunny Mother - who worked in six Playboy Clubs throughout the US from 1972 to 1982 - claimed the late Hugh Hefner was determined not to have any "heat" on him or have the iconic brand probed by police so, steps were taken to ensure the ladies didn't speak out publicly.
P.J. said: "In the 10 years that I worked for Playboy, I would venture to say that there were probably 40 to 50 young women that were silenced by Playboy because of abuse, sexual abuse. ... It was a big thing for Hefner to not have that kind of heat, he did not want the LAPD coming down on him."
P.J. also spoke of her "guilt" that two sisters were allegedly locked up and violently sexually assaulted at the home of late 'Soul Train' host Don Cornelius.
She said on the latest instalment of 'Secrets of Playboy': "It was probably the most horrific story I've ever heard at Playboy. This story is the story of a massive clean-up that never hit the press."
She told how Don was a Playboy VIP and familiar to the women and, at a dance bar in Hollywood, he spotted them and invited them to join him before asking them back to his house for a party.
She continued: "These two young girls got in his Rolls-Royce, went up to his house and we didn't hear from them for three days. We couldn't figure out where they were."
After three days, the sisters - who she didn't name - were found when one of them called a Bunny Mother at the Playboy Mansion and told them they'd been held at Don's house. Head of security Joe Piastro set out to collect them and found them "bloodied, battered [and] drugged".
She alleged: " One was locked in one room and the other was in another room. They were tied up and bound, and the sister could hear her screaming. There were wooden objects that you were sodomised with and she could hear her other sister being brutalised."
In line with Playboy policy, the police were not notified and the bunnies were advised not to speak out about their alleged ordeal.
P.J. said: "The thing that was so outrageous to me, that made me so angry, was that no charges were filed and Don Cornelius' privileges as a number one VIP were never suspended. He was back in the club the following week.
"These young girls, what they went through, nobody has any idea. My job was to pick up the pieces. I had to pick up the pieces of these kids. They were kids!
"I blame myself a lot, I have such guilt about not coming forward, but I knew that the establishment wouldn't allow me to come forward. And who's going to believe me? Nobody's going to believe me."
Don's son, Tony Cornelius, told People magazine that P.J.'s account is an "unbelievable story without real proof" and "salaciousness."
Following Monday's (31.01.21) episode of Secrets of Playboy, a disclaimer appeared on-screen, which reminded viewers that "the vast majority of the allegations" made in the docuseries "have not been the subject of criminal investigations or charges, and they do not constitute proof of guilt."
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