Hugh Hefner’s widow Crystal, 37, looked in great spirits as she stepped out with tennis player Alexander Kotzen in NYC on Sunday.
The model, who was wed to Playboy mogul Hefner from 2012 until his death in 2017 aged 91, cut a glamorous figure as she chatted with the emerging sports star – who bears more than a passing resemblance to her former stepson Cooper Hefner, 32.
Crystal wore a Mickey Mouse print sweater, teamed with black jeans and patent leather boots.
Her locks were styled in soft waves and she sported a radiant palette of make-up.
Columbia University grad Kotzen, who is currently ranked 870 in the world, wore a black top, sweatpants and sneakers as he strolled with Crystal.
The pair were seen enjoying a scenic stroll in Central Park before grabbing a drink.
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 2 Outing: Hugh Hefner's widow Crystal, 37, looked in great spirits as she stepped out with tennis player Alexander Kotzen in NYC on Sunday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624657-0-Outing_Hugh_Hefner_s_widow_Crystal_37_looked_in_great_spirits_as-a-2_1697479719135.jpg)
Outing: Hugh Hefner’s widow Crystal, 37, looked in great spirits as she stepped out with tennis player Alexander Kotzen in NYC on Sunday
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 4 Marriage: The model was wed to Playboy mogul Hefner from 2012 until his death in 2017 aged 91 (pictured together in 2010)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/72921255-0-The_book_will_expose_how_Hefner_governed_the_lives_of_his_girlfr-a-12_1697479816941.jpg)
Marriage: The model was wed to Playboy mogul Hefner from 2012 until his death in 2017 aged 91 (pictured together in 2010)
Crystal is hot on the promo trail for her upcoming memoir, Only Say Good Things, in which she further dishes on her controversial romance with Hefner. The tome is set for release in January,
Crystal became Hefner’s third wife in 2012 after initially breaking off their engagement the previous year five days before their wedding.
Her tell-all memoir candidly explores how her young adulthood was ‘stolen’ after attending her first party at the notorious mansion at just 21 years old.
She will reveal how the business mogul ‘picked her out from the crowd’ to become ‘one of his infamous “girlfriends”‘ before the couple, who shared a 60-year age gap, tied the knot on New Year’s Eve in 2012.
But Crystal, who was treated to a life of traveling the world and attending glamorous Hollywood parties, is now set to lift the lid on how ‘the lifestyle that once seemed so alluring had a dark side.’
The book will expose how Hefner ‘governed the lives of his girlfriends with strict rules on everything from their looks to curfew with Crystal forced to compete with other women for her spot in the highly hierarchal system.
‘She quickly rose to the top but being Hefner’s number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystal’s identity outside her role at Playboy.’
The blonde beauty said that people ‘reveled in ridiculing her and the other young women which further chipped away at her self-worth.’
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 6 Chatty: Crystal cut a glamorous figure as she chatted with the emerging sports star](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624645-0-image-a-23_1697480016352.jpg)
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 8 Chatty: Crystal cut a glamorous figure as she chatted with the emerging sports star](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624635-0-image-m-22_1697480009016.jpg)
Chatty: Crystal cut a glamorous figure as she chatted with the emerging sports star
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 10 Fun times: The pair looked to be having a great time on their outing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624647-0-image-a-19_1697479981938.jpg)
Fun times: The pair looked to be having a great time on their outing
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 12 Resemblance: Kotzen bears more than a passing resemblance to Crystal's former stepson Cooper Hefner, 32](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624647-0-image-m-17_1697479939501.jpg)
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 14 Former stepson: Cooper is the son of Hefner and Kimberley Conrad](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76625269-0-image-a-18_1697479952904.jpg)
Resemblance: Kotzen bears more than a passing resemblance to Crystal’s former stepson Cooper Hefner, 32 (R)
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 16 Stroll: Crystal wore a Mickey Mouse print sweater, teamed with black jeans and patent leather boots](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624651-12637115-image-a-24_1697480299657.jpg)
Stroll: Crystal wore a Mickey Mouse print sweater, teamed with black jeans and patent leather boots
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 18 Stroll: Columbia University grad Kotzen, who is currently ranked 870 in the world, wore a black top, sweatpants and sneakers as he strolled with Crystal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624643-12637115-image-m-38_1697480443987.jpg)
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 20 Stroll: Columbia University grad Kotzen, who is currently ranked 870 in the world, wore a black top, sweatpants and sneakers as he strolled with Crystal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624631-12637115-image-a-39_1697480453485.jpg)
Stroll: Columbia University grad Kotzen, who is currently ranked 870 in the world, wore a black top, sweatpants and sneakers as he strolled with Crystal
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 22 Relaxed: The pair looked happy as they strolled together during the day](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624637-12637115-image-a-28_1697480349254.jpg)
Relaxed: The pair looked happy as they strolled together during the day
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 24 Sweet treat: Alex picked up some fruit as he headed out with Crystal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624641-12637115-image-a-29_1697480377140.jpg)
Sweet treat: Alex picked up some fruit as he headed out with Crystal
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 26 Happy: The pair looked pretty chipper as they headed out for the day](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624661-12637115-image-m-40_1697480483168.jpg)
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 28 Happy: The pair looked pretty chipper as they headed out for the day](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624655-12637115-image-a-41_1697480491609.jpg)
Happy: The pair looked pretty chipper as they headed out for the day
She will explain that Hefner had ‘surprised her with a proposal’ and that the offer was ‘one she could not imagine refusing – but Crystal was left wanting ‘to understand who she truly was away from Playboy’s toxic culture.’
Crystal has previously confessed that she adopted a more ‘down-to-earth’ lifestyle after Hugh died, trading in stilettos for sneakers and makeup for a more low-key regimen.
Crystal had her breast implants removed in 2016 after she realized her they were ‘slowly poisoning’ her after more than a year of feeling sick.
Her health problems which included infections, fatigue and days she could not get out of bed, were first diagnosed as Lyme Disease and toxic mold poisoning, before she found a Facebook group about breast implant illness.
‘It took eight years for me to realize I was getting sick from my implants. These implants were wreaking havoc in my body for eight whole years,’ she wrote on her website in September 2018.
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 30 Walk and talk: The pair were enjoying a day of leisure in NYC](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624639-12637115-image-a-33_1697480396856.jpg)
Walk and talk: The pair were enjoying a day of leisure in NYC
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 32 Chat: Crystal will release her new memoir in three months](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624649-12637115-image-a-34_1697480401903.jpg)
Chat: Crystal will release her new memoir in three months
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 34 Smile: Crystal showed off her toned figure during the day](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/76624659-12637115-image-a-36_1697480409221.jpg)
Smile: Crystal showed off her toned figure during the day
![Crystal, 37, Spotted with Tennis Player Alexander Kotzen, 23, in NYC - A Resemblance to Her Former Stepson Noticed 36 Crystal became Hefner's third wife in 2012 after initially breaking off their engagement the previous year five days before their wedding (pictured 2013)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/16/19/72921251-12637115-She_will_reveal_how_the_business_mogul_picked_her_out_from_the_c-a-37_1697480424076.jpg)
Crystal became Hefner’s third wife in 2012 after initially breaking off their engagement the previous year five days before their wedding (pictured 2013)
In 2020, she suffered yet another setback when a fat transfer procedure almost claimed her life, revealing: ‘I lost half the blood in my body and ended up in the hospital needing a blood transfusion.’
‘I should have learned my lesson the first time but I guess the universe keeps sending you the same lesson until you learn it,’ she added.
Last year, Hefner took to Instagram with a candid post which read: ‘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. I am mine.’