Playboy founder Hugh Hefner reportedly alerted the FBI to allegations against Jeffrey Epstein after a Playmate claimed the financier raped and trafficked her. The claims are detailed in an amended complaint filed in May in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Audra Lynn Christiansen, a Playmate in 2003, was living at the Playboy Mansion when she told Hefner that Epstein had assaulted and trafficked her to his wealthy associates. According to the New York Post, Christiansen, then seeking assistance due to Hefner's influence, asked him to contact authorities on her behalf.
The complaint states that Hefner made multiple calls to the FBI to report Epstein. Christiansen reportedly told FBI agents she was introduced to Epstein after her 2003 Playboy photoshoot. She also made brief appearances on E!'s reality show "The Girls Next Door" and in the 2007 film "Epic Movie."
Christiansen, now 46, claims she did not hear back from the FBI until October 2020, 15 years after Hefner's initial calls. Hefner died in 2017 at the age of 91.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 in a New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. His death sparked speculation about a potential cover-up involving high-profile individuals connected to him.
The lawsuit in which these allegations are detailed accuses the FBI of failing to act on numerous reports of Epstein's sexual abuse dating back to 1996. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for her role in trafficking underage girls for him. No other individuals have been arrested in the U.S. in connection with the financier's crimes.
Hefner himself faced accusations of rape, though these allegations surfaced posthumously. A 2022 docuseries, "Secrets of Playboy," featured multiple women accusing Hefner of sexual assault and other misconduct. However, some, like former Playmate Jenny McCarthy, have defended Hefner, describing the Playboy Mansion during her time there as run like a "strict dormitory."