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Legendary Soul Train creator and host Don Cornelius is at the center of some harrowing sexual assault allegations.
On Jan. 31, former “bunny mother” P.J. Masten accused the late, great television producer of locking two Playboy bunnies up and sexually assaulting them at his home almost two decades ago. The shocking story was revealed in A&E’s documentary series, Secrets of Playboy, which exposes some of the publication’s dark and untold stories.
Masten claimed Cornelius was “a Playboy VIP” and well known amongst the community. One night as the bunnies gathered at a posh Hollywood dance bar, the Soul Train innovator allegedly spotted two new bunnies that were sisters. He asked the girls to join him for a drink in his VIP section, to which they obliged. Later that evening, Masten claimed Cornelius invited the “baby bunnies” over to his house where he was throwing a big party.
Unfortunately, the night took a shocking turn for the worst.
“These two young girls got in his Rolls-Royce, went up to his house and we didn’t hear from them for three days,” Masten alleged in the episode, according to PEOPLE. “We couldn’t figure out where they were.”
After three days of silence, one of the women called Masten at the Playboy Mansion and revealed that she and her sister had been locked up in separate rooms at Cornelius’s home. When they were finally able to break free, Playboy’s head of security, Joe Piastro, found the two women “bloodied, battered [and] drugged,” Masten claimed.
“They were tied up and bound,” she alleged in the docuseries. “There were wooden objects that they were sodomized with and [one sister] could hear [the] other sister being brutalized. It was horrible, horrible.”
Following Monday’s shocking episode, Cornelius’s son, Tony Cornelius released a statement to PEOPLE telling the publication that Masten’s accusations were “unbelievable” and “without real proof.” A disclaimer in the documentary also noted:
“It was probably the most horrific story I’ve ever heard at Playboy,” Masten said of Cornelius’s alleged actions. “This story is the story of a massive cleanup that never hit the press.”
Soul Train made its official premiere in October 1971. The iconic dance show grew popular for its incredible celebrity performances and energetic crowd-goers who showcased their best dance moves during what we know now as the famous Soul Train Line. Cornelius hosted the seminal TV series from 1971 to 1993, building a vital platform to celebrate the art, talent, and history of Black music. A bevy of well-known stars have graced the Soul Train stage, including James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Aretha Franklin. The show’s legacy continues on through its annual awards ceremony which is now produced and aired by BET.
On Feb. 1, 2012, Cornelius died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a 15-year-long battle with severe seizures. According to his son, Tony, Cornelius’s violent seizures were brought on by “extreme pain,” PEOPLE noted.
You can watch a clip from Secrets of Playboy below.
