Hugh Hefner’s Wife Crystal Hefner Files to Legally Change Her Name

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Crystal Hefner isn’t playing around when it comes to reclaiming her identity.

Previously known as a Playboy bunny, and having been married to Hugh Hefner from 2012 until his passing at age 91 in 2017, Crystal Harris has recently filed paperwork to officially change her last name back to Harris – according to documents submitted on June 13 to the Los Angeles Superior Court that were obtained by various media outlets.

The 39-year-old wrote in the filing, per Us Weekly, “I am a widow and reclaiming my maiden name.”

Crystal, formerly known as Crystal Margaret Harris, has earlier expressed her wish to alter her name. In an interview with TopMob News in January 2024, she shared that her future plan involves reverting to her original surname, marking the final step towards embracing her true identity.

More recently, she voiced her wish to disassociate herself from the late Playboy magazine founder in a different manner, as she found it challenging to alter her username on Instagram as well.

She’s been striving to persuade @Instagram to allow her to revert her username to her genuine name, the one she’s felt uncomfortable with for quite some time because it didn’t feel like hers. In her June 13 post, she mentioned this was the same day the legal documents were filed. She explained that the change wasn’t a thoughtful or ceremonious act; instead, it was done hastily as soon as Hefner’s secretary had the marriage certificate in hand.

She explained, ‘I was completely clueless about the process of officially changing my name. Essentially, I transformed into another person, almost instantly.’

The fashion model, currently betrothed to marine biologist James Ward, clarified that although she identified with the moniker briefly, she now understands that her achievements were unrelated to its fame.

She asserted, in a straightforward manner, “I achieved many things under the Hefner name, I earned millions, started businesses, and discovered self-assurance. However, let me clarify – these accomplishments had nothing to do with my surname; they were a reflection of my own abilities. Now, what I desire is to reclaim my birth name: Crystal Margaret Harris. This isn’t due to any sense of shame about my past, but rather because I have finally come to understand who I truly am.

For more candid moments from Crystal, read on.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it as: Contrary to the glamorous image portrayed, living at the iconic Playboy Mansion was surprisingly limiting for Crystal Hefner (née Harris), who was only 21 when she first met and eventually moved in with Hugh Hefner in 2008.

In her book “Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself“, she mentions that at precisely 6 p.m., the staff would call her phone in a rush. This was because she had to be back home by then, as her curfew was strict. Upon arriving, she would quickly make her way inside through the heavy wooden door, greet Hef with a cheek kiss, and demonstrate that she had adhered to the rules by being on time.

Additionally, there were few chances for seclusion as well. Indeed, Hef always possessed the master key, which meant he could never be locked out by anyone else.

The most challenging aspect for the psychology major who interacted with twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon, along with other girlfriends of Hef, was the persistent sensation of being compared to a procession of other women. In her own words, “Acting out a persona that someone else has envisioned for you, day in and day out, is draining – physically, mentally, and it even seems to affect your spirit, as if some vital force within you is depleting.

Let’s discuss Crystal’s account of her intimate experiences with a man who was significantly older than her, as she claims it wasn’t particularly satisfying. From the moment they met at his 2008 Halloween party, the whole nighttime routine seemed strange and mechanical to her. She describes this procedure, which allegedly involved inviting other women from the party, switching into silk pajamas, lowering the lights, playing music and porn, and passing around marijuana.

In my own words as a lifestyle expert, I might say: “As I glanced at the mirror instead of him, I found myself reflecting on past experiences with younger males. Frankly, he appeared less knowledgeable about intimacy than some of those I had encountered years ago. It struck me that perhaps Hef had never taken a moment to truly understand and cater to someone else’s needs.

As a fervent enthusiast, I found myself unwittingly piling on the pounds, much like a freshman student accumulating the infamous ‘freshman fifteen.’ With an array of delectables ranging from gooey grilled cheese to succulent filet mignon at my disposal, it wasn’t until Hef made a pointed observation that I became aware of my weight gain. One fateful evening, as the twins and I prepared for his scrutiny, he cast a critical gaze over my body and raised an eyebrow. ‘Seems like someone needs to trim down,’ he commented casually, yet the warning in his voice was unmistakable. He gently tapped my hips, drawing my attention to the area that had seemingly grown without my notice at 134 pounds.

In a hurry, she rushed to the gym and started restricting her meals significantly: “I quickly shed those unwanted excess pounds.

She also started adhering to additional, unspoken guidelines, claiming that she wasn’t permitted to discuss certain topics with Hef. Topics such as the use of condoms (“If anyone contracted something, he had a personal doctor on staff to treat us”), talking about death or anything not directly related to Hef were off-limits.

Consequently, she advanced her position and was relocated to the main bedroom, becoming the Primary Girlfriend.

Due to her promotion, she was shifted to the master suite, making her the Leading Lady.

Both sentences maintain the original meaning while sounding more natural and easy to read.

Although Hugh Hefner passed away in the year 2017, his son Cooper Hefner upheld his father’s legacy following the 2022 release of A&E’s “Secrets of Playboy.” He tweeted that his dad was a generous and caring individual, and these scandalous stories presented in the series are an example of regret turning into revenge.

Every Friday, she depended on the $1,000 weekly allowance they received for necessities such as fuel, clothing, and cosmetics that help her keep her attractive look.

She believes it was intentionally disheartening, she says. It was immature, but since we couldn’t earn money elsewhere, it was our sole means of financial support.

In her writing, Crystal describes the publisher of Playboy as having a changeable nature, prone to both kindness and harshness. He could elevate you to feeling like the most significant person existent one moment, only to diminish your importance the next, treating you as if you were no more than the floor beneath his feet.

He was particular about jotting down notes, and in addition to numerous photos he accumulated of his different girlfriends posing for the camera (“endless rolls of potential blackmail material, if he ever chose to utilize it”), Hef also maintained a small black notebook where he recorded the names of every woman who visited his bedroom, as Crystal discloses.

According to her claims, his influential circle encompassed celebrities, political figures, and influential businesspeople. She mentions that he revealed just one particular name to her, a well-known TV personality who remains popular in the U.S., but was allegedly a victim within his household.

Initially used for managing his back issues, it was no secret among the household that “Hef’s reliance on pills became an unspoken issue,” asserts Crystal.

Apart from the Quaaludes he allegedly gave to his female companions, it was noted that doctors had no hesitation in prescribing him opiates, as Crystal explains about Hef. “His doctor provided him with a large stockpile of Percocet, which we later learned was an ‘earthquake supply.’ It wasn’t until much later that we discovered he had frequently drawn from this emergency stash, along with his routine monthly refills.

On Christmas Eve 2010, when Hef inquired if Crystal was ready to join him completely, presenting a musical box themed around “The Little Mermaid” along with a diamond ring, she was taken aback.

She admits that the instance, filmed for a prearranged special titled “Marrying Hef“, wasn’t a romantic proposal. They had not discussed marriage, weren’t in love, and she was bewildered about the situation.

Despite putting on the ring and recording the wedding preparations as planned, her reservations intensified. The final straw: Discovering her compensation for the project would only be $2,500. “In that instant, I broke,” she recounts. “I understood then that Playboy intended to extract maximum profit from me as long as I remained there.

She hastily departed, making a beeline for the entrance, where she caught the sound of Hef’s voice echoing from the mansion’s public address system. “Secure the rear gate!” he announced forcefully. “Prevent Crystal from leaving if she attempts to do so!

Feeling trapped, she continues, “I turned around and walked, steadily, back to the house.” 

Recognizing the need for a strategy, Crystal started saving her allowance and accepting paid promotions on social media. Appearing as a Playmate at a Lil Jon concert, she resolved to educate herself in DJing, aiming to be more than just an adornment.

A friend of hers who works in production introduced her to Jordan McGraw, and as preparations for her wedding to Hef began at his mansion, Crystal developed a bond with the musician. She expresses that he made her feel unique, simply for being herself, which stood in stark contrast to her experiences within the mansion, leaving her filled with excitement.

Propelled by encouragement from both Jordan and his father, Dr. Phil McGraw, Crystal started shifting her belongings from the mansion into the wardrobe that Jordan had tidied up for her.

In June 2010, right before the scheduled wedding, she unexpectedly slipped away during a movie night, claiming she needed tampons. She acknowledges not feeling guilty about this secret escape, stating that she didn’t feel remorseful about the wedding either. She explains that Hef never proposed to her, so agreeing to the event was simply a lack of alternative and saying “yes” held two entirely different meanings for her.

In her writings, she describes herself as a bride who escaped the limelight, stating, “I swiftly fled to Jordan where I found refuge from everything.” “The moment Jordan planted a kiss on my lips for the first time, I experienced a fluttering sensation like that of butterflies.

However, her initial elation turned out to be fleeting. As she penned down “I yearned deeply for things to turn out right”, she came to acknowledge that she was repeating old patterns: “I kept jumping from one relationship to another, believing that it would magically solve all my issues.

Struggling after her breakup with Jordan, jobless with a diminishing savings account, “I started to reconsider my past circumstances,” Crystal confesses. “Though life in the mansion wasn’t perfect, I realized I had more freedom than I initially thought, and they didn’t actively stop me from leaving.

When Mary O’Connor, Hef’s long-term secretary, called to share that Crystal was deeply missed, I found my heart melting faster than I had anticipated.

Although she consented to come back, she made certain conditions: She maintained that intimacy could continue as a shared experience among all parties involved, but she requested that other romantic partners be eliminated. In her words, “The mansion continued to be a complex labyrinth of intrigue. However, I now had a sense of control over the situation.

In the thrill of their New Year’s Eve 2012 nuptials, I, as an ardent admirer, found myself clad in a radiant pink gown, a stark contrast to my initial dream. For years, I had imagined donning a pristine white dress on my wedding day, but alas, I broke tradition, whispering to myself, “Today, I’m marrying for real, and I choose to wear something other than white.

Adopting Hef’s spouse was indeed a profession for her, she admits, but it felt more like an upward move. Nonetheless, it required effort. Alongside launching a DJ career, property business, expanding her social media presence, and learning about cryptocurrency, Crystal unexpectedly took on the role of caregiver.

She writes that she stood by his side, gently gripping his arm for support, ensuring their appearance in public remained unaffected, hiding the fact that he was becoming weaker and disoriented. She was determined not to disappoint him.

Despite battling her own health issues such as Lyme disease, breast implant illness, and toxic mold exposure, she grew extremely cautious in safeguarding his public image.

Upon her return from a week-long trip in late 2017, Crystal discovered that Hef had contracted a UTI harboring a powerful strain of E. coli, often referred to as a “super bug.” Despite converting his room into an impromptu hospital space and administering the required antibiotics, Hef started to experience periods of unconsciousness.

As Crystal was pondering the next course of action in the corridor, she mentioned that a nurse emerged from the room and softly announced, “He has passed away.

Contemplating the fact that Hef went to great lengths to ensure her well-being – arranging his Playboy retirement funds for her and even purchasing a new home when the old mansion was sold – Crystal muses, “Perhaps there was a tiny piece of him that truly cared for me.

Regarding her emotions towards the nonagenarian, she expresses, “Indeed, I had affection for him, yet it was a type of affection one might harbor for their captor after a decade spent together daily,” she pens. “I pity him, that he lacked understanding of love, failed to truly perceive another person, and struggled to establish a deep, significant connection.” She asserts that despite being revered as the world’s greatest lover, he remained oblivious to the essence of love altogether.

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2025-07-18 03:47