Full disclosure, catching up with Krystal Harper ranks very near the top of the fun list for some of us. Although she claims it not to be true, we still believe Krystal could teach her dogs to play chess if she really wanted to.
A Krystal Harper Conversation
What does success look like for you, and how has that definition evolved over time?
Krystal: Oh ok, this is a good one. Right now, success definitely means being able to take care of the ones that I love, being able to not worry about my bills that I’m paying, and to have people be able to be dependent on me. Success is a provider. It’s you know … someone’s got to count on you. Back in the day, success definitely was red carpet, or you know you’re on billboards or just in movies, and you had a bunch of flashy things where now if your family is happy and healthy, then you’re successful. If you feel good and every night, once you’re back into your room, you just feel happy and content, that’s a successful life.
Great answer!
Krystal: Thank you.
Penthouse: What’s a misconception about your life or career that you wish you could dispel?
Krystal: Ok, personal side it would be that I represent daddy’s credit card. Because I grew up in Orange County, everyone thinks, well, my dad is paying for my ranch or what not. Industry-wise it would definitely be that everyone is gross or has a bunch of whatever. Quite the opposite, industry entertainers … all of the things … are the cleanest out of everyone because we all have to get tested. So, I’d say those two.
Yeah, I think that’s a massive misperception. The biggest one.
Krystal: Yeah … that people are just dirty, and it’s like all of these porn stars are the cleanest and the sweetest! They’re always so nice. So … I will go into a testing place with confidence [laughs] … be like “Hi! Everyone can watch too!” cause that’s something that I take pride in. [laughs]
How do you balance your public persona with maintaining personal privacy?
Krystal: That one I’m still learning because I was super private and only kind of put on who Krystal Harper was on Instagram. I’m learning to let the fans in a little bit more, but it’s hard for me, and I don’t think that everyone wants to see me just walking my dogs or eating pizza or just, you know, lounging. Still, I’m learning about the range of responses everyone has … sometimes like that’s exactly what they actually want to see. They don’t want to see glitz and glam all the time. So, for me, it’s not even learning how to keep the balance of the two; I find it more learning how to mesh the two.
That’s a great answer.
Krystal: Thank you.
looking back, is there a decision that you made that you now see as pivotal in your career?
Krystal: Moving to Hong Kong. Absolutely. … I got a phone call, moved in two weeks. If I didn’t move to be an international model, I don’t think I would be where I’m at today. I would definitely be a completely different person. When you learn new cultures, and learn someone else’s environment — and have to adapt because you’re the foreigner — you create a lot of patience. … You develop an understanding of the world, and you’re just introduced to some beautiful things. If I didn’t live there for 4½ years, I would be a lot different. A lot of my friends and family even said that I came back so much nicer. I talked differently. I talked more clearly because with a language barrier you have to learn how to do that. I consider that time the most beneficial for my life and career.
From what age to what age were you there?
Krystal: 18 to 22? …23? A while.
That’s crazy. I love that story. What habits or routines help you stay productive and focused?
Krystal: 
Oh, taking time to rest, and for me, rest is crafting, so making sure that I connect with my creativity. That is super important for me to stay in routine and stay motivated and productive, having an outlet. I also have five canines, and so I have to train them every single morning and usually a couple times. They’re on a pretty strict schedule, so they just keep me aligned. I can stay up all night long but they still have to be up at a certain time. They still expect the love and care at a certain times throughout the day, so if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be as structured, for sure.
What’s your morning routine with them?
Krystal: Oh my goodness. They wake me up at … well, right now, they’re sleeping in because it’s cold, but it’s usually 7:00 AM and they start with their little shuffles, and their woos, and they all get rotated. They all have to go potty. Then they gear up for training walks — each dog, sometimes together, but mostly separate. They each get a certain amount of time training on the property. It’s like a 20-minute walk, or a 10-minute walk, depending on the age of the dog. Then after that they rotated again because the first for one, it’s been like an hour and a half. Then I’ll start my day and do something after that, but the dogs are always first. [laughs]
Well, you’re a mom. It’s the same thing as if you had actual children.
Krystal: That’s what I’m hearing. I don’t know, but I think now I’m more prepared if I do have kids because of the dogs, because I’m so nurturing. I had no idea I had a nurturing bone in my body until I’m like, you know, nursing like my dogs. [laughs] It’s like I gave birth to them, because I mean I was there for most of their births. Speaking of which … it’s their birthday! Three of them! One of them is turning three, my only baby boy, and then the two mamas that started the whole ordeal turn five today.
Penthouse: Happy Birthday!
Krystal: Big party once we get back.
That’s amazing. What’s this party going to look like? Are you going to put hats on them and have like a doggy cake?
Krystal: Well, last time we did a “Pawty,” and they had margaritas, and we did like little pupperitas — we did a whole thing. They had luau leis. We had a little sign, a little table … we did all the things. I don’t know. It’s winter, so maybe a Valentine’s Day theme.
Penthouse: Yeah!
Krystal: It’s close enough, so maybe it will be like all red. It’s a mama’s boy and then the two mamas, so it can be very feminine. [laughs] He’s a hunny. So…
Penthouse: Super fucking cute! How do you protect your mental and emotional well-being while working in a space that often invites judgement or objectification?
Krystal: When I was 13, I was bullied like crazy, and my mom provided an amazing support system. That definitely just trained my mind to help me understand that being tall, being beautiful, is such a blessing. Take it with kindness. I learned to treat everyone with kindness and understand that the people who are talking negatively on you are probably going through something, and you just end up being the outlet … and thank God it’s you cause you’re so strong that it’s not going to affect you. You will bounce back, and then they get their outlet, and they don’t have to pick on a girl that’s not strong enough yet. It sounds weird, but I’m almost thankful when people do find me as their punching bag or whatever it is, because I don’t take it as anything other than “I hope this person heals and you know, finds peace within.” It’s not anything about you. It’s kind of them reflecting themselves.
That’s a very evolved way of looking at it, too.
Krystal: Thank you.
Can you share an experience where you felt particularly proud or accomplished in your work?
Krystal: Penthouse! Duh! What do you mean? Oh my god, I’m screaming it from the heavens. No, I think it was getting the cover, and then getting the phone call from Moose where he asked me to shoot it with myself and trusted me enough to be able to be creative, and he knew that I had visions and wanted my dogs in it — being able to be trusted to be creative and him, being as hands off as he was, I mean everyone being as hands off as they were; they just trusted me. They just said, “When are you going to have the photos in?” … “Let us know if you need anything.”
Then everyone was very, very happy. That had to have been one of my proudest moments because it wasn’t just about my image, I got to be creative. I got to control the environment, and try my best, and show my dogs, which are part of like my whole life, and my production and all of that.
I know. Your photos were amazing.
Krystal: Thank you!
They’re so amazing! Those dogs … There’s a really great shot of you and the 5 of them, and we used it in your layout.
Krystal: You know, we DIY’d the porch, like five seconds before. He ripped off the wood of the porch. Like, because, you know… the bar was covering the dog’s faces, and we didn’t even think about it… We’re like, “We’ll take a saw or something to it.” … We just went and yanked the whole thing off, and I was like …
Oh my God!
Krystal: “What is going on??” He was like “It’s perfect. The sun is perfect. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” So we went for it. It was like 110 degrees out, and he was like “Let’s go!” Yeah.
Penthouse: Well, you did a great job. Is there something that you always wanted to achieve, but haven’t yet?
Krystal: Hmm… In the industry, and in the world, probably some sort of creative, like merch or something for my fans, because I still haven’t done that yet. I did a calendar one year, but it wasn’t — I could do like a shirt or something … you know, something that people would be proud to wear. That could be just like an everyday T-shirt or something like that. I still need to do that. I’ve been kind of thinking about it. I want to make some sort of T-shirt or some sort of bag, something … or even a phone case that people will like. Like, you know the post-it you put under your bed when you’re like 16, a kid or whatever? Something like that, I still haven’t done, so I want to do that. I was going to do it for Christmas, but I felt like it ended up being too rushed, and just not … I have to put pride in everything that I do and really make sure that it’s kick ass, so it hasn’t happened so far. … I know everyone’s been wanting something like that — or at least telling me that [laughs] … So, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll get something in the works. I don’t know.
I think it’s a very smart thing to do.
Krystal: [laughs]
What was a defining moment in your life that shaped who you are today?
Krystal: Probably, moving to Texas, because I never owned a home… I never knew anything that goes into a home, but I had a vacant, 11-month ranch style, from the 70s house, that had scorpions and wood paneling, and I completely flipped the entire thing. There was a tarantula on the first day… The barn kitty like kung-fu kicked it… It was a whole thing. That had to have been the hardest, most challenging thing ever because I didn’t know anything. I was a complete amateur.
I had two brand-new puppies and a ranch, along with 30 acres, and it was not maintained, to say the least. … I didn’t know a single person in town. It was definitely out of my comfort zone, because, growing up, my parents handled everything. We had a pool guy, and we had all the things one is supposed to have in Orange County … but having to find the connections — go into town and talk to the local people — you know. I ended up finding out that everyone in Texas tends to be very sweet and really helpful. If they don’t know someone who can help you with whatever, then someone else does. Everyone knows how to fix things because you have to. You find one reliable source, and pretty soon you have everything fixed. That was definitely pivotal. [laughs] That’s where I had to really grow up. I was with the dogs. The dogs depend on me. I’m going to expand, have more dogs in this house. That is all me, you know.
Wow…
Krystal: So, that was … If something’s broken, it’s on me. No one else is going to fix it…
I mean… you do have a nice strapping young man to help you, but …
Krystal: Of course, of course.
Before there was that man, there was you.
Krystal: Right. It was just me, and it was a whole ordeal. I mean we just had a pipe burst. It was our water softener, and it burst crazy, spewing water the day before the other one burst, and then we’re not there, but my kennel director sent me a video of the water trough for the cattle burst… So, I had 3 different plumbers in the past 3 days helping because of the freeze. I didn’t even think my pipes froze, but they did. Yeah … it was a whole thing.
What’s one thing that always makes you laugh no matter what?
Krystal: Oh my God, everything. I am a little giggle bot. I think my own little voices in my head. [laughs] It’s a party wherever I go, or like my dogs… definitely my dogs. Bella, my first-born dog, no matter what I’m going through, that wiggle butt, she will just make me die laughing, always.
I love it. And then, if you could instantly master a new skill, what would it be?
Krystal: I don’t know why, but Taekwondo is the first thing that popped into my head. … That or German.
Oh.
Krystal: Just speak German, completely and fluently, ready to go. Some sort of MMA would be so cool. [laughs]
Interestingly enough, by the time this article goes live, we will be less than a month away from there being a UFC event at the White House. … Yep. That White House. Home of the President of the United States and all that. … Krystal could probably get an invite, but honestly we’re not sure she should accept. Seems like we heard of some issues in similar situations before. She might be better off just continuing those chess lessons. We ran the pup picture again here, but if you want to refresh your memory of Krystal, we encourage that as well. And if you run into Krystal in the wild somewhere, say something in German to her. If she does not understand you, watch out. She probably knows how to kick your butt.
