Who Is Hugh Hefner’s Wife? All About Crystal Hefner

Crystal Hefner opens up about her relationship with the late Hugh Hefner and her time at the Playboy Mansion.

The former model first met Hugh at a Halloween party in 2008, and the couple tied the knot four years later on New Year’s Eve 2012. Crystal and Hugh were married for almost five years, until Playboy the founder passed away in September 2017.

On the third anniversary of Hugh’s death in 2020, Crystal made an Instagram post honoring her late husband. “Three years. Hard to believe,” she wrote in the description. “Thank you for always being my greatest ally, teaching me the definition of kindness and making me feel extremely important and adored for ten years. I will be forever grateful.”

Hugh Hefner: His Life in Pictures

In the years since Hugh’s death, Crystal has focused on healing and making a fresh start for herself. He is preparing to publish his memoirs, Say only good things: surviving Playboy and finding yourselfin January 2024, which deals with her childhood and life in the Playboy mansion.

“It’s called Say only good things because i [had] Talking to Hef and him letting me know, ‘Once I’m gone, when I’m gone, please only say good things about me,'” Crystal told New York Post in July 2023. “I’ve kept that promise for the last five years… I realize that it’s OK … to speak up and not be OK with some of the things I’ve been through,” she added.

Speaking to PEOPLE ahead of the book’s release in 2024, Crystal revealed that she was never “in love” with Hugh, saying, “I realized I was dealing with a really big power imbalance. It seemed like a world of success and fantasy, but everyone has to sleep with To an 80-year-old. There is a price. Everything has a price.”

So who is the late Hugh Hefner’s wife? Here’s everything you need to know about Crystal Hefner and her relationship with Playboy publisher.

She grew up in the USA and Great Britain

Crystal Hefner and her mom Lee Lovitt.

Instagram Crystal Hefner

Crystal was born in Lake Havasu, Arizona, to British parents Lee Lovitt and Ray Harris. During the performance at Tick ​​Boot Camp podcast in December 2021, the former model opened up about her childhood in the United States and the United Kingdom.

“My parents were British and they wanted to have me in America so I could be a citizen because eventually they wanted to come back,” she explained. “Mom wanted to receive me there [in Lake Havasu] because there is a replica of London Bridge. So my early childhood was spent more in England.”

After spending her early childhood in the United Kingdom, Crystal and her family eventually settled in San Diego, California. Crystal studied psychology at the University of San Diego and worked part-time as a model New York Post.

She met Hugh in 2008

When she was 21, Crystal sent a photo of her attending a Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion, where she said she and Hugh bonded over their interest in psychology. Soon after, she was asked to move into the villa and made her debut there Playboy a year later as a magazine game friend in December 2009.

Reflecting on their first meeting, Crystal told PEOPLE 2024 that it wasn’t as romantic as it seemed. “I thought, wow, if I just like everything he likes and do all the things he wants me to do, then I’m the favorite. And I was, but I just got lost in the process,” she said.

She and Hugh got engaged in 2010

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris celebrate Hefner’s 85th birthday at the Palms Casino Resort on April 9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ethan Miller/WireImage

After dating for two years, Hugh and Crystal got engaged over the holidays in 2010. Playboy founder broke the news on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“After the movie tonight, Crystal and I exchanged gifts. I gave Crystal the ring. A truly unforgettable Christmas Eve,” he wrote. “When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in living memory.”

However, days before the couple were to tie the knot at the Playboy Mansion in June 2011, they decided to call off the wedding.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to end my engagement to Hef,” Crystal wrote on her website. “I have the utmost respect for Hef and wish him all the best for the future. I hope the media will give each of us the privacy we deserve during this time.” In 2024, Crystal revealed that she had a brief relationship with Dr. Phil’s son, Jordan McGraw, after the engagement was called off.

However, Crystal and Hugh finally reconciled in June 2012. Crystal confirmed the news on Xu, writing that she was Hugh’s “#1 girlfriend again” and that they were “happy”.

She married Hugh in 2012

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris attend the Beverly Hills City Council and Playboy Enterprises, Inc. celebration. on the occasion of the return of the Playboy headquarters to Beverly Hills on August 7, 2012.

David Livingston/Getty

Less than a year after reconciling, Crystal and Hugh tied the knot at the Playboy Mansion on New Year’s Eve 2012. The media mogul confirmed their marriage in a message on X. “Crystal and I got married on New Year’s Day at the mansion with Keith as my best man. I love that girl!” he wrote.

Crystal also shared her excitement on the morning of their wedding. “Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner. I feel very happy, lucky and blessed,” she wrote on X.

For their wedding, Crystal wore a strapless floor-length gown in soft pink, while Hugh opted for a black tuxedo. They celebrated their union with a private reception, which included a champagne toast and wedding cake, before attending the villa’s annual New Year’s party.

The couple remained married until Hugh died of natural causes aged 91 in September 2017.

She is an entrepreneur

Crystal retired from the modeling industry in January 2018, according to her LinkedIn. Since then she started working as a real estate agent.

Speaking with Los Angeles Times in November 2018, Crystal shared that her mother worked in the same industry for years, which inspired her to get her license at 18.

“My mom is a real hustler, which helped her a lot in real estate,” Crystal told the business paper. “My strength is developing my own properties.”

Crystal is also president of the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation since October 2022, according to her LinkedIn. In addition to her work in philanthropy and real estate, Crystal started a podcast called Below the surface in November 2023, which explores themes of health, love and self-worth.

He likes to travel

Crystal Hefner in Egypt.

Instagram Crystal Hefner

When she’s not at home in Los Angeles or on her farm in Hawaii, Crystal loves to travel the world. The entrepreneur told New York Post in July 2023 that she wasn’t allowed to go far while living in the Playboy Mansion, but has since visited places like Africa and Australia.

In 2023 and 2024, Crystal traveled to England, Greece and Saint Martin — she spent New Year 2023 in St. Barths, where she watched the fireworks from the boat. Some of the other places the former model has visited include Egypt, Maldives and Dubai.

“I feel like I’m either a total housewife and don’t go anywhere when I’m home in Los Angeles, or I’m leaving the states and having tons of adventures around 🌍,” Crystal wrote on Instagram after a trip to Egypt in 2021. “I could travel forever. ‘Nostalgia’ doesn’t apply to me. My wanderlust is too strong.”

She was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2016

Crystal Hefner.

Instagram Crystal Hefner

Crystal was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease, in March 2016. She shared the news on Instagram, urging her followers to be aware of potential symptoms, including fatigue and brain fog.

“If you’ve EVER HIKED please get tested for #LymeDisease… I was diagnosed a few days ago and have a long way to go,” she wrote in the caption. “I always thought I was a hypochondriac. Doctors told me it was just ‘stress’ or ‘all in my head’, but I finally figured it out, and so can you.”

Since her diagnosis, the former model has continued to raise awareness about Lyme disease. “I don’t often post about Lyme disease here, but I’m so happy and proud to participate in my second Lyme disease event yesterday,” she wrote on Instagram in March 2020.

“My years in the Playboy mansion weren’t true to me and we’re pretty toxic physically and emotionally,” Crystal added. “Lyme disease really put things into perspective for me. Now I’m only focused on things that are good for me mentally, physically and spiritually.”

She is very open on social networks

Crystal has also been open about her mental health journey and experience with cosmetic procedures on social media.

Shortly after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in March 2016, the former model revealed on Facebook that she had her breast implants removed because they were “slowly poisoning her.”

“I immediately noticed that my neck and shoulder pain was gone and I could breathe much better,” she said in a post from July 2016. “I know I’m not going to feel 100% overnight. My implants took 8 years to make me this sick, so I know it will take time to feel better.”

Crystal was also candid about her search for a more authentic life, which included being honest about her mental health issues. After having a brain scan in February 2022, the former model posted photos of her results on Instagram and spoke openly about her experience.

“I highly recommend if you’re struggling mentally to really dig in and find out what’s going on because there are so many ways to help yourself heal and feel better,” she wrote in the caption. “I’ve felt really trapped in my mind for so long that it’s nice to know there are ways to heal. It also helps confirm that my past traumas are real and have affected my brain.”

She wrote a memoir about her life with Hugh

Crystal Hefner and Hugh Hefner at the BFF Luncheon honoring Raquel Pomplun on May 9, 2013.

Kevan Brooks/Admedia/Sipa/Shutterstock

In February 2022, a former friend announced that she was working on a memoir. In a post on Instagram, Crystal revealed that despite being “increasingly private over the years,” she was ready to “share the journey.”

“I refused to tell my story because it’s complicated and contradictory in ways,” she wrote in the caption. “I’m going to tell you about my life and how my upbringing and the years leading up to the Halloween party where I met Hef were the perfect storm that led me through that door.”

Crystal’s memoirs, Say only good things: surviving Playboy and finding yourselfout January 23, 2024. She exclusively revealed the cover of her book to PEOPLE in October 2023 and opened up about the story she wanted to tell.

“Say only good things is the honest story of my life, which is also the experience of so many girls and women who grow up believing that their value comes from how they look, and that value can be given to them by other people, but also taken away,” she explained. “It’s the book I wanted read when I was young.”

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Source: HIS Education