Hugh Hefner’s Widow Crystal Recalls 'Running For The Hills' When He First Proposed

Crystal Hefner, the former Playmate and former wife of the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is opening up about the surprising circumstances surrounding his proposal to her. 

While their life at the famed Playboy Mansion might have appeared like a fantasy from afar, Crystal delves into the reality, including her late partner's use of performance-enhancing drugs that led to an unexpected medical consequence. 

The TV personality's narrative in her memoir "Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself" unveiled the complexities of her relationship with Hugh. It highlighted the power imbalance that lurked beneath the facade of success and fantasy. 

The 37-year-old's journey into the late 91-year-old's world started with a proposal she could not quite commit to, leading to her fleeing the situation. 

But after a tumultuous relationship with Dr. Phil's son Jordan, she returned to become Hugh's wife. Despite acknowledging her love for the late entrepreneur, she admitted never being "in love" with him.

While she served as his caregiver in his final years, the facade of their relationship showed a profound lack of emotional connection. Crystal reflected on the perceived glamour, telling PEOPLE:

"I realized I was dealing with a really big power imbalance. It seemed like a world of success and fantasy, but everyone's having to sleep with an 80-year-old. There's a price. Everything has a price."

Thinking back on the period following her acceptance of the late actor's invitation to the mansion in October 2008, she shared, "I thought, wow, if I just like everything that he likes and do all the things that he wants me to do, then I'm the favorite. And I was, but I just lost myself in the process." 

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" guest star's directive to "only say good things" about him, as revealed in the memoir, set the tone for a tale beyond the Playboy mansion's opulence. Crystal recounted his words to her:

"I want you to continue my legacy going forward…and I want to remind you to only say good things about me." 

Initially keeping her promise, she eventually broke her silence, disclosing the strict rules imposed by Hugh, including a weekly allowance with specific instructions on its use to enhance the girlfriends' appearances. 

The controlled narrative extended to trivial matters like nail polish colors, forbidding anything other than neutral shades, and even dictating hair color. This action led to painful scalp experiences in the pursuit of the international s-x icon's definition of beauty.

Beyond the glitz and glamour, the late businessman faced the challenges of aging but maintained a spirited pursuit of pleasure even in the twilight of his life. In a candid interview, his third wife, Crystal, shared that the overuse of the blue pill ultimately led to hearing issues for the late Playboy magnate.

She noted that their activities often involved group s-x, and to keep up, Hugh would rely on Viagra to maintain vitality during these elaborate sessions. Providing a rare peek into what activities went on in the legendary Playboy Mansion, she confessed:

"It was embarrassing. I don't know the most people there'd been in our bedroom at one time, but — a lot. Pretty bad."

After losing his hearing, rather than expressing concern over it, he embraced it as a negligible cost for maintaining his vibrant s-x life. Crystal recounted Hugh's unconventional perspective, quoting the "Beverly Hills Cop II" actor, saying, "Hef always said he'd rather be deaf and still able to have s-x. Weird." 

This peculiar viewpoint was not unique to the late entrepreneur alone. Previous partners, including Playboy playmates and porn stars like Karissa and Kristina Shannon, corroborated his sentiments. 

In 2011, Larissa revealed, "He said he would rather have s-x than have his hearing. He has hearing aids now and even then he can only hear out of one ear." Even with the aid of hearing devices, she mentioned that conversing with the late father-of-four necessitated close proximity. 

She elaborated, "You have to lean down and talk into his good ear for him to understand you. We could sit right next to him and he wouldn't have a clue what we said."