Crystal Hefner

Crystal Hefner (née Harris) is a model, author and television personality best known for her previous relationship with Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy. Harris was born in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and spent part of her childhood in England after her family relocated there. She later returned to the United States and attended San Diego State University, where she studied psychology before leaving school as her modeling career began to take off.

Harris rose to fame after entering the Playboy world in the late 2000s. She became one of Hefner’s girlfriends and eventually his primary partner, appearing on reality TV and in Playboy-related projects. Her relationship with Hefner generated widespread media attention, particularly after she called off their planned 2011 wedding just days before the ceremony. The pair later reconciled and married on New Year’s Eve in 2012 when she was 26 and Hefner was 86. Their marriage remained in the spotlight until his death in 2017.

In addition to modeling, Harris released the single “Club Queen” in 2011 and appeared in E!’s reality series The Girls Next Door. She returned to the headlines in 2024 with the publication of her memoir, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, which detailed her experiences at the Playboy Mansion and her life with Hefner.

Harris was engaged to Hefner twice before their 2012 wedding. Following Hefner’s death, she began a relationship with marine biologist James Ward. The pair became engaged in 2025 and tied the knot the following year, Harris exclusively confirmed to Us Weekly.