HUGH Hefner’s third wife Crystal has followed in his footsteps and taken herself a younger lover.
Widow Crystal Hefner, was married to the Playboy Legend for five years until his death aged 91 in 2017 – but who has she dated since?
Who is Crystal Hefner?
Crystal Harris, who later became a Hefner, rose to fame after joining the Playboy Mansion as a Bunny when she was 21.
Born on April 29, 1986, she majored in psychology at San Diego State University before pursuing her modelling dreams.
By 2008 Crystal was appearing on The Girl’s Next Door reality TV show and was named Playmate of the month in December 2009.
She also tried breaking into the music industry in 2010 and designed a swimwear line with Vanessa Bryce in 2012.
More recently, in 2024, Crystal is known to buy and sell rental properties to earn a living.
This year she also published her memoir Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself.
She details her experience living in the controversial Playboy Mansion and describes feeling “trapped”.
It gives readers a glimpse into her healing journey after the time she spent there.
How long was Crystal Hefner married to Hugh?
Hugh Hefner was married to his third wife Crystal Harris, when he died aged 91 and fans were left wondering how much the Playmate would inherit.
The blue-eyed bombshell sparked a romance with Playboy icon Hef when she entered the controversial mansion and the pair quickly rushed down the aisle.
Crystal Harris and Hugh tied the knot on New Year’s Eve in 2012 when she was just 26-years-old and he was 60 years her senior.
The pair stayed married until Hefner’s death and she opened up about caring for him at the end.
After Hugh died, Crystal was targeted by a barrage of trolls calling her a gold-digger.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun she said: “I would get hit with all the stereotypes.
“People would say I was a dumb blonde, a fake, a gold digger who didn’t really love Hef.
“I suffered attacks on my relationship with him, on my looks, on my intelligence.
“I was afraid to do interviews because as soon as I’d sit down they would attack me. Because of the age difference the first thing they would ask is ‘How is your sex life?’”
Crystal was in fact never in her husband’s will – and the couple had a pre-nup which meant she was unlikely to get anything.
But, as they were still married the widow was entitled to a substantial payout – $7million cash – as well as inheriting a $5million Hollywood Hills house – which he left in a trust for her.
Who is Crystal Hefner dating now?
The widow was dating actor Ryan Malaty for two years but the pair split in October 2023.
A source at the time said the separation had been amicable and was sparked by the couple growing “in different directions”.
Crystal, 37, quickly moved on with a 23-year-old student, as reported by the DailyMail.
Alex Kotzen, who was enrolled at Columbia University, is known for his talent on the tennis court.
An insider referred to Alex as a “sexy toyboy”.
Snaps of the couple looking cosy were taken at Disneyland, athough the source insisted they were “not together” just “having fun”.
Prior to Ryan Malaty, Crystal dated Nathan Levi, and the pair shared cute shots from a holiday in Mexico to celebrate Nathan’s birthday.
Who is Crystal Hefner’s ex boyfriend Ryan Blake Malaty?
Ryan Blake Malaty, 34, is an American actor and TV personality known for his starring role in Netflix hit show Reality High.
He also appeared in popular television series My Dead Ex and featured in a collection of movies.
The actor was seen in That One Time, The Wedding Year and List of a Lifetime.
Ryan is also known for hosting MTV reality series Are You the One? and AfterBuzz TV.
Not much is known about his private life other than his high profile relationship with Crystal which lasted around two years.
They went public with their connection with a post on Instagram of the pair at Disneyland together.
The couple started a children’s reading group together called Ryan’s Reading Room.