All About Holly Madison’s 2 Kids, Rainbow and Forest

Meet Holly Madison’s little ones.

The former Playboy Bunny-turned-author-and-entrepreneur is the mother of two kids, daughter Rainbow and son Forest. She welcomed them with ex-husband Pasquale Rotella in March 2013 and August 2016, respectively.

“We want a huge family, like a Kardashian-sized family,” Madison told PEOPLE just nine weeks after giving birth to Rainbow. “I want to have three, then wait a few years for them to be older, then have another three.”The

Madison and Rotella wed in October 2013 and finalized their divorce five years later. Since her two children were born, Madison — who shares custody of her children with her ex-husband — has been “very, very protective” of their privacy.

“When my kids were babies, I used to post pictures of them on social media, but when they got old enough to be about in preschool and they’re kind of out in the world, I started feeling like that wasn’t the best choice and it wasn’t the safest thing to do,” she told PEOPLE in November 2023.

“And just everything I’ve been through being in the public eye and social media and seeing the things people write about me, I really want to be protective of my kids and give them the opportunity to choose when and if they’re ever going to be public online,” Madison continued.

Here’s everything to know about Holly Madison’s 2 kids, Rainbow and Forest.

Rainbow

Madison and Rotella welcomed their first child, daughter Rainbow Aurora, on March 5, 2013. She was born in a Las Vegas hospital at 11:59 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs., 2 oz.

“I wanted to give my daughter a unique name,” Madison explained to E! News shortly after the arrival of her firstborn. “Growing up, there was a girl in my school named Rainbow and I was so envious of that name. I thought it was so pretty and unique!”

Nine weeks after giving birth to Rainbow, the former Girls Next Door star told PEOPLE that she was “loving motherhood,” but was still adjusting to the unexpected challenges that come with raising babies.

“Things never work out the way you think they will… Right now the spit-ups have started,” Madison said. Despite the common frustrations, though, Madison was all-in on growing her family as soon as possible: “I want to be that minivan mom,” she said. “The one piled full of kids.”

When Rainbow was three years old, Madison shared updates with PEOPLE about her little one’s personality. “She’s very particular about things she likes,” she said of Madison. “And she gets frustrated easily — I do too!”

Though only a toddler at the time, Madison also told PEOPLE that she’d be open and honest with Rainbow about her own past, including when times were tough. “I would love for my daughter to learn from me… I want to share all my experiences, the ups and downs.”

Madison, who moved into Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner’s mansion when she was just 21 years old and spent the remainder of her twenties being forced to conform to a certain look Hefner preferred, previously told PEOPLE that she was “the shy violet in the corner trying to be nice all the time” in her 20s.

“That can get you in a lot of trouble,” she added. “I want Rainbow to learn to be verbal and stand up for herself. If I could go back, I’d be a lot more outspoken. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be made to feel less than.”

As for whether she’d allow her daughter to ever pose for something like Playboy? “Never,” Madison said at the time.

“I want her to be confident and realize that there are ways to feel beautiful without exploiting yourself or putting yourself out there in a way you might regret. I want her to have respect for herself,” she added.

Forest

Madison and Rotella welcomed their second child, son Forest Leonardo Antonio, on Aug. 7, 2016. Rotella was first to announce the news of their baby boy’s arrival on Instagram.

“What an incredible week. A crazy, stressful start, which transformed into this magical moment. First, a five-year-long indictment against me was finally dismissed; then yesterday Holly, Rainbow & I welcomed a healthy 8-pound, 14-ounce baby boy to the family,” he wrote in part, sharing a photo of his newborn son’s hand in his.

Meanwhile, when Forest was six weeks old, Madison — who also posted on her own social media when her baby boy was born — opened up to PEOPLE about the “stressful” three days that came immediately after his birth.

At the time, Forest was swiftly taken to the NICU where he was hooked up to “a million machines.” She recalled that medical staff “took him away to get the fluid out of his lungs. First it was the fluid, then it was jaundice, then his eyes weren’t dilating, and I spent hours thinking my baby couldn’t see.”

But after doctors deemed Forest perfectly healthy, Madison and Rotella brought their baby home. In the almost two months that followed Forest’s birth, Madison said her “sweet” son was bonding well with the family, and his big sister Rainbow had “been great.” (Though, she pointed out that “diaper changes are way harder with a boy.”)

As for the meaning behind Forest’s moniker, Madison previously explained to PEOPLE that she and Rotella “liked the name because it’s just a very nature-themed name and it goes with Rainbow.”

She continued, “I came up with [his middle name, Leonardo,] because people would ask me when I was due and people would say, ‘Oh, he’s a Leo!’ So I kept thinking that was a sign.”

Like Rainbow, Madison prioritizes Forest’s privacy. In fact, that preference was influenced by an interview the mom of two did shortly after welcoming her son. 

“They’d ask me about him and they’d be like, ‘Oh, so did you circumcise your son?’ I’m like, I’m not going to tell anybody that!” she told PEOPLE. “I don’t want somebody 15 years down the road who’s in my son’s school to be able to Google what his penis looks like! You know what I mean?”

Now, if Madison does opt to post a photo of herself with either or both of her kids, she covers their faces with emojis. She herself remains public-facing, though, and tells PEOPLE her kids keep her humble regarding beauty standards.

“I’m very relieved because my daughter and my son both roast me for dyeing my hair, they roast me for having extensions. They roast me when I wear a lot of makeup, so I think I’m good,” Madison said with a laugh.

“Knock on wood, I think they’re not going to fall into the trap of trying to make themselves look over-processed or trying too hard for the beauty standard because they are over it,” she added.