Crystal Hefner
{{Short description|American model}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Crystal Hefner
| image = Crystal_Hefner_2014.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Hefner in 2014
| alt =
| birth_name = Crystal Harris
| birth_place =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|4|29}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = San Diego State University
| occupation = Model and television personality
| years_active =
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=6}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Hugh Hefner|December 31, 2012|September 27, 2017|end=d.}}
| partner = James Ward (2024–present; engaged)
| children =
| website = {{URL|https://www.crystalhefner.com/}}
| known for = The Girls Next Door
Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 2009
}}
Crystal Hefner ({{née}} Harris; born April 29, 1986) is an American model who was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 2009, and the third wife of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner from December 2012 until his death in September 2017.
Early life and education
Crystal Harris was born in 1986. Her father, Ray Harris, was a singer and songwriter.{{cite web|author=O'Hare, Kevin|title='Girls Next Door' star Crystal Harris signs record contract|url=http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/06/girls_next_door_star_crystal_h.html|date=June 9, 2010|publisher=Mass Live|access-date=June 17, 2010|archive-date=September 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925033345/http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/06/girls_next_door_star_crystal_h.html|url-status=live}} She majored in psychology at San Diego State University.
Career
Harris appeared as "Co-ed of the Week" on Playboy.com during the week of October 30, 2008.{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/01/06/2009-01-06_meet_playboy_founder_hugh_hefners_other_.html |location=New York |work=Daily News |title=Meet Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's other girlfriend, Crystal Harris |first=Korin |last=Miller |date=January 5, 2009 |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |access-date=September 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118012638/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/01/06/2009-01-06_meet_playboy_founder_hugh_hefners_other_.html |url-status=live }} Beginning in late 2009, she appeared in one of the seasons of E!'s The Girls Next Door reality show.
In April 2010, Harris signed a recording contract with Organica Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group, managed by record producer Michael Blakey.Renfrew, Cliff (June 14, 2011). [http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/06/crystal-harris-calls-wedding-using-hugh-hefner-playboy-name-promote-herself "Crystal Harris Still Using Hugh Hefner To Promote Herself After She Calls Off Wedding"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422035913/http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/06/crystal-harris-calls-wedding-using-hugh-hefner-playboy-name-promote-herself |date=April 22, 2012 }}. Radar Online.
In 2012, Harris co-designed a range of swimwear with Australian designer and owner of Veve Glamor Swimwear, Vanessa Bryce.{{cite web|author=Bryce, Vanessa|url=http://veveswimwear.blogspot.com/2012/05/veve-swimwear-photo-shoot-with-crystal.html|title=Veve Swimwear Photo Shoot With Crystal Harris|publisher=Véve Glamour Swimwear|date=May 17, 2012|access-date=September 22, 2013|archive-date=October 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003062633/http://veveswimwear.blogspot.com/2012/05/veve-swimwear-photo-shoot-with-crystal.html|url-status=live}} In 2014, she announced a line of "intimates, athleisure and loungewear" that was co-designed with Rhonda Shear to be sold through her website.{{cite news|title=Playmate News, Girl Talk|newspaper=Playboy|date=December 2014|volume=61|issue=December|page=156}} In 2024, the New York Times reported that she buys and sells rental properties for a living.{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |date=2024-01-17 |title=No More Bunny Business |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/style/crystal-hefner-playboy-only-say-good-things.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201141202/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/style/crystal-hefner-playboy-only-say-good-things.html |url-status=live }}
In 2024, under the name Crystal Hefner, she wrote and released the memoir Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, an instant New York Times bestseller detailing the misogyny and objectification within the Playboy mansion. Its position on the list is marked with a dagger symbol (†),{{Cite news |title=Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Feb. 11, 2024 - The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/02/11/hardcover-nonfiction/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503235408/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/02/11/hardcover-nonfiction/ |url-status=live }} which indicates the Times believes the book has reached the list in a suspicious way, such as through bulk purchases.
Personal life
In January 2009, Harris began dating Hugh Hefner, who was 60 years her senior. She joined the Shannon twins as one of Hefner's girlfriends{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/01/06/2009-01-06_meet_playboy_founder_hugh_hefners_other_.html|title=Meet Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's other girlfriend, Crystal Harris|work=Daily News|publisher=Daily News, L.P.|location=New York|first=Korin|last=Miller|date=January 5, 2009|access-date=January 11, 2016|archive-date=January 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118012638/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/01/06/2009-01-06_meet_playboy_founder_hugh_hefners_other_.html|url-status=live}} after his previous "number one girlfriend", Holly Madison, had ended their seven-year relationship.{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/10/07/2008-10-07_girls_next_doors_holly_madison_splits_wi.html |title='Girls Next Door's' Holly Madison splits with Playboy Hugh Hefner|location=New York|work=Daily News|publisher=Daily News, L.P.|first=Korin|last=Miller|date=October 7, 2008|access-date=January 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009162412/https://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/10/07/2008-10-07_girls_next_doors_holly_madison_splits_wi.html|archive-date=October 9, 2008}} On December 24, 2010, she became engaged to Hefner, to become his third wife.{{cite news|last=Simao|first=Paul|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-hefner-idUSTRE6BP0EO20101226|title=Hugh Hefner Acknowledges Engagement on Twitter|work=Reuters|date=December 26, 2010|archive-date=January 27, 2016|access-date=July 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127075211/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-hefner-idUSTRE6BP0EO20101226|url-status=live}} Harris broke off their engagement on June 14, 2011, five days before their planned wedding.{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/PERSON/CRYSTAL-HARRIS/?adid=sidebarwidget-saga-1|author=TMZ Staff|work=TMZ|publisher=Time Warner|title=Crystal Harris|access-date=January 11, 2016|archive-date=January 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127075210/http://www.tmz.com/PERSON/CRYSTAL-HARRIS/?adid=sidebarwidget-saga-1|url-status=live}} In anticipation of the wedding, the July issue of Playboy, which reached store shelves and customers' homes within days of the wedding date, featured Harris on the cover and in a photo spread. The headline on the cover read "America's Princess, Introducing Mrs. Crystal Hefner."{{cite magazine|magazine=Playboy|title=Cover|date=July 2011}} Hefner and Harris subsequently reconciled and married on December 31, 2012.{{cite news|url=http://people.com/celebrity/hugh-hefner-marries-crystal-harris-at-playboy-mansion/|title=Hugh Hefner Marries Crystal Harris|work=People|date=January 1, 2013|first=Maggie|last=Coughlan|archive-date=September 29, 2017|access-date=September 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929001058/http://people.com/celebrity/hugh-hefner-marries-crystal-harris-at-playboy-mansion/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-hughhefner-marriage-idUSBRE8BU0G620130101|title=Playboy founder Hugh Hefner marries his "runaway bride"|date=January 1, 2013|archive-date=March 1, 2020|access-date=July 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301181447/https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-hughhefner-marriage-idUSBRE8BU0G620130101|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hugh-hefner-crystal-harris-wed-407386|title=Hugh Hefner, Crystal Harris Wed at Playboy Mansion|date=December 31, 2012|work=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=September 28, 2017|access-date=September 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928103410/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hugh-hefner-crystal-harris-wed-407386|url-status=live}}{{cite news | title = Hugh Hefner, Crystal Harris finally marry on New Year's Eve | work = Los Angeles Times | url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-hugh-hefner-crystal-harris-married-20130102,0,4435404.story | date = January 2, 2013 | first= Christie | last = D'Zurilla | access-date= September 18, 2013}} She remained married to Hefner until his death on September 27, 2017. In April 25, 2025, she announced her engagement with James Ward.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/crystal-hefner-engaged-james-ward-exclusive-11727599 |title=Crystal Hefner Is Engaged to James Ward, Reveals Perfect' Wedding Destination (Exclusive) |date=May 2, 2025 |access-date=May 22, 2025 |website=People}}
In 2016, Hefner announced on her social media outlets that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease and toxic mold before finding her symptoms were also due to "breast implant illness". Hefner stated that she experienced "brain fog" and "chronic fatigue" due to the implants but had them removed, which alleviated some of the symptoms.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/CrystalHarrisHefner/posts/1120201251379469:0 |title=My Breast Implants Slowly Poisoned Me |last=Hefner |first=Crystal |date=July 19, 2016 |website=Facebook |access-date=September 28, 2017 |archive-date=May 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501001152/https://www.facebook.com/CrystalHarrisHefner/posts/1120201251379469:0 |url-status=live }}
=Allegations about relationship with Hugh Hefner=
In 2020, Hefner claimed she almost died due to a fat transfer procedure considered to be plastic surgery.{{Cite news|first1 = Lisa Respers | last1 = France | title= Crystal Hefner says she almost died during cosmetic surgery| url = https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/entertainment/crystal-hefner-surgery-trnd/index.html | access-date = January 7, 2021| work = CNN | date = January 7, 2021 }} Her memoir, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, a tell-all memoir about her experiences at the Playboy Mansion and with Hugh Hefner, was published in January 2024.{{cite news | last1 = Kaplan | first1 = Ilana | title = A Former Bunny Puts the Mansion Far Behind Her | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/style/crystal-hefner-playboy-only-say-good-things.html | access-date = January 18, 2024 | work = The New York Times | date = January 18, 2024 | page = D4 | url-access = subscription | archive-date = February 1, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240201141202/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/style/crystal-hefner-playboy-only-say-good-things.html | url-status = live }}{{Cite news | first1 = Eva | last1 = Wiseman | title = 'I had to play mind games to survive': Crystal Hefner on life in the Playboy Mansion | url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/28/crystal-hefner-interview-playboy-mansion-hugh-hefner-wife-only-say-good-things | access-date = January 28, 2024 | work = The Guardian | date = January 28, 2024 | archive-date = February 3, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240203062548/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/28/crystal-hefner-interview-playboy-mansion-hugh-hefner-wife-only-say-good-things | url-status = live }} She backed allegations which surfaced in recent time{{when|date=February 2025}} that the Playboy Mansion was a toxic environment filled with sexual abuse. She claimed she was "imprisoned" during her time at the mansion. In an interview with The Guardian, she claimed that "Hef was on the extreme side of narcissism," and that "I had to play mind games to survive."
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Crystal Harris}}
- {{official website|http://www.crystalhefner.com}}
- {{IMDb name|0364573|Crystal Harris}}
{{Girls Next Door}}
{{Playmates of 2009}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Crystal}}
Category:American expatriates in England
Category:San Diego State University alumni
Category:2000s Playboy Playmates
Category:21st-century American musicians
Category:Participants in American reality television series
Category:21st-century American women musicians
Category:21st-century American singers