Latest news with #LarryFlynt
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Larry Flynt's widow, unshaken by OnlyFans boom, says Hustler is still evolving after its provocative past
The rise of OnlyFans doesn't faze Larry Flynt's widow. As chairwoman of Hustler magazine, Liz Flynt is keeping the legacy of her late husband alive by overseeing his adult entertainment empire. Her new book, "HUSTLER®50: 50 Years of Freedom," aims to capture the salacious brand's journey "through five decades of political and social upheaval." Flynt died in 2021 at age 78. Liz told Fox News Digital she wasn't opposed to the possibility of launching a similar subscription-based service. She previously told the Los Angeles Times that Hustler doesn't offer entertainment created by users, because verifying the age of performers is difficult. She also says that Hustler insists on providing "high-quality content." "It would be nice to come up with something like [OnlyFans]," said Liz. "But right now, I don't have anything in the pipeline. But we're always brainstorming at our monthly meetings and our weekly management meetings. We're always brainstorming on what's new, young and fresh and what else we can do to grow as a company." Many sex workers joined OnlyFans during the pandemic when in-person venues shut down or became more dangerous because of COVID-19. The site has been tremendously lucrative for some people, allowing them to earn thousands per month. In 2021, OnlyFans said it had 130 million users and two million creators who have collectively earned $5 billion. Liz is aware of the competition. "We are still a monthly publication, but we're always finding new ideas to keep the company relevant, like getting into different areas of technology," Liz explained. "In the early '90s, my husband went into video, he went into broadcast, he went into retail stories, he went into gaming. And so, he was able to diversify the company early on. We [now] have 60 Hustler Hollywood retail stores." "Under my leadership, I was able to open 20 more and acquire 40 retail stores from Playboy Enterprises," she shared. "I was able to launch Hustler Casino Live, which is livestream online poker. . . . The newest launch that I was able to [do] was [partner with] DoorDash with all of our Hustler Hollywood stores. We're the first to do that. Of course, Hustler has been known to be the first to do many different things. That's what makes us so different and keeps us relevant." Flynt, a former strip club owner, built Hustler magazine into an adult entertainment juggernaut that included casinos, films, websites and other businesses as he relentlessly championed First Amendment rights. Flynt's far-flung company produced not only Hustler but other niche publications. He also owned a video production company, scores of websites, two Los Angeles-area casinos and dozens of Hustler boutiques selling adult-oriented products. He also licensed the Hustler name to independently owned strip clubs. At the time of his death, Flynt claimed to have video-on-demand operations in more than 55 countries and more than 30 Hustler Hollywood retail stores throughout the United States. Flynt often disgusted the masses for offering one of the most graphic, and at times controversial, publications on newsstands. Unlike Playboy or Penthouse, it published more overtly sexual imagery. Flynt didn't hesitate to push boundaries with raw imagery and biting cartoons. He once declared that "pornography is really the purest form of art." Liz said she believes in her late husband's vision. "Our bodies are the purest form of art," she said. "Women have been photographed over the decades. I see nothing wrong with it. I feel that publishers before [my husband], like Hugh Hefner and Bob Guccione, did pave the way for Larry. And I think there's nothing wrong with photographing beautiful women – all types of women." WATCH: BACHELOR STAR ON WHY SHE'LL STRIP DOWN FOR PLAYBOY OVER ONLYFANS "If you look at some of these women in the Victorian age and some of those beautiful portraits, there's nudity there," she argued. "And there's nothing wrong with it." Flynt offered large sums of money to famous women to pose naked. Although they turned him down, he did manage to publish a photographer's nude sunbathing photos of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He was intensely disliked by both religious and feminist groups, who said he demeaned women and put them at risk with pictures of bondage and other controversial acts. Flynt maintained throughout his life that he was not just a pornographer but also a fierce defender of free-speech rights. But there was a time when even Flynt wondered if he went too far. The magazine famously shocked readers in June 1978 when it published a cover depicting a woman being fed into a meat grinder. "Hustler has always stayed true to its original spirit, meaning we were provocative, explicit and unafraid to challenge authority and offend people," said Liz. "But one particular cover that I'm sure people remember was the meat grinder and having a woman depicted as a piece of meat. But Larry had told me when the cover came out, he was in jail. Therefore, he took the hit. He was the publisher, so he owned it." "He said, 'I'll take the hit,'" Liz shared. "What was he going to do, blame it on somebody else? No, Larry was the owner, the publisher, and you have to stick with what you publish. Unfortunately, he received countless words of criticism. Gloria Steinem attacked him and took a full page out in The New York Times. But he defended the image as satire. . . . And he was always pushing the envelope." Liz said she first met Flynt in 1991 when she went to work for him as a nurse. He had been paralyzed after he was nearly killed in a 1986 assassination attempt. His nephew, Jimmy Flynt Jr., said at the time of his death that his famous uncle suffered decades of health issues. "I remember he was a very quiet guy when I first met him," said Liz. "I didn't see any Hustler magazines in his home. I found him to be very knowledgeable with impeccable vocabulary. It wasn't until two years later that he asked me out. I declined. Then he asked me out again. I said, 'Well, if you'd like to go out with me, come to my home for dinner and meet my family.' And he did." The couple tied the knot in 1998. And being married to one of the world's most famous pornographers was surprisingly ordinary. "Larry was a fun-loving husband," said Liz. "He was very kind and generous. He loved to travel. I always felt that I was well cared for and loved by him. He was just a very loving husband. And he loved animals, too. We always had dogs. We had two German shepherds in the beginning, and then we always had schnauzers, from giant schnauzers to miniatures." As a doting husband, Flynt wasn't shy about giving marital advice. And that's exactly what he did with Woody Harrelson's wife Laura. The actor portrayed Flynt in the 1996 film "The People vs. Larry Flynt." "At one point, Laura and I were having tremendous trouble in our relationship, and, unbeknownst to me, Larry took her to lunch and acted as a marriage counselor," Harrelson, 63, wrote in the book's foreword. "And whatever he said that day really helped. To this day, Laura will cry when she recalls that conversation and Larry's unsolicited, unyielding support. He was always the truest of friends." Today, Liz is determined to make sure that her husband's advocacy for freedom of speech isn't forgotten. "My husband didn't live long enough to write this book," she reflected. "I felt it was so important to capture the five decades of Hustler magazine. . . . As the chairwoman and beneficiary of the company, I feel that I'm in a different pair of shoes. I promised him that I would continue to run the company and make sure it continues to grow. I am doing that right now."
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
What's inside this naughty book? Let these two women show you in Coral Gables
Besties Lea Black, of 'Real Housewives' and skin care fame, and Liz Flynt, chairwoman of Hustler and widow of Larry Flynt, the founder and publisher of Hustler magazine, dished politics, sex, friendship and famous names before an engaged audience at Flynt's recent book signing at Coral Gables' Books & Books. 'Larry passed away over four years ago and Lea was actually one of the first people to call me,' Flynt said at the start of their chat, an unwrapped copy of 'Hustler: 50 Years of Freedom' set on a table between them. 'I had just gotten home from Cedars Sinai and I just walked into my bedroom and my phone rang and I looked at it and it said 'Lea Black.' And I said I have to answer it.' Philanthropist Black, a friend of the couple for years who listed the Star Island home she shared with lawyer husband Roy Black and their son RJ for more than $34 million a few years ago, moderated a conversation with Flynt on the first Saturday in June at the bookstore. They were promoting Flynt's new coffee table tribute to the legacy her husband built with his raunchy magazine, Hustler. Florida politics The freewheeling duo delved as much into local Florida and national politics as it did into pushing 'Hustler 50.' The coffee table tome, its black cover embossed with gold lettering and shrouded in shrink wrap, includes reproductions of dozens of covers and pictorials and Flynt's crusading columns against censorship that tackled issues including gay, transgender and women's rights decades ago. Not surprisingly, Flynt and Black both are no fans of politicians pushing current censorship efforts on books and on higher education curriculum. Black, a philanthropist also famed for her social gatherings, said she aims to stage one of her fundraiser soirees to promote David Jolly, the former Tampa-area congressman who left the Republican Party seven years ago and who hopes to be the Democratic governor elect for Florida in 2026. Famous faces 'Hustler: 50 Years of Freedom' celebrates the magazine Larry Flynt launched in 1974 that made Playboy and Penthouse fans blush. Bold face names abound in its 204 glossy pages including John F. Kennedy Jr. whose mother, the late Jackie Onassis, was the subject of a 1975 pictorial when a paparazzo with a long lens and a publisher with a fat wallet, shared images of her undressed. JFK Jr. supposedly forgave Flynt for running the pictures, Liz Flynt said. Actor Woody Harrelson wrote the foreword. He portrayed Flynt in Milos Forman's 1996 film, 'The People vs. Larry Flynt.' Harrelson's closing line particularly pleased the author, she shared with the Books & Books audience. 'I am glad Liz is steering the ship now,' he wrote. 'Long may she sail.' There's even a photo inside 'Hustler 50' of President Jimmy Carter and Liz and Larry Flynt all grinning at a Beverly Hills fundraiser in 2006. 'Larry rubbed elbows with some all-American luminaries who, sadly, never sat down for Hustler interviews. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during these encounters,' the caption reads. The fly might have buzzed about Carter's Playboy interview in the November 1977 issue of rival Hugh Hefner's magazine. Supreme Court victories But Flynt's magazine won its colorful publisher lasting fame, and infamy, too, as his obscenity trials became landmark victory cases for the First Amendment. 'Larry always wanted to be remembered for expanding the parameters of free speech [by] going to the US Supreme Court and making satire protected speech,' Flynt said. 'One of Larry's concerns was censorship. Because back in the day when Hitler took over, he didn't start with the classics. He started with the pornography and went up to the classics. And Larry said, 'We can't take anything for granted.' And he always held that near and dear to his heart.' She has expanded his empire since his death at 78 in February 2021 by growing Hustler's gaming operations and retail stores, including one in Fort Lauderdale. (And, yes, keeping the magazine's print edition alive somehow despite the free, easy access to online X-rated content.) Larry Flynt's hated hypocrisy and his regret was never attending college, said his widow. But Flynt was the subject of plenty of mass media law classes at universities nationwide, including a long-ago Florida International University graduate level journalism class. (Yep, the offensive Jerry Falwell Campari mock ad parody that gave Flynt a landmark victory in 1988 for protected free speech for satire in the Hustler v. Falwell case appears in the book.) Books & Books is familiar territory for Flynt. Her late husband spoke there in August 2004 to promote his book, 'Sex, Lies & Politics: The Naked Truth,' which broadsided the Bush administration and bashed Florida's botched election in 2000. Blasted by his political enemies as little more than 'a bottom-feeder,' Flynt responded. 'True,' he chuckled, 'but look what I found when I got down there.'
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
What's coming to Paramount+ in June 2025? All new shows and movies to watch
Movie lovers are in for a treat this June! From Whiplash to Reservoir Dogs, a plethora of new titles are coming to Paramount+ next month. Additionally, the streaming service will offer a slate of new TV shows. Here's the full list of all new films and series coming to the network: SpongeBob SquarePants Season 14 The Really Loud House Season 2 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (on-demand) The Patrick Star Show Season 3 Ice Airport Alaska Season 5 The Last Cowboy Season 5 3:10 to Yuma 12 Years a Slave Bad News Bears BlacKkKlansman Boogie Nights But I'm a Cheerleader Carol Carriers Center Stage Changing Lanes Chasing Amy Cloverfield Crawlspace Daddy Day Camp Dance Flick Dog Day Afternoon Double Jeopardy Eagle Eye Elf Enemy at the Gates EuroTrip Everybody's Fine Extract First Blood Heatwave How She Move How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Imagine That In & Out Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Jawbreaker Kinky Boots Law of Desire Layer Cake Light of My Life Like a Boss Marathon Man Masterminds Military Wives Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult No Country for Old Men Orange County Overdrive Pretty In Pink Pulp Fiction Racing with the Moon Rambo III Rambo: First Blood Part II RED Reservoir Dogs Risky Business Road Trip Run & Gun Saturday Night Fever Save the Last Dance School Ties Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse She's All That Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Teen Titans GO! To the Movies The Autopsy of Jane Doe The Crossing Guard The Dictator The Fighting Temptations The Gambler The General's Daughter The Girl Next Door The Godfather The Godfather Part II The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone The Hunt for Red October The Ides of March The Kings of Summer The Last Samurai The Lovely Bones The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad! The Nice Guys The Other Woman The People vs. Larry Flynt The Running Man The Shootist The Space Between Us The Untouchables Tigerland Tommy Boy Tootsie Total Recall (1990) True Grit Whiplash Without a Paddle xXx Zola Lions for Lambs
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kathy Griffin debuts bold new look with wig at Hustler book signing after frail appearance sparks fears
Kathy Griffin stepped out in West Hollywood on Wednesday with a striking new appearance — just days after sparking concern with a shocking frail look. The 64-year-old comedian turned heads last week when she was spotted on a walk in Malibu, looking almost unrecognizable in her first public sighting since undergoing a hysterectomy in early April. Griffin's gray pallor and visibly thinning hair left fans stunned — some comparing her ghostly complexion to the bloody, severed head of Donald Trump she infamously posed with in 2017, a photo that nearly destroyed her career. But on Wednesday, the former sitcom star was practically unrecognizable in a different way. Wearing a vibrant red wig, full glam makeup, and flashing a wide smile, Griffin posed confidently at a book signing event for Hustler®: 50 Years of Freedom, celebrating the infamous adult magazine. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She leaned into the risqué theme with a revealing black corset top and a Hustler-branded bomber jacket, happily posing with the book's author — Hustler founder Larry Flynt's widow, Liz Flynt. Later, Kathy was spotted playfully kicking up her heels before sliding into her car as she left the event. The high-spirited display was a world away from her Malibu outing, where her signature bright red hair hung loose around her shoulders, contrasting sharply with the jarring paleness of her skin — and where her receding hairline and visible scalp issues suggested a bald spot or condition. Known for her biting humor and criticism of Republicans, the Catholic League and celebrity culture, Griffin has opened up about her history of health struggles, starting with a binge eating disorder as a teen. She has also been open about her extensive history with cosmetic procedures, including breast augmentation, a nose job, lip tattooing, a botched LASIK surgery in 2003 that left one eye partially blinded, and life-threatening complications from a 1999 liposuction. She's also battled mental health struggles, especially after the notorious 2017 photo showing her holding what appeared to be Donald Trump's severed head sparked intense backlash. At the time, Trump condemned the image on Twitter, saying, 'Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!' Donald Trump Jr. added fuel to the fire during a Good Morning America interview, declaring, 'She deserves everything that's coming to her.' Amid the controversy, Griffin, her elderly mother, and her terminally ill sister received death threats, marking one of the darkest chapters of her tumultuous career. The Trump administration went further, placing Griffin on its no-fly list and prompting a Justice Department investigation lasting over two months to determine whether her photo amounted to a conspiracy to assassinate the president — a probe that ultimately led nowhere in legal terms. Still, the image caused her career to nosedive, at least temporarily. Talk shows and theaters canceled her appearances, and CNN ended her annual stint co-hosting its New Years Eve show with Anderson Cooper from 2009 to 2017. 'I wasn't canceled,' she told the New York Times. 'I was erased.' Griffin ended up apologizing for the Trump effigy, posting on Twitter that, 'I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people, it wasn't funny, I get it.' She financed and produced 'Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story,' a 2019 documentary about the Trump photo and how it changed her life. Meanwhile, her anxiety and chronic back pain triggered a pill addiction, which spiraled into severe depression and an attempt to end her life in 2020. Then in 2021, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, even though she never smoked. A surgery to remove half of her left lung damaged her vocal cords, causing her to undergo at least one more operation to improve her ability to speak. Griffin came forward on social media in 2023 to say that her cancer fight and years of Trump backlash contributed to extreme post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and caused severe anxiety attacks that at times had her writhing in bed for eight hours. She talked about the ordeal in a video posted to her TikTok account. She said at the time that she managed her anxiety partly by pushing herself to do daily tasks such as feeding her dog or taking walks. Griffin took small, but brisk steps on her recent trek in Malibu wearing a gray top, black leggings and designer purse. Such details are the kind of fodder she has used in her brand of caustic comedy aimed at everyone from Barbara Walters to the Octomom to Jesus Christ. Raised in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, Kathleen Mary Griffin attended acting school and launched her acting and comedy career in Los Angeles in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her supporting role on the Brooke Shields sitcom Suddenly Susan and starring role in Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List — winner of two Emmys for Outstanding Reality Show — marked her big breaks on TV. She was a regular on late night talk shows, has performed in 20 stand-up comedy specials on HBO, Comedy Central and Bravo, and has appeared in 45 movies. Griffin finalized her divorce from marketing executive Randy Bick in January after four years of marriage.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect charged in shooting that left 1 injured, another paralyzed at Nashville strip club
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities have arrested a suspect involved in a shooting outside of a Nashville club that left one victim paralyzed. The shooting happened at approximately 2:40 a.m. outside of Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in the 800 block of Rep. John Lewis Way on Wednesday, April 9. Officials at the scene told News 2 two men were sitting inside a red Cadillac XTS in the parking lot when the shooting occurred. PREVIOUS | 2 injured after shooting at Hustler Club in downtown Nashville The Metro Nashville Police Department said both men inside the Cadillac were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with critical but non-life-threatening injuries. One man sustained a gunshot wound to his right thigh, while the other man suffered four gunshot wounds, including one that struck his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. An arrest report now reveals the moments that led up to the shooting. Police said surveillance footage showed a group of people walk pass the Cadillac, which is when one of the victims rolled down the passenger window and said 'how you doing?' to one of the women in the group. One of the men in the group—identified as 30-year-old Javonte McCree-Brown— then stated 'that was his girl.' The victim said he apologized and rolled the window back up. However, McCree-Brown reportedly went to a Black Dodge Charger and got something from the passenger compartment. Officials said video then captured McCree-Brown walk back to the Cadillac and open fire on the passenger side of the vehicle. The 30-year-old then fled the scene in the Charger, according to an arrest report. Officers said they learned that McCree-Brown was inside the club before the shooting occurred and had to scan his ID before entering, which helped identify him as the suspect. Metro police said McCree-Brown is a convicted felon for felony charges out of Michigan and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. | READ MORE | For the shooting incident, the 30-year-old was charged with two counts of attempted criminal homicide, felon in possession of a handgun and two counts of aggravated assault involving strangulation. Booking records show he is being held in Metro Jail on a $305,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
