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His exact cause of death was not disclosed, but Flynt Jr. said his uncle had been in frail health for much of the past 30 years and that his death was not related to Covid-19.
"Larry was a rebel. He had a very complex personality. That's why they made a movie about it," Flynt Jr. said about his uncle.
Flynt went on to found Larry Flynt Publications, which produced other pornographic magazines including Barely Legal and Beaver Hunt. He also started other businesses including the Hustler casino in Los Angeles.
"It just made me sick. I think whites marry with whites, blacks with blacks, Indians with Indians. Orientals with orientals. I threw the magazine down and thought, I'm gonna kill that guy," Franklin said.
Flynt ended up filing a legal motion with the American Civil Liberties Union requesting to stop Franklin's execution, telling CNN that he was against the death penalty. "The government has no business at all being in the business of killing people," he said.
Flynt became an outspoken supporter of First Amendment rights and won his most significant legal battle at the US Supreme Court in 1988 after televangelist the Rev. Jerry Falwell brought a libel case.
Flynt lived a difficult life after being shot, but one that was marked by tremendous success, his nephew said.
"He wanted to be remembered as a person who pushed the boundaries of free speech and that the First Amendment was the cornerstone of democracy," Flynt Jr. said.
Flynt launched a brief presidential campaign, running against Ronald Reagan in the 1984 election. He later supported Democrats, including endorsing Hillary Clinton's presidential run.