A former Playboy bunny from New Zealand has reflected on her time in the US working for Hugh Hefner.
The founder of the Playboy business empire has died, following months of media reports the 91-year-old had been battling cancer in secret for years.
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Sandra Costa was recruited in the 1970s at only 19 years old - at an advantage, she tells Newshub, by her Kiwi accent.
"As soon as I walked into Playboy it was like magic," Ms Costa says.
"Hefner happened to be down there at that time and they were looking to hire new bunnies. And I walked in and I had probably a fabulous figure, pretty, and a New Zealand accent and they hired me straight away. I thought, oh gosh, what have I done here?"
Hefner took a quick liking to Ms Costa - nicknaming her 'bunny business'. She became so good at her job over the eight years working at Miami and Los Angeles night clubs, she even trained other bunnies to "do the bunny dip".
Back then, Playboy business was booming - but despite being founded decades earlier in 1953, was still considered "controversial", Ms Costa says.
"I was a little scared at the time. But I quickly adapted and it was the best job I ever had."
Ms Costa says Hefner "changed her life" - as he did for many young women.
"He was fabulous... He was such a gentleman and he treated all the girls with respect and he took lots of beautiful young girls who were just growing up and he turned us all into superstars."
She also doesn't forget his "brilliant" journalism skills.
"The Playboy images were one thing - the writing was another."
Ms Costa says she last saw Hefner last year, where it was obvious he had "really aged".
"He came out onto the staircase landing and he looked down and there were about 12 of us bunnies there. He goes, 'oh my goodness, what are all you beautiful girls doing here? I must be doing something right... you're all still so beautiful.'"
For many, Hugh Hefner will be remembered as a sexual symbol. But Ms Costa remembers a "brilliant" man who opened the world up to a young teenage girl, new to America.
"You never expect that somebody is ever really going to pass on because he was kind of immortal to all of us. He was bigger than life."
Newshub.
