Although she was wary, she was equally grateful to be “chosen” by the magazine mogul, who was rarely challenged and would often lounge the day away in pajamas in his bizarre playground visited by the rich and famous. 

Crystal spoke to E! about the vulnerable circumstances that eventually led to her life-changing decision to date and marry a man 60 years older than her, commenting, “My dad passed away at a young age and my mom and I were completely broke. We had nothing, we just made ourselves small.”

At one point, Crystal and her mother lived in a bedroom in another family’s house. All of Crystal’s life, she felt as though everyone else was better than her. So when Hugh chose her, she finally had the feeling that she was special due to being picked by one of the most famous men in the world. Crystal had the insight that “it’s really interesting what that feeling does to you.”