Kriti Mehrotra
As not only a Playmate but also the Director of Promotions at Playboy Enterprises (1973-1982), many might’ve considered Miki Garcia to be someone who’d never speak up against the brand, yet she did. The former model did protect the organization while working there, but — having allegedly endured harassment as well as sexual abuse herself — once she realized that Hugh Hefner “just didn’t care” about the women, her stance changed. Now that ‘Secrets of Playboy’ has explored Miki Garcia’s tale as well, let’s find out more about her life after she left the company, along with what she’s up to these days!
Miki Garcia’s Life After Playboy
Miki Garcia had dreamed of becoming a psychiatrist when she was younger, but a lack of funds made her turn towards pageants and modeling. It was there that she caught the eye of Playboy’s photo editor, leading to the start of a 9-year journey that eventually made her hate herself, as per the A&E original. From the unspoken sexual condition for the Playmate of the Year title that Miki refused to meet to how she aimed to provide opportunities to the models, only to squelch their stories later, it all hurt her. However, the last straw for Miki was Dorothy Stratten’s death after she tried to warn others of her situation.
Therefore, in 1985, five years after Dorothy’s murder and three years after she parted ways with Playboy, Miki stood before the U.S. Attorney General’s commission on pornography to reveal everything she’d witnessed. She alleged that grooming, rape, attempted suicides, drugs, physical abuse, prostitution, and other types of violent crimes were all a part of the Playboy lifestyle, adding that Hugh Hefner either condoned or coerced every bit of it. “I hope that my testimony will bring to light the inherent evils within the Playboy organization,” she said.
Miki continued, “I believe that for the most part, the Playmates’ problems were as a result of their association with Hugh Hefner, his friends, and Playboy magazine.” Yet, the media mogul’s team denied the accusations by claiming she simply lied under oath for personal benefits. “This ex-employee has been attempting to peddle a book about Playboy which has been rejected by every publisher to whom it has been submitted,” a statement from Playboy read. ″[She] is apparently using the commission as a forum to stir interest in her otherwise rejected manuscript.”
Where is Miki Garcia Now?
Since the 1980s, Miki Garcia has moved on with her life to the best of her abilities, and she now seems perfectly content with her status as well as standing. In fact, upon understanding that her love for beautiful homes could be turned into a genuine career, the California native worked in the real estate industry as an agent after obtaining her license in 2000.
Moreover, around that same time, Miki also started writing a column called ‘Ask Miki’ for a couple of newspapers and ended up creating a good life for herself. Thus, today, in her mid-70s, Miki Garcia is opening up about Playboy in detail to give a voice to those who once had no one to defend them.
Read More: Where is PJ Masten Now?
