A model has opened up about what she describes as a harsh audition routine in her attempts to secure a spot connected to Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Bunny scene in the early 2000s.
Glamour model Jessica Barton said that, despite what many assumed from the outside, the women involved weren’t necessarily earning the “life-changing” sums people imagined.
Reflecting on the late 90s and early 2000s, she argued the reality was far less glamorous than the image, claiming the girls “worked insanely hard for very little”.
“If you were a blonde bombshell in the early 2000s, becoming a Playboy Bunny or Playmate was the dream,” Barton claimed.
“All my friends were getting picked and I kept thinking, ‘Choose me next’.”
While she says she never ultimately became a mansion “bunny”, Barton explained she was still frequently present in the wider Playboy orbit—attending parties, getting booked for club appearances, and appearing in smaller publications and special editions.
Discussing money, Barton said public perception was miles away from her experience: “People think we were making millions but honestly, most of us were broke.
“I was probably making around £15,000 to £20,000 a year modelling and travelling constantly.”
Even with relatively low pay, she said competition remained intense, with huge numbers of hopefuls turning up for a chance to be noticed.
“There were thousands of girls trying to become the next big thing,” she added.
“You had to constantly look perfect because there was always another girl waiting behind you.”
Barton said the process itself could feel ruthless and impersonal, with long waits for only a brief interaction.
Barton said: “You’d stand in line for hours hoping someone from Hef’s team would notice you.
“They’d take your photos, talk to you for five minutes and then send you on your way.”
Now 42 and living in Orlando, she said the workload could be relentless, and that she would sometimes finish a day of shoots only to bartend “all night” in order to cover her costs.
Still, Barton—who now works as a content creator—said there were parts of the lifestyle she genuinely enjoyed.
“The parties were honestly the fun part,” she said.
“You’d get paid to show up, drink champagne and look pretty.”
She also pointed to the gap between what the public saw and what participants experienced behind the scenes.
Speaking about the perception, Barton added: “Everybody saw the mansion and the parties.
“They didn’t see the rejection, the auditions or the girls crying because they weren’t chosen.”
She said that despite repeatedly putting herself forward, she was regularly passed over while watching friends secure Playmate roles—and, in some cases, even earn Playmate of the Year.
According to Barton, even those headline titles didn’t necessarily translate into long-term financial security.
“If you became Playmate of the Month, you’d get paid once and then still be tied into contracts doing signings and appearances,” she noted.