Playboy has said it "strongly supports" women who have recently come forward with allegations against Hugh Hefner, the company's late founder, of "abhorrent actions" including coercing and drugging women into sex at the Playboy Mansion and at nightclubs, BBC reports.

The accusations were brought to light by a new 10-part US documentary series titled 'Secrets of Playboy', which premiered on the A&E Network on January 24.

Hefner, who died in 2017 aged 91, has been described by his former girlfriends as "like a vampire" who "sucked the life" out of young girls, according to the BBC report.

"We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those individuals who have come forward to share their experiences," the company said in an open letter published recently.

"Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy," it said, adding that the company is pledging to "actively listen and learn" from the women.

Stressing that the company has a sex-positive brand image and overwhelmingly large female workforce, Playboy also said it would "continue to confront any parts of our legacy that do not reflect" its values today.

Veteran insiders at the company and former girlfriends recounted a "cult-like" atmosphere around Hefner in the docuseries.

"Women had been groomed and led to believe they were part of his family," said Miki Garcia, a former director of Playmate promotions.

Garcia claimed to have seen many Playmates overdose on drugs.

Holly Madison, Hefner's "special one" and girlfriend for eight years, said the lifestyle at the Playboy Mansion was "a cycle of gross things" that turned her to drinking heavily and considering to take her life.

Madison, who moved into the mansion aged 21, alleged that Hefner had "brainwashed" and "controlled" her to the point she was afraid to leave, according to the BBC report.

"I watched girl after girl show up, fresh-faced, adorable and their beauty just washed away. We were nothing to him," said former model Sondra Theodore (65) who dated Hefner in the 1970s and 80s.

The mansion used to host sex and drugs events on five nights every week, she claimed.

Theodore also said Hefner made her consume cocaine, adding that the narcotic was often so plentiful at home that the dogs would lick it off the floor and became addicted.

Hefner also used to pile up of Quaalude sedatives, said a former executive assistant to the publisher.

The docuseries also came up with details on at least three tragic deaths that took place in Playboy's heyday.

Playboy, founded by Hefner in 1953, went on to become the world's largest-selling men's magazine, selling seven million copies monthly at its peak.

The company in 2020 stopped printing its magazine and relisted on the stock market.