Former Playboy playmate Crystal Hefner (née Harris) spoke out about living in the late Hugh Hefner’s “world” in a new statement amid the ongoing A&E series Secrets of Playboy.
“I was a part of Hugh Hefner’s world for over a decade,” the former Playmate of the Month, 35, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, February 17. “By the time I left, it had been a third of my life. I was with him through wild times, calm times, and all the times in between up until the day he passed away in September 2017. That day was very hard. I have lost a lot of people in my life and death is a difficult topic for me.”
She then explained why she remained “more private” since the magazine publisher’s death. “I’m an introvert at heart and while the mansion in some ways was a sanctuary, in other ways I was exploited like never before,” Crystal added in her lengthy caption.
“I’ve been on the fence about telling my story because it’s complicated and conflicting in ways. But I think the best way to tell it is to be 100 percent honest and transparent so my lessons can hopefully help you too. I will tell you about my life and how my upbringing and years leading up to the Halloween party where I met Hef was the perfect storm that whisked me through those gates.”
The model also pointed out that she “longed for freedom from what I found myself in … after experiencing the grueling opposite for 10 years.”
“I’m ready to tell my story,” Crystal concluded. “I’m ready to tell you what it was really like. How my personal path lead me to Hef’s ‘shangri la’ and what I wish every woman would know. I will share how power, greed, narcissism, and a girls quest to feel loved, powerful, important and have a sense of belonging led her down a dangerous path. I’m still trying to heal from what I went through but I am ready to share the journey.”
Crystal has become more vocal in recent months about her experience living at the mansion and her marriage to Hugh. The two wed in 2012 and stayed together until his death in 2017 when he was 91.
Secrets of Playboy aired its first episode on January 24 and includes candid interviews and other moments with former Playmates and insiders close to the brand.
This wasn’t Crystal’s first time speaking out about her past lifestyle. The E! alum shared a separate Instagram post in December 2021, in which she called the mansion a “prison.”
“The same with Hef,” the model wrote at the time. “He was good to me in many ways, but in other ways, he wasn’t. I’m still healing from certain experiences.”