Crystal Hefner, 31, has released a statement over Hugh Hefner’s passing at age 91, admitting she’s been too upset to say anything until now.
“I haven’t been able to bring myself to write most people back to thank them for their condolences,” the third wife of the Playboy told E! News.
“I am heartbroken. I am still in disbelief.”
The American model also revealed Hef was laid to rest on Saturday, September 30, in a low-key ceremony in LA with just a handful of close friends and family.
“We laid him to rest Saturday. He is in the place he was always certain he wanted to spend eternity.”
“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,” she added of his legacy.
Hef and Crystal tied the knot in 2012.
“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.”
“I join the world in mourning. I thank you for all of your condolences. To the people leaving sentiments at the front gate, we see you and grieve with you,” Crystal concluded.
Hugh was placed in the crypt next to his first ever Playboy cover girl, Marilyn Monroe. He purchased the slot at the Corridor of Memories Mausoleum in 1992 for $95, 753.
WATCH: The many wives and girlfriends of Hugh Hefner. Post continues below…
Hugh, pictured with his two sons Marston, Cooper and ex-wife Kimberly in 1994, was laid to rest in his iconic silk pyjamas.
This is one of the last known photos of Hef and his sons Marston and Cooper.
He was farewelled on Saturday by his four children David Hefner, 62, Christie Hefner, 64, Marston Hefner, 27, and Cooper Hefner, 26, plus a select group of friends and Playboy staff at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
According to The Sun, the father-of-four was buried in his trademark silk pyjamas, his cravat and smoking pipe “in case he needed them in the afterlife.”
“Hef didn’t necessarily believe in God or heaven, but he thought he may as well hedge his bets and have his most treasured possessions in his coffin on the off-chance he would need them in an afterlife,” a source told the publication.
Hugh passed away last Wednesday, September 27 from natural causes.
Hef with his only daughter Christie, 64, from his first marriage to Mildred Williams.
