Holly Madison Says She “Tried” Exotic Dancing But Doesn’t Have Enough Arm Strength

Holly Madison admits that she’s tried exotic dancing in the third episode of the second season of her true crime series Lethally Blonde on Investigation Discovery — and it didn’t go well.

“I tried to do it before and I have no arm strength, I can’t do any of it,” Madison says about erotic dancing in the episode. “So, people were definitely gaining more respect for what it meant to be good at it.”

The former Playmate also defends women who are slammed for taking jobs in the adult industry. “People want to shame women for owning their sexuality but there’s definitely a feeling of power and excitement when you’re able to use your looks to make money and be up on that stage and see people admire you,” Madison says.

In an earlier episode, Madison named “major movie stars” Channing Tatum, Javier Bardem, and Chris Pratt for starting in entertainment as exotic dancers.

“When you’re trying to get started in show business, it can be a common path for people to get into exotic dancing as well. It’s a flexible schedule, so you can be free for auditions,” she shares.

The third episode of the true crime series, “Dirty Dancing,” follows single mother and exotic dancer Crystal Mangum who was convicted for the murder of her boyfriend.

Commenting on the downsides of working as an exotic dancer, Madison says, “Sometimes customers think that they own you if they’re giving you a few dollars, and oftentimes boundaries get crossed.”

Mangum drew media attention years prior to the murder for falsely accusing a team of Duke lacrosse players of raping her. The case was explored in the 30 for 30 episode “Fantastic Lies,” which aired in 2016.

Lethally Blonde airs Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET on ID and streams on Discovery+.