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Who is Izabella St James? Hugh Hefner's former lover reveals Playboy founder's strict rules for his girlfriends

'He created his own world, his own fantasy where he set his own rules. And I wanted to learn more,' said Izabella St James

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A former lover of Hugh Hefner divulges the severe rules set by the founder of Playboy for his women. Izabella St James who accepted the invitation to become one of Hefner's seven girlfriends while still a 26-year-old law student, said "Sharing the boyfriend lessens the burden," as per Fox News.

The robe-clad, pipe-smoking founder of Playboy magazine died in 2017 at the age of 91. The 10-part 'Secrets of Playboy' docuseries on A&E focused on the magazine tycoon in 2022 with the intention of examining the brand's founder and his murky past. A second, eight-episode season of the show has been announced, and it will reportedly examine how various models' lives were affected by their affiliation with Playboy. Former Playmates and girlfriends are featured in fresh interviews.

Who is Izabella St James?

Izabella St James is a former Playboy bunny and the author of the memoir 'Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion'. She was Hugh Hefner's girlfriend between 2002 and 2004 and opened up about what it was like to live on the Playboy estate. She is a human rights advocate who has also practiced law and worked for a number of institutions, including Amnesty International and the United Nations.

'He created his own fantasy where he set his own rules'

St James, 47, admitted to Fox News Digital that she was first reluctant to discuss "my ex-boyfriend from 20 years ago," and she even turned down the opportunity to feature in the pilot episode. But this time, she wanted to present an alternative viewpoint on what life at the Playboy Mansion was actually like. "I thought his whole world was just fascinating," she stated. "I’m an immigrant kid. I was born in Poland. I grew up in Canada. I lived in a completely different bubble. And here was this person who created his own reality. He created his own world, his own fantasy where he set his own rules. And I wanted to learn more." St James would frequent LA nightclubs on the weekends while she wasn't in class. She was picked up there by the 75-year-old man who surrounded himself with gorgeous blonde women. "My friend from law school, who I was with, wanted to meet him so badly," she recounted. "It was her dream to write for Playboy... She approached him and said hello. He then invited us over to the mansion the following weekend."

'He had his secretary buy me a new laptop'

"My initial impression of Hugh Hefner was that of a perfect gentleman," she noted. "He was very gracious. He was very kind, polite and treated me like a lady. He invited us for games and drinks. There was a buffet dinner and a movie that was currently in theaters being played." St James started spending more time at the estate with Hefner and stated that when the mogul repeatedly requested her to be one of his girlfriends, she refused saying "I had homework."

"One time I couldn’t go out because my computer broke down, and I was having a full meltdown," she claimed. "It’s a nightmare when you’re a broke student in law school, you have a paper due and your laptop suddenly crashes. But he had his secretary buy me a new laptop."

'It’s not your stereotypical, orthodox relationship'

St James formally joined Hefner's posse of girlfriends in 2002, following law school. Later, she settled into the mansion and was never photographed for the magazine. She claimed she was never a Playmate. It was "bizarre" to have a considerably older boyfriend who was also well-known. "I’m not going to pretend or lie – it was very weird to be part of a group of seven girlfriends dating the same guy," she mentioned. "But people have to understand it’s not your stereotypical, orthodox relationship. He had one main girlfriend who shared his bedroom. The rest of us had our own bedrooms. We were able to do whatever we wanted throughout the day. A couple of nights a week, we would go out to nightclubs. And then a couple of nights a week, we would have the opportunity to be intimate with him if we wanted to."

'He never slept in my room'

"He never came into my room by himself," St James added. "He never slept in my room. He never slept in my bed. I never slept with Hef, like actual sleeping. It was a very casual relationship. It was like being part of the Playboy empire, the Playboy machine. It’s not the typical emotional or physical connection that you would have in a relationship. And with seven girlfriends, the contact was really minimal."

What were the strict rules?

However, some strict ground rules were applied. "We had to be home by 9 pm, so we had a curfew," St James revealed. "Hef didn’t want girls to go out and party without him. I suppose he didn’t want us to have the opportunity to be unfaithful, which leads to the second rule. You don’t cheat on Hef. He’s your boyfriend regardless of the level of intimacy. He took that very seriously. You had to be respectful. There was no mingling with the staff. You weren’t supposed to be hanging out with the butlers."

'I wasn’t there to marry Hef'

St James reportedly left the mansion in 2004. One of Hefner's other girlfriends, who was also her best friend, was expelled following an argument. She understood that her time had "run its course," according to St James. Soon after, additional girlfriends appeared. The remaining three went on to become the stars of the reality television program 'The Girls Next Door.' "I wasn’t there to marry Hef or spend the rest of my life at the mansion," she stated. "I craved a change… And I guess Holly got what she wanted." St James is currently the CEO of a nonprofit organization that helps save pugs.