Hugh Hefner reported Jeffrey Epstein to the FBI after Playmate accused late financier of rape and sex trafficking

By JACQUES PETERSON, US SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER Published: 02:09, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 02:20, 15 August 2026 Late Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner allegedly called the FBI to report convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after a Playmate told him that she'd been raped and trafficked by the disgraced financier. According to the New York Post, Audra Lynn Christiansen, a 2003 Playmate, was living with Hefner at the Playboy Mansion when she turned to him for help, claiming that she had been raped by Epstein and trafficked to his wealthy friends.    She claims that in 2005 she asked Hefner to call the authorities on her behalf due to his celebrity status and connections, hoping that his clout would help her allegations to be taken more seriously. According to the complaint, which is cited by the New York Post, 'Mr. Hefner called the FBI multiple times on behalf of Ms. Christiansen to report Jeffrey Epstein.'  The allegations are detailed in an amended complaint filed in May in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  The lawsuit, brought by Epstein victims, accuses the FBI of failing to act on multiple reports of his sexual abuse dating back to 1996. Late Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner allegedly called the FBI to report convicted sex offender after a Playmate told him that she'd been raped and trafficked by the disgraced fancier Audra Lynn Christiansen, a 2003 Playmate, was living with Hefner at the Playboy Mansion when she turned to him for help, claiming that she had been raped by Epstein  Christiansen, now 46, claims that she didn't hear back from the FBI until October 2020 – fifteen years after Hefner, who died in 2017, had called them.  She reportedly told FBI agents that she'd been introduced to Epstein after her 2003 Playboy shoot was released.  Christiansen also briefly appeared on E!'s The Girls Next Door reality show and had a minor part in the 2007 spoof film Epic Movie.   The allegations are detailed in a new lawsuit which was first reported by Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown, who shared it on her Substack blog. The Daily Mail has contacted Playboy for comment.   Epstein killed himself inside of his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City at the age of 66 in August 2019.   At the time of his death, he had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking minors and conspiracy, and was awaiting trial when he died. His suicide fueled public speculation that he was assassinated as part of a cover-up to protect high-profile individuals who were potentially complicit in his crimes. Christiansen is pictured with fellow Playmate Michele Rogers at a Playboy pool party From that, a theory emerged that the well-connected financier maintained a list of clients to whom underage girls were trafficked.  Aside from his longtime associate and former lover Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to serve 20 years behind bars in June 2022 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, there have been no US arrests relating to the financier. Hefner was also accused of rape, although all the allegations against him came out after he died in 2017 at age 91. Many women who previously dated and worked with the late magazine editor detailed alleged encounters with him and made numerous explosive accusations as part of the A&E docuseries Secrets of Playboy in 2022. Throughout the series, multiple women accused Hefner of sexual assault, bestiality, and other sexual misconduct. Christiansen reportedly told FBI agents that she'd been introduced to Epstein after her 2003 Playboy shoot was released before being raped and trafficked to his wealthy friends However, others later defended the Playboy mogul, including actress and former Playmate Jenny McCarthy.   McCarthy - who first modeled for Playboy in 1993 and moved into the mansion soon after - recalled the house being run like a 'strict dormitory.' 'We weren’t even allowed near Hef or around the house. It was almost like Catholic school, to be honest,' she said on Zack Peter's No Filter. She explained that when she lived in the mansion, Hefner was married to Playmate Kimberley Conrad, who was his main focus 'I’m so grateful that when I was there, Hef was married,' she said. 'I think I went in there in a window of time that was kind of safe. There were no orgies or big parties going on. But hearing some of these girls’ stories was really rough. Hearing their stories, my heart broke for a lot of these women.'