Playmen Magazine's Scandalous Rise and Fall: A Tale of Controversy and Liberation

In November 2025, the Netflix miniseries "Mrs Playmen" tells the true story of Italy's most famous adult magazine, Playmen, and its co-founder, Adelina Tattilo. Tattilo, a mother of three in her 30s, launched the magazine in the 1960s, inspired by America's Playboy.

Playmen quickly became a huge success, but also faced immense backlash, with many criticizing it as indecent and against the country's Catholic values. However, Tattilo saw the magazine as a tool for female liberation, challenging "archaic attitudes" towards love and sex. "I hope Playmen will contribute to changing, in an intelligent way, certain archaic attitudes toward love and sex among Italian men and women," she told TIME in 1971.

The magazine had its highs and lows, including a large circulation, but also faced lawsuits, run-ins with the law, and a scandal involving nude photos of Jackie Kennedy taken without her consent. Tattilo led Playmen after her then-husband abandoned her amid the obscenity charges.

Despite the controversy, Playmen featured interviews with prominent figures and articles on art, politics, and culture, making it more than just an erotic publication. After the success of Playmen, Tattilo went on to form a publishing empire, launching feminist magazines and books on erotica and politics.