Crystal Harris, the former Playboy model who was married to Hugh Hefner for five years before his death in 2017, has remarried, tying the knot with James Ward. The pair met through mutual friends and announced their engagement in April 2025 after a year of dating.
After Ward proposed, Harris told Us Weekly, “It truly feels like a full-circle moment. James completely surprised me. He had a hidden staircase and a winding trail cleared to reveal a handcrafted deck perched above a dramatic cliffside overlooking the ocean. It was the exact spot where we’d had a quiet picnic together a year ago—a place that became ‘ours.’ I had no idea he was secretly turning it into something permanent and symbolic.”
On April 2, the pair held a destination wedding on Aitutaki, one of the Cook Islands. “We chose the Cook Islands because of how remote it is,” Harris told People Magazine. “There are no big chain hotels, which makes it feel incredibly peaceful and authentic. It’s also home to one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world. Since James and I both love the ocean and nature it felt like the perfect place for us to start this chapter of our lives.”
The couple explained that they wanted a simple, elegant ceremony. “Because the wedding is small, it allowed us to focus on the meaningful details rather than managing a large event,” Harris said. “We didn’t want a huge production. We wanted something quiet and personal where we could really be present with each other and the moment.”
During the ceremony, Harris wore a lace gown with over 5,400 Swarovski crystals. She described it as “a Disney princess dress—romantic, timeless, and very feminine.”
Harris’ first marriage to Hefner took place on New Year’s Eve 2012 at the Playboy Mansion. She was 26 at the time, and Hefner was 86.
