Crystal Harris says there were several reasons she decided to break off her engagement to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner just days before the planned wedding on June 18. But in this second installment of her interview with ET's Chris Jacobs, the 25-year-old Playmate admits that one major factor was her lack of freedom and the strict rules enforced inside the iconic Playboy Mansion.
Harris met Hefner, 85, at a Halloween party in 2008 and she moved into the Playboy Mansion just two weeks later. While she now concedes there were many things over the years that she liked about living there, Harris said Hefner's mandatory agenda of activities, strict 9 p.m. curfews and denied permission to leave town to visit friends and family eventually led to the feeling that her world was "closing in."
"My relationship with Hef was not a typical relationship. It was... be here, this time. You know, I couldn't do certain things. The first year I was there I went on a vacation with my friends to snowboard in Colorado and then in the summer I went for four days to Idaho to visit my sister. The second year, I asked if I could go with my friends again and see my family and I got told no. I just felt my world just kind of closing in on me. And that's when I just started realizing it wasn't for me. And with Hef, it's Hef's way, you know, or no way."
"The mansion schedule is so strict -- you know, movie night, home by 6 o'clock, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for movie nights." Harris said that because of her regimented routine with Hefner, she doesn't really know how to act with her newfound freedom. "I have no idea. I'm just going day by day -- day by day. I don't even know what I'm going to do tomorrow."
The Playmate explains that another reason for her breakup with the publishing magnate was that she knew she would always have to share Hefner with other women. "I can honestly say I was not the only woman in Hef's life. And I didn't feel comfortable in my heart knowing that, and being able to get married to him. Because a marriage is between two people and that's not what our relationship was." In addition, she said she just felt overwhelmed and stressed recently by endless meetings with lawyers about a prenuptial agreement, television contracts, etc.
But Harris also has fond memories of Hefner, whom she says she still loves and hopes to stay friends with for years to come. "We had fun, we laughed. I mean, he's a man that doesn't like change, so it would be fun to get him to do things he wouldn't normally do. Try food that he usually wouldn't try. He eats the same thing every day... we had fun. It was more of like friends, really good friends. He's been wonderful to me. He's the kindest person I've ever met."
Harris revealed that she still has the three-plus carat diamond engagement ring given to her by Hefner, but is not sure what will become of it. "If Hef wants me to return the ring, I'll gladly return it to him," she said.
Be sure to catch Harris on the cover of the July issue of Playboy, where she is introduced as Mrs. Crystal Hefner. Since the cover couldn't be changed to reflect the canceled wedding, Hefner showed he still has a sense of humor about the situation by announcing that some of the July editions will include a sticker on the cover that reads: "Runaway bride in this issue!"
Watch the video for more candid revelations and to hear Harris describe her fabulous wedding gown!
