Hugh Hefner’s Widow Crystal Drops Iconic Surname—What’s Behind the Surprising Move?

Ever wondered what it really takes to let go of a name—especially when it happens to be “Hefner”? Eight years after Hugh Hefner’s passing, Crystal, his last wife, is making headlines again by waving goodbye to the iconic surname that made her both famous and, let’s face it, a lightning rod for every opinion imaginable . Sometimes, I look at stories like this and think: would latching onto a household name for nearly a decade feel liberating, or like dragging around a glossy, bunny-shaped anchor? Maybe both, depending on the day . Crystal certainly had a front-row seat to the spectacle that was the Playboy Mansion—and a relationship that had more plot twists than a soap opera marathon . Now, by reclaiming her maiden name, she’s rewriting her story in an industry (and world) obsessed with labels . Is she running from her past, or finally running toward herself? (Either way, I envy anyone who can generate eight figures off their last name—teach me your ways, Crystal!)

If you’re ready to dive into her candid, sometimes jaw-dropping journey, including why she says she’s exhausted and finding her own peace, LEARN MORE.

Hugh Hefner’s widow, Crystal, has revealed why she’s decided to change her last name eight years after the death of her late husband.

The Playboy founder suffered a cardiac arrest at the famous Los Angeles mansion on 27 September, 2017, at the age of 91.

His death certificate revealed that it was brought on by sepsis from a drug-resistant E. coli infection and respiratory complications.

Crystal, who married Hefner in 2012, was by his side in the days prior to his death.

After first meeting each other at a Halloween party in 2008, the cover girl moved into the Playboy Mansion a year later, and got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2010.

However, Crystal decided to call it off just days before their wedding the following year.

In 2012, the couple reconciled and got married on 31 December and remained together until Hefner’s death.

Hefner and Crystal were married for just under five years (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)

Hugh Hefner ‘didn’t let’ Crystal leave the house

The 39-year-old, who grew up in both England and California, has since spoken out candidly about the power imbalances in their relationship, as well as his ‘five step seduction method’.

In her 2024 memoir, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, Crystal says her husband would tell security to keep an eye on her, making sure she never left the house.

She wrote: “Once you went in, it was so hard to find a way out.”

Crystal Hefner was the Playboy founder’s third and last wife (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

Crystal changes her last name eight years after Hefner’s death

According to Us Weekly, Crystal has filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her name from Crystal Margaret Hefner to Crystal Margaret Harris.

“I am a widow and reclaiming my maiden name,” the former model was said to have written in her filing.

Taking to Instagram last month, Crystal opened up about why she wanted to change her name back.

“To everyone I’ve had to block: I’m exhausted. If you’ve harassed me, you’re gone. I don’t owe anyone access to my peace,” she wrote.

“But to those who are here with open hearts, who genuinely support my journey — thank you.”

Crystal quit modelling after Hefner’s death and is now engaged to James Ward, founder of Hawaii’s SeeThroughSea and Epic Tours.

She added: “The media and the trolls of the world told me I wasn’t enough without the name, without the house, without the image. I came from nothing. I had spent a lifetime feeling small. So I clung to the story I was fed. And it worked — for a while.”

Although the Hefner name made her ‘eight figures’ and allowed her to ‘launch businesses’, she insists it was never just ‘about the name’.

“It was about me. And now, I want my name back. Crystal Margaret Harris. Not because I’m ashamed of who I was — but because I finally know who I am,” she said.