Holly Madison

About Holly Madison

Holly Sue Cullen, better known as Holly Madison, was born on December 23, 1979, in Astoria, Oregon. She is an accomplished American model, showgirl, and television personality, best recognized for her role as one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends in the reality series The Girls Next Door. Although she never became a Playboy Playmate, Holly participated in nude pictorials alongside her co-stars, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. In 2009, she showcased her dancing skills as a contestant on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars.

Prior to her rise to fame, Holly worked as a waitress and participated in bikini competitions for Hooters. Her visibility at the restaurant, combined with her success in Hawaiian Tropic contests, led her to an invitation to a party at the Playboy Mansion by Hefner’s physician, where she eventually moved in and became one of Hefner’s girlfriends. Her residence at the mansion opened the door for her to become a television star through the E! Network’s The Girls Next Door.

Following her breakup with Hefner in 2008, Holly transitioned into a successful television career, while also pursuing acting and modeling opportunities, ultimately becoming a New York Times best-selling author. She appeared in various films, including The House Bunny, Scary Movie 4, and Sharknado 3. Holly's journey with Playboy was marked by ups and downs; she was named Cyber Girl of the Week on January 13, 2003, but shortly after, her profile was removed and replaced by that of Lana Kinnear. Throughout her time, she participated in three Playboy pictorials as part of "The Girls Next Door," published in March 2005, September 2006, and January 2009. Since leaving Playboy, Holly has been increasingly vocal about the challenges she faced during that time. As of April 2024, she has gained a substantial following on social media, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram, 1.9 million on TikTok, and 131,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.