Look Back at Crystal Hefner’s Journey From Playboy to Now

Nearly five years after the death of husband Hugh Hefner, Crystal Hefner is crystal clear on who she is.

In a recent Instagram post, the self-described model turned traveler got candid about all the internal “suffering” she has faced while in the public eye. “As most of you know, I grew my following during my ‘Playboy’ years,” she said. “In short, sex sells.”

But now at age 35, Crystal feels she is more “authentic” than ever, saying she feels like “I belong more to myself.” That realization came in part from removing “everything fake” from her body, purging her old photos and embracing what she suggested to be the antithesis of her past life: modesty. 

“I don’t know whether I felt empowered by dressing scantily clad, showing cleavage, etc …or if I just felt it was expected of me,” she shared, “but now I can confidently and 100% proudly say, modesty is what empowers me these days.”