Hugh Hefner’s Wife Says She Needed ‘Deprogramming’ After Leaving Playboy Mansion
Celebrities often leave behind legacies that ensure their names will live on. Unfortunately, not all lasting legacies are positive ones, and the personal details revealed about Hugh Hefner’s life have largely been salacious. While Hefner built a fortune on his Playboy Mansion persona, the women in his life have come forward to talk about just how damaging that fame was for them.
Crystal Hefner — who was married to Hugh Hefner at the time of his death in 2017 — said she needed “deprogramming” after leaving the mansion.
Crystal Hefner was Hugh Hefner’s third (and final) wife
Hugh Hefner’s entire public persona was built around his “player” lifestyle, so there were many women in and out of his life over the years. He had multiple “girlfriends” at a time and infamously took a controlling stance toward their behavior and looks while in his “service.” Dozens of women can claim a personal connection to Hefner, but only three made the official step of tying the knot with the ultimate playboy.
As Hollywood Life reports, Hefner first wed his high school sweetheart Mildred Williams way back in 1949 — long before many of his future lovers were even born! The couple had two children and eventually split after a decade of marriage. However, Williams continued to be in Hefner’s professional life, serving as Playboy Enterprises Chairman and CEO until 2008. Hefner maintained his bachelor status for decades before again tying the knot. This second marriage was to Kimberly Conrad, 1989’s Playmate of the Year. The pair welcomed two children but separated in 1998 after just under a decade of marriage. They didn’t officially divorce until 2010.
That opened the door to Hefner’s final marriage. Crystal Harris and Hefner were originally engaged in 2010, but Harris called off the nuptials just days before the event. After a reconciliation, they got married in 2012, despite a 60-year age gap. When Hefner died at the age of 91 in September 2017, Crystal was still by his side. At the time of his death, Crystal was devastated and spoke highly of her husband: “He was an American hero. A pioneer. A kind and humble soul who opened his life and home to the world.”
Crystal Hefner has spoken out about her experiences
While Crystal Hefner had positive things to say about her late husband in the immediate aftermath of his death, reflection about her position has changed her tune. Many former Playmates have come forward to reveal a toxic environment built on manipulation and control within the Playboy mansion.
In an interview with The New York Post, Crystal Hefner added her voice to the mix. “It was very, very fast. I think he had a lot of experience with just moving people in right away,” Crystal explained of Hugh Hefner’s insistence that she move in with him and his 18-year-old twin girlfriends just days after meeting. He overwhelmed her with affection: “I’ve learned all about love bombing since then.”
Crystal Hefner penned a memoir about her experiences
For many years, Crystal Hefner stayed positive about her marriage to Hugh Hefner. This was, in fact, one of his final requests. Crystal had “a conversation with Hef and he let me know: ‘Once I go, when I’m gone, please only say good things about me.'”
“I kept that promise for the last five years,” she explained. “After going through a lot of therapy and healing, I realized that I needed to be honest about my time there. The book is about healing from a toxic environment.” It’s title — Only Say Good Things — is a nod to the controlling man’s final directive and her commitment to telling her truth.
