Hugh Hefner's widow, Crystal Hefner, feels "seen and heard" in her new romance.
Crystal Hefner has opened up about her new romance with businessman James Ward
The 38-year-old model was the third wife of the late Playboy publisher - who died at the age of 91 in 2017 - and she has now moved on with Hawaii-based adventure business owner James Ward and admits he makes her feel "more myself than ever before".
She told PEOPLE: “With James, my feelings are valued, validated.
“I am seen and I am heard.
“I’m nurturing the real me, my adventurous spirit, my inner child.
"I feel like I’ve become the person I always needed when I was growing up.
“I feel accepted and more myself than ever before."
The couple are said to have started dating in April after meeting through friends.
Earlier this year, it was reported that she had been seeing Andrew D Corkin, a production executive who has worked with Hollywood A-listers including Naomi Watts and Olivia Wilde.
There was also rumours of a brief fling with 24-year-old US tennis star Alexander Kotzen.
Without naming her partner, the former Playboy Playmate told DailyMail.com at the time: “I have met somebody who is wonderful, kind, caring, normal. It’s everything. It is a beautiful relationship.
“And he makes movies about badass women.”
Crystal was pictured with tennis player Alexander in October, one month after she quietly split from her boyfriend of two years, 35-year-old actor Ryan Malaty.
A source told DailyMail.com at the time: “Crystal ended her relationship with Ryan last month.
“Ryan was just not it and it was very amicable. They had just grown in different directions and he was not the one.
“Alex is more like her sexy boytoy at the moment. She is not together with him. Crystal hasn’t been single since she met Hugh and is just having fun. No one is hating on her for it either. Go get it girl!”
Meanwhile, Crystal claimed in her ‘Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy’ autobiography that she was “never in love” with Hugh.
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