Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend says he would film people having sex in the Playboy mansion without their consent

• Hugh Hefner's ex Sondra Theodore says Hefner would record people having sex without their consent.
• According to Theodore, anyone having sex in the main bedroom of the Playboy mansion would be filmed.

Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend Sondra Theodore said the late Playboy founder would record people having sex at the Playboy mansion without their consent.

"He had tapes on everybody," Theodore said on Monday's episode of A&E's docuseries "Secrets of Playboy," which takes a closer look at the men's magazine and the life of its founder.

According to Theodore, when she first noticed that Hefner was recording their sexual activities during her time at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles, she was immediately taken aback and asked him what was happening.

"When we started bringing other people into the bedroom, some girls had the same reaction. And he would [say], 'Oh, I can turn it off. If it's not okay, I can turn it off,'" Theodore recalled on the series.

She said that when other women who were participating in orgies with Hefner and Theodore asked Hefner to stop filming, he would adjust something on the camera and tell them that it wasn't recording anymore — and that the real-time footage still appearing on the TV screens in the bedroom was only so they could "see" what was going on.

But Theodore, who dated Hefner from 1976 to 1981, alleged that the magazine mogul was still actually recording his sexual encounters, despite what he told the other participants.

"Maybe a week later, a couple days later, all of a sudden, there's the tape," Theodore recalled on Monday's episode. Per Theodore, when she reminded Hefner that he told the women he wasn't recording, his response was: "'Do you think I really stopped it?'"

"He did it anyway," Theodore added.

A former employee at the Playboy mansion said he was aware of sex acts being recorded

Stefan Tetenbaum, Hefner's valet at the Playboy mansion from 1978 to 1981, seemingly corroborated Theodore's account in an interview on Monday's episode.

"Hefner taped everything in his bedroom," Tetenbaum said. "And many men, and stars, and athletes came into the bedroom and had sex with these girls. Most of the time, Hefner never participated, he just watched."

Tetenbaum said that the women who were recorded having sex at the mansion (which included Playmates and Playboy bunnies) were often "devastated" after their sexual encounters.

And the former valet also revealed that Hefner kept the sex tapes in a "tape library" at the mansion, where no one was permitted to enter except for the Playboy founder and his secretary.

Representatives for Hefner's estate and for Playboy didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Playboy and Hefner's son Cooper have addressed past allegations against Hefner and the company

A statement that appears at the end of Monday's episode, however, clarifies the nature of the allegations presented on "Secrets of Playboy."

"This series contains allegations of wrongdoing over decades by Hugh Hefner and others associated with him," it reads. "The vast majority of allegations have not been the subject of criminal investigations or charges, and they do not constitute proof of guilt."

Previously, Playboy shared a statement with Insider distancing itself from Hefner, who died in 2017 of natural causes.

"The Hefner family is no longer associated with Playboy, and today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy," the statement read.

Directly addressing "Secrets of Playboy," the statement continued: "We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those individuals who have come forward to share their experiences. As a brand with sex-positivity at its core, we believe safety, security, and accountability are paramount."

It said: "The most important thing we can do right now is actively listen and learn from their experiences. Today, our organization is run by a workforce that is more than 80% female and we will continue to confront any parts of our legacy that do not reflect our values today, and to build upon the progress we have made as we evolve as a company so we can drive positive change for our employees and our communities."

In January, Hefner's son Cooper seemingly denounced the allegations recently made against the Playboy founder as a result of the A&E docuseries.

"Some may not approve of the life my Dad chose, but my father was not a liar. However unconventional, he was sincere in his approach and lived honestly," Cooper Hefner tweeted in late January. "He was generous in nature and cared deeply for people. These salacious stories are a case study of regret becoming revenge."

New episodes of "Secrets of Playboy" air Mondays on A&E.