Hugh Hefner's widow Crystal ditches famous last name

Crystal Hefner has officially applied to change her name from Crystal Margaret Hefner back to her maiden name, Crystal Margaret Harris.

The model and TV personality has submitted documents to the Los Angeles Superior Court regarding the name she intends to resume, reports Us Weekly.

Crystal was married to the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner from 2012 until his death in 2017. She announced her engagement to her marine biologist partner James Ward in May this year.

Before her marriage, Crystal rose to fame as Crystal Harris, appearing in Playboy magazine and on reality television.

After Hugh's death, she gradually stepped away from the spotlight and began carving out a path away from the shadow of the Playboy mansion.

In past interviews, Crystal has opened up about the emotional complexities of her time in the Playboy world, the pressure to conform, and the journey of rediscovering who she is outside it.

"I remember leaving the mansion, and I remember just having a conversation like, 'Oh, what do you like, Crystal?' And I thought, I don't even know what I like. Who am I? And for me, that was hard, and it was depressing and sad. But I feel like I'm finally reclaiming myself and my power," she told NPR.