What it was really like to live in the Playboy mansion as one of Hugh Hefner's bunnies

For many men, the Playboy mansion may have sounded like a paradise: a stunning mansion set in landscaped grounds and filled with beautiful models.

But the smiles of some of the Playboy bunnies living with the late Hugh Hefner may have hidden deep unhappiness.

A number of Playmates have spoken out about their lives at the famous house over the years - with many revealing their experiences in tell-all books - and many accounts are negative.

Izabella St. James, said the women lived in bedrooms with “disgusting” mattresses which were “old, worn and stained”.

Kendra Wilkinson has gone public about life in the Playboy mansion

She claimed that Hefner used a $1,000-a-week allowance to control the woman who lived with him, using it as a “weapon”.

She said: “We had to go to Hef's room, wait while he picked up all the dog poo off the carpet — and then ask for our allowance.

“We all hated this process. Hef would always use the occasion to bring up anything he wasn't happy about in the relationship.”

She said most of the complaints related to a “lack of harmony” among his girlfriends, or the lack of “sexual participation” at his parties.

Kendra Wilkinson said that while she disliked having to accept the money, it was hard to earn money in any other way.

She told Us Weekly: “I hate putting my hand out, but we couldn't have jobs other than getting appearance fees.”

Karissa Shannon told PopEater: “We were not allowed to have boys in the house. That was the absolute number one rule — no boys allowed. That was one of the main reasons we moved out.”

Holly Madison said that drowning herself seemed like “the logical way to escape the ridiculous life I was leading”, but conceded that it may have been a result of the “pot and alcohol”.

“Everyone thinks that the infamous metal gate was meant to keep people out. But I grew to feel it was meant to lock me in.”

One model, Carla Howe, told The Mirror that a strict 9pm curfew was imposed, and friends could not visit the mansion.

Her sister Melissa said there was a strict code of conduct, and an email would be sent for any transgressions. Rules extended to the use of social media.

She added: “You’ve got to show everything in a good light."