Crystal Hefner is speaking out following the death of her husband, Playboy icon Hugh Hefner on Wednesday at 91 years old.
Hef’s widow, told People magazine in a new interview, “I haven’t been able to bring myself to write most people back to thank them for their condolences. I am heartbroken. I am still in disbelief.”
Crystal, a former Playboy model, married Hefner in 2001 and she told People that she laid her husband to rest in a private ceremony on Saturday.
“We laid him to rest Saturday,” she shared. “He is in the place he was always certain he wanted to spend eternity.”
Hefner’s memorial plot was in a crypt beside Marilyn Monroe at . Monroe appeared on the debut cover of Playboy Magazine in 1953.
She continued:
“He was an American hero. A pioneer. A kind and humble soul who opened up his life and home to the world. I felt how much he loved me. I loved him so much. I am so grateful. He gave me life. He gave me direction. He taught me kindness. I will feel eternally grateful to have been by his side, holding his hand, and telling him how much I love him. He changed my life, he saved my life. He made me feel loved every single day. He was a beacon to the world, a force unlike anything else. There never has and never will be another Hugh M. Hefner.”
The 31-year-old widow was Hefner’s third wife. He was previously married to his college sweetheart Millie Williams from 1949-1959. They had two children, daughter, Christie, and son, David. He then married Playboy model Kimberly Conrad in 1989. He and Conrad shared two sons, Cooper and Marston.
Hugh met Crystal after she appeared in the December 2009 issue of Playboy Magazine at the age of 24. One year later her announced their engagement. They tied the knot on New Year’s Eve in 2012.
Happy New Year from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner! pic.twitter.com/0z2XsmfW
— Hugh Hefner (@hughhefner) January 1, 2013
Hefner reportedly left Crystal with a multi-millon dollar home in Los Angeles.
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