Crystal Hefner has opened up about her marriage to Hugh Hefner, stating that she was never truly in love with her husband and that she paid a big price for marrying the senior citizen.
Crystal, set to release her memoir, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, has spoken out about the "toxic objectification and misogyny" she encountered during her time at the Playboy Mansion.
The memoir's title, Only Say Good Things, stems from a conversation with Hefner, who allegedly wanted her to "continue my legacy going forward" and "to only say good things about me."
Crystal, who was married to Hugh Hefner from 2012 until he died in 2017, recently disclosed that her marriage lacked true love. She was 26 at the time of their wedding and the late Playboy founder was 86.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Crystal admitted: "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."
Crystal's account of the Playboy Mansion contrasts sharply with its public image. She claims that despite its glamorous appearance on television, the mansion was falling apart, feeling "kind of run down and gross after a while."
According to her, the lack of maintenance and excessive partying contributed to the mansion's deteriorating condition.
In the interview, Crystal also sheds light on Hefner's allegedly controlling behavior towards the girls in the house. She claims that Hefner dictated details as minor as the color of their nail polish and even commented on their hair roots. Crystal alleged that she would bleach her hair and endure scalp burns to comply with Hefner's standards.
Crystal, who initially accepted Hefner's proposal on Christmas Eve 2010, later realized the power imbalance in their relationship, leading her to run away.
She describes the Playboy Mansion as a world of success and fantasy, where "everyone's having to sleep with an 80-year-old. There's a price. Everything has a price."
Crystal took on the role of Hefner's caregiver in his final years but admits that, despite her love for him, she was never 'in love' with the Playboy magnate.
In other news relating to Hefner, Kendra Wilkinson, now 38, opened up about her tumultuous experiences as Hugh Hefner's girlfriend at the Playboy Mansion and the lasting impact it has had on her mental health.
Kendra's journey began at the age of 18 when she met Hefner at his 78th birthday party in 2004, eventually becoming one of his three girlfriends alongside Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt during the reality show Girls Next Door.
Living at the Playboy Mansion until 2009, Kendra shared the challenges she faced in her early 20s and the toll it took on her well-being. Hospitalized in September after a severe panic attack, she revealed to PEOPLE: "I was dying of depression. I was hitting the end of my life, and I went into psychosis. I felt like I wasn’t strong enough to live anymore."
Kendra attributes many of her struggles to her time at the mansion, stating: "It’s not easy to look back at my 20s. Playboy really messed my whole life up."
Reflecting on her regrettable choices, Kendra admits: "I really got into deep regret [afterward]... deep. I struggled with depression before and at the mansion. I drank a lot. I was there for the partying, OK, let's just be real. I was not there for Hugh Hefner to be my boyfriend."
