Hugh Hefner’s 2005 FBI Outreach Revealed in Court Filings
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner repeatedly contacted the FBI in 2005 on behalf of a model who alleged she had been raped and trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. Federal investigators, however, did not reach out to the victim until 15 years later. The revelation comes from court documents cited by the New York Post.
The details emerge from an amended civil complaint filed in May in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Brought by 32 of Epstein’s alleged victims, the lawsuit targets the United States government. It accuses the Federal Bureau of Investigation of failing to act on multiple reports of sexual abuse and trafficking dating back to 1996.
Audra Lynn Christiansen Turned to Playboy Publisher
Former Playmate Audra Lynn Christiansen turned to Hefner for assistance in 2005. Christiansen was Miss October 2003 and lived at the Beverly Hills mansion at the time. She was 23 years old when she confided in the late magazine publisher about the alleged abuse.
Christiansen reportedly asked Hefner to approach the authorities on her behalf. She believed his law enforcement connections and “clout” would ensure her allegations were taken seriously. The court document states that “Mr. Hefner called the FBI multiple times on behalf of Ms. Christiansen to report Jeffrey Epstein.”
Trafficking Allegations Involving Macau Billionaire Stanley Ho
In addition to the accusations against Epstein, Christiansen claimed in the filing that she was trafficked to Macau casino billionaire Stanley Ho, known as China’s “Godfather of Gambling,” who died in 2020. Department of Justice files released earlier show that Epstein referred to Ho in a 2011 email as the richest man in Hong Kong who “owns most of Macau.”
According to an FBI report of a 2020 call included in the court file, Christiansen told agents that her modeling agents had introduced her to Epstein after her Playboy nude centerfold was published.
A 15-Year Delay Before Federal Investigators Made Contact
Despite Hefner’s repeated calls to the agency in 2005, federal investigators did not contact Christiansen until October 2020—fifteen years after the initial outreach and more than a year after Epstein died in custody.
Jordan Merson, an attorney representing the Epstein victims, told the New York Post that the FBI’s attempts to use procedural technicalities to avoid accountability were “deeply concerning.”
Government Defense and Current Court Status
In June, attorneys representing the federal government moved to have the lawsuit dismissed. They argued in court filings that the agency was not legally required to investigate every complaint it received from the public.
The case remains pending before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
