AceShowbiz - Crystal Hefner thinks Hugh Hefner's death was linked to a mutant super-strain of E.coli. It was announced in 2017 Hugh had died aged 91 of sepsis, but his widow Crystal - who was married to the Playboy founder from 2012 until his death - claims the cause of his passing was more complex.

In her new memoir "Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself", she says he was diagnosed with an "aggressive" E.coli infection before he died that was "highly resistant to antibiotics and difficult to treat."

She recalled holding his hand during their last exchange as antibiotics were administered through an IV. She said, " 'I'm OK,' Hugh said… (they were) his last words."

Crystal also alleges in her book Hugh had a "secret" opiate addiction that "nobody ever talked about." She wrote him being hooked on pills started "legitimately" when doctors gave Hugh an "earthquake supply" of Percocet for his back pain along with "his regular monthly refill." She also claimed Hugh was addicted to Dexedrine and Quaaludes over the years.

Crystal also blamed the state of the Playboy Mansion for making her ill due to a black mould infestation she said filled its vents.

The mansion was built in 1927 and featured had sunken living rooms with velvet couches, shag rugs, glass chandeliers and wood-panelled walls. It also had a zoo packed with exotic creatures including peacocks and monkeys.

But Crystal said even the animals seemed afflicted with pain over living at the mansion. She added, "Even with the window shut, I could hear their plaintive voices in my mind. 'Help, help,' they cawed and wailed. At least that's what it sounded like to me."

Crystal said her time at the mansion was "breaking (her) down, one way or another" and "literally making me sick."

The Playboy mansion was sold for $100 million to Daren Metropoulos of the investment firm Metropoulos and Co in August 2016 before Hugh died. The former editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine was able to live on the estate for $1 million a year in rent.