In a Christmas message on Twitter, 84-year-old Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner said Sunday he had proposed to girlfriend Crystal Harris, a former Playmate of the Month 60 years his junior. "When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory," Hefner tweeted.
Hefner sent a second message on Sunday to clear up any lingering doubts about his intentions. "Yes, the ring I gave Crystal is an engagement ring. I didn't mean to make a mystery out of it. A very merry Christmas to all," it said.
Harris, a stunning 24-year-old blonde, did not explicitly confirm she had accepted his Christmas Eve proposal but, encouragingly, re-tweeted his messages.
If the nuptials transpire, Harris will become the third wife of an ageless lothario who has used a whiff of sex and his own suave mystique to create the world of the consummate Playboy over the past six decades.
Known for his trademark red-satin smoking jacket and black silk pyjamas, "Hef," as he is commonly known, incarnates the rakish lifestyle he popularised in another era.