Hugh Hefner’s widow is finally ready to "move on", three years after his death.
Crystal Hefner admitted it’s taken her until now to feel "normal" after her beloved husband passed away at the age of 91 in September 2017 and she’s found happiness with space engineer Nathan Levi.
She said: "It’s taken me three years to feel normal again. Now I’m ready to move on.
"I’ve just started dating again. He’s caring and kind, everything I need…
"The friends who introduced us thought we’d get along and it’s going really well. I love the fact he’s not in the entertainment industry. He has this really cool job and wants to be an astronaut."
The 34-year-old beauty was by her husband’s side when he died and she admitted they’d had frank conversations about the end of his life.
She said: "I was with him at the end. We’d already talked about what would happen. ‘You’ll move on, just know I love you very much’ he said, and we cried.
"Our beloved dog Charlie had passed away the year before and Hef promised, ‘Charlie and I will be waiting for you.’"
At first, Crystal – who married the media mogul in 2012 – was "in shock" and couldn’t bring herself to go out, and once she did, there was a lot she needed to adjust to.
She recalled: "At first I was in shock and couldn’t bring myself to leave the mansion. I’d spent a third of my life there, it was all I’d known. But I’d been living in a bubble.
"I couldn’t even remember how to turn the lights on in my car. I’d always driven in the day because Hef wanted me home before it got dark."
Three months later, the blonde beauty took up a friend’s suggestion – she went travelling in Africa, and loved the experience so much, she didn’t return home for two years.
She told HELLO! magazine: "I discovered that what makes me feel alive is travel. I’d never done that with Hef as he loved being at home, but I enjoyed it so much I spent the next two years going all over the world.
"In Africa I went on safari, saw mountain gorillas and visited an elephant orphanage. I also took vital supplies to children in schools, which gave me a purpose."