Crystal Hefner is speaking her truth. The 35-year-old, who was married to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner until his death, took to her Instagram page on Monday to share some particularly vulnerable thoughts about how she's evolved since her husband's passing.
On January 10th, the former Playmate dropped off a black and white selfie with a poignant caption detailing her recent online observations and her feelings about them. "Over five years, my account has shifted from not always safe for work posts to my REAL safe for work life. The real me. I was living for other people before, to make others happy," she said, adding that she was "suffering internally in the process."
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"As most of you know, I grew my following during my Playboy years. Certain photos grow following fast. In short, sex sells," the San Diego-born model explained. "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... But now I can confidently and 100% proudly say, modestly is what empowers me these days."
Crystal also told readers that her new lifestyle "feels so much better internally," and that as of right now, she could see herself continuing down this path "for the rest of [her] life."
"I removed everything fake from my body and deleted all my old photos. I am more authentic, vulnerable and feel that I belong more to myself," the 35-year-old confidently said. "I am mine," she added, before admitting that she asked herself if her Instagram account would survive her "transition."
The self-proclaimed health advocate revealed that she saw her follower count drop by the thousands on a daily basis, and even provided the receipts to back up her claims. "I was watching the girls that had similar pages keep posting the same scantily clad stuff and growing exponentially while I tanked hard."
"But now it has shifted," Crystal shared, providing some good news. "Now it's in the green. Most days the count is growing. Now my women followers are giving the men followers a run for their money. Now I truly feel I have an army of supporters that care and see an actual soul behind the lens. For that I thank you."
At the end of her rant, the 35-year-old wished the happiness that she's found in her new, more modest life, upon all of her dedicated and genuine followers. "I hope all of you can stay true to yourself and to what feels right from you as well because there's a certain power you get from that you can't find anywhere else."
Crystal's Instagram page shows that, following her husband's 2017 death, she's managed to pick herself back up, completely reinvent herself, and has also found new love along the way. Check out some recent posts from her feed below.
[Via]