Hustlermagazine founderLarry Flyntdied on Wednesday at the age of 78, PEOPLE confirms.
His brother, Jimmy Flynt, tells PEOPLE, “He lived a long life.”
“[The family is] fine,” Jimmy adds. “It’s been a terrible year for everybody and it’s just one of these disastrous things that accumulates in this horrible year – just one thing after another.”
Larry’s publicist tells PEOPLE in a statement, “Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. passed away earlier today, Wednesday, February 10, 2021, in Los Angeles at the age of 78, from the recent onset of a sudden illness.”
TMZwas the first to report his death, citing heart failure.
Larry’s life was riddled with controversy and legal issues because of his involvement in producing explicit content.
Some of those trials and tribulations were shown in the 1996 filmThe People vs. Larry FlyntstarringWoody Harrelson.
In 1978, Larry was shot in an attempted murder as he was heading into a court appearance.
The gunman, serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin, left theHustlermagazine mogul paralyzed from the waist down resulting in his use of a wheelchair.
He also briefly campaigned for president in 1984 and then in 2003, ran for California governor in a recall election of then-governor Gray Davis.
Ronald Reaganwon the former election, whileArnold Schwarzeneggerwas elected governor in the latter.
RELATED VIDEO: Valerie Bertinelli Tears Up as She Says ‘It’s Been Rough’ Since Death of Late Ex Eddie Van Halen
“On behalf of the entire HUSTLER family, few words can accurately describe our sadness. Our hearts are broken. Larry Flynt was not just a man who built a publishing empire, and he was not just a boss or a colleague; he was a mentor, a friend, someone to be admired,” his publicist tells PEOPLE. “His antics are legendary, his stories incredible, his fight for the First Amendment and our civil liberties, including same-sex marriage, honorable. Larry was a man who spoke the truth and never shied away from fighting for what he felt was right. Larry was remarkable in every way. The entire HUSTLER family is shattered. We will pick up where he left off and continue his crusade, calling out Washington’s hypocrisy and holding people accountable. Larry was a legend, a friend, a husband, a father, a HUSTLER. He will live in our hearts forever.”
Berrios did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
His fourth wife, Althea, died at the age of 33 from an accidental drowning in 1987, according to theAssociated Press.
“I love her to death. [Elizabeth] knows I love and care about her. Althea was the love of my life,” Larry toldThe Hollywood Reporterin 2013.
TheHustlermogul had five daughters and a son. One of his daughters, Lisa Flynt-Fugate, died in 2014 at age 47 in a car crash.
Larry was estranged from many of his children, his daughter Theresa toldTHRin the aforementioned interview. “He doesn’t understand people who don’t work,” she said. “He offered all of his children the same thing: To go to college and get a degree and show an interest in a division of the company, and they could have a job. But none of them took him up, and he can’t identify with them, so doesn’t have a relationship with them.”
His eldest daughter Tonya Flynt-Vega, who became a religious activist, claimed in her 1998 bookHustledthat he emotionally and sexually abused her, something that he denied.
He claimed, “She admitted she need the money. Religious groups were paying her to go around the country and speak. Her allegations just aren’t true.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
