Inside the Playboy Mansion: 10 shocking revelations made by Hugh Hefner's widow Crystal in memoir

Shocking revelations made by Crystal Hefner in her memoir 'Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself'

In the much-anticipated tell-all memoir, 'Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself', released on January 23, 2024, Crystal Hefner opened up about the less glamorous side of her relationship with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The couple got married on New Year's Eve of 2012 after going through ups and downs and were together until Hugh's death in September 2017. Talking about their relationship, Crystal stated, "Life in the mansion wasn’t the fairy tale I had once hoped it would be," hinting at the discrepancies between her real life and what was projected to the public. Now, let's have a look at some of the sensational revelations made by the widow in her new memoir. 

1. Crystal Hefner's father died from cancer when she was 12

In her memoir, Crystal shed light on the struggles she went through before she embarked on her career as a Playboy Bunny. One of the hardest things for her was when she lost her father, Ray Harris, at 12 due to cancer. After several years, Crystal's first true love, Greg, died while serving in Afghanistan. After that, she entered a "world of self-destruction" with a second partner who was involved in drug, alcohol, and pornographic media. Crystal was a psychology major at San Diego State University before she became a Playboy Bunny.

2. Crystal Hefner surpassed other Bunnies at 21 to become Hugh Hefner's Number 1 girlfriend

Following a 2008 Halloween party at the Playboy mansion, Crystal left a lasting impression on Hugh Hefner. At the age of 21, she swiftly surpassed other Bunnies to secure the position of Hugh's favorite girlfriend, leading to him sort of proposing to her on Christmas Eve of 2010. In her memoir, Crystal stated, "Hef never actually asked me to marry him," adding that she never formally said "yes."

3. The Holly Madison-Crystal Hefner 'rivalry'

Once Crystal had fully settled into the mansion as Hugh's "main girlfriend," she sensed Holly Madison, who had once occupied that role, was about to make herself known. The ladies were set up in a "rivalry" for the 'Girls Next Door' reality show. Crystal even added to the rumored tension when she remarked, "I’m not the new Holly, she’s the old me." The widow recalled that she filmed her 2009 holiday Playboy cover with a sprig of holly fastened over her head owing to their supposed beef.

4. Crystal Hefner claimed Hugh Hefner had a 'secret' opiate addiction

Crystal alleged that Hugh suffered from a "secret" opiate addiction that "nobody ever talked about." According to her, his addiction to opioids began "legitimately" when doctors prescribed him "his regular monthly refill" and an "earthquake supply" of Percocet for his back pain. Crystal further added that Hugh had developed a long-term addiction to Quaaludes and Dexedrine, as per Us Weekly.

5. Crystal Hefner said she didn't get paid for 'Girls Next Door' Season 6

Claiming Hugh was making $400,000 each episode of 'Girls Next Door', Crystal revealed that she was paid nothing for the sixth season of the show. Although she did receive some compensation for the 'Marrying Hef' TV special, her earnings were insignificant compared to her late husband's. Hugh made $800,000, while Crystal received a fee of $2,500 for the entire series, as per the new tell-all memoir.

6. Turning into Hugh Hefner's 'runaway bride' and finding 'safe haven' with Jordan McGraw

After her engagement to Hugh, Crystal suddenly began to feel uneasy. Upon discovering her "safe haven" with singer Jordan McGraw, she made the abrupt decision to quit the Playboy Mansion. However, as per Crystal, Jordan's "love bombing" and "Prince Charming behavior" ultimately led to the end of their brief romance. She also claimed to have discovered an email from Jordan's mother, Robin McGraw, ordering him to end the relationship. Ultimately, she returned to the Playboy Mansion and got married to Hugh. 

7. Various 'unspoken rules' of Playboy Mansion

In her memoir, Crystal mentioned that she had to follow an array of "unspoken rules" after moving to the Playboy Mansion. To constantly adore Hugh was the "No 1 most important" rule of living in the house. The second was regarding plastic surgery, which she said made the ladies in the mansion "competitive," and Crystal herself underwent liposuction, a nose job, and got breast implants.

8. Crystal Hefner faced several health issues while living in the Playboy Mansion

Claiming that there was black mold in the Playboy Mansion vents, Crystal wrote in her book, "I not only had Lyme disease, but also breast implant illness, and my blood work and symptoms also suggested toxic mold exposure." "The house itself was literally making me sick," added Hugh's widow, noting the mansion had been causing her emotional distress the entire time. 

9. Crystal Hefner revealed sex with Hugh Hefner was 'odd and robotic'

Despite the sex-positive image of the Playboy brand, Crystal called her sexual relations with Hugh a "well-oiled and well-practiced sequence of events" devoid of intimacy or passion. It seemed to Crystal that her husband was merely going through the process of something that had previously been fun and sensual, or perhaps it was never joyful and sexy, as she emphasized the "odd and robotic nature" of the encounters. She also revealed that they stopped having sex in 2014. 

10. Crystal Hefner detailed Hugh Hefner's cause of death

In 2017, it was declared that Hugh died due to natural causes. In her memoir, Crystal provided a more comprehensive look at her husband's death. She noted that Hugh was found to have an "aggressive" E. Coli infection that was "highly resistant to antibiotics and difficult to treat." Crystal recalled how she held his hand as antibiotics were inserted via an IV. She also mentioned, "I'm OK," were the last words spoken by Hugh.