When people search for Larry Flynt’s spouse, they usually have one of two women in mind. Some are thinking of Althea Flynt, the wife most closely tied to his public story. Others want to know about Liz Flynt, the woman who was by his side when he died in 2021.
The full picture is a little broader than either name alone. Larry Flynt was married five times over the course of his life. This article walks through each marriage, explains why Althea became the most remembered name in his biography, and clarifies who Liz Flynt was and how she fits into the story.
Who Larry Flynt Was and Why His Marriage History Matters
Larry Flynt was born in 1942 in Kentucky. He went on to become the founder and publisher of Hustler magazine, one of the most commercially successful and legally controversial adult publications in American history.
He became a significant, if divisive, figure in First Amendment legal history. Several of his court battles reached major levels of public and legal attention. His life was eventful enough that a major Hollywood film, The People vs. Larry Flynt, was released in 1996.
He died in Los Angeles in February 2021. Throughout his life, his personal relationships were frequently covered alongside his professional story. Understanding who he married — and why some marriages stood out more than others — requires at least a basic sense of who he was.
A Full List of Larry Flynt’s Five Marriages
Larry Flynt was married five times in total. His spouses, in order, were:
- Mary — his first wife
- Peggy Mathis — his second wife
- Kathy Barr — his third wife
- Althea Leasure Flynt — his fourth wife
- Elizabeth Barrios (also known as Liz Flynt) — his fifth and final wife
The first three marriages — Mary, Peggy Mathis, and Kathy Barr — are less documented in major public sources. They are part of the biographical record, but they did not become central to his public story in the way his later marriages did.
A small note for anyone researching through genealogy sources: the spelling of his final wife’s surname appears in some records as Barrios and in others as Berrios. Both refer to the same person. Use careful judgment when cross-referencing genealogical databases.
Althea Flynt — His Fourth Wife and Most Recognized Spouse
Althea Leasure became Larry Flynt’s fourth wife, and she is by far the most recognized name among his marriages. She was not only a spouse — she became co-publisher of Hustler magazine, which gave her a documented professional identity within the Flynt brand.
That professional role set her apart from his other marriages. She was a recognizable public figure in her own right, not simply a name attached to his biography. She was regularly photographed alongside Larry Flynt in public settings, and her involvement in the business was well documented.
Their time together also overlapped with some of the most difficult years of Larry Flynt’s life. In 1978, he was shot in an assassination attempt that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Althea remained with him through that chapter and the years that followed.
Althea Flynt died in 1987. She was 33 years old. Her death involved a drug overdose and drowning in a bathtub, and it was widely covered in biographies and media profiles of Larry Flynt. The circumstances of her death added to the weight that her chapter carries in his overall story.
Why Althea Flynt Remains the Most Remembered Name in His Story
There are a few reasons why Althea stands out compared to Flynt’s other marriages, and they are not difficult to explain.
First, she had a professional role. As co-publisher of Hustler, she was part of the public-facing business — not just a private partner. That gave readers, journalists, and biographers a reason to write about her beyond the marriage itself.
Second, she was present during the most dramatic period of his public life. The shooting, the paralysis, the legal battles, and the personal hardships of that era all involved Althea in some way. Biographies and profiles of Larry Flynt tend to treat the Althea years as a defining chapter — more like a partnership than simply a marriage.
Third, the circumstances of her death at a young age made her story difficult to overlook. She died when she was 33, which added a tragic element to an already heavily covered relationship.
For readers who came to this topic through the 1996 film The People vs. Larry Flynt, Althea’s name will be familiar. She was a central figure in that film’s portrayal of Flynt’s life.
All of these factors together — professional visibility, presence during dramatic years, and a widely reported death — explain why Althea is the spouse most people associate with Larry Flynt, even though she was his fourth wife, not his only one.
Liz Flynt — His Fifth Wife and Final Partner
Larry Flynt married Elizabeth Barrios, known publicly as Liz Flynt, in 1998. According to CBS News, she had worked as his nurse before the two married. The wedding took place at his Hollywood Hills estate.
Liz Flynt remained his spouse for the rest of his life. That marriage lasted from 1998 until his death in February 2021 — over two decades. In terms of length, it was his longest marriage.
Liz Flynt has not sought the same level of public attention that Althea had during her lifetime. She is less prominently featured in media profiles and biographies, which may be why some readers are surprised to learn that Flynt was married after Althea at all.
If you are searching “Larry Flynt spouse” and wondering who was with him at the end of his life, the answer is Liz Flynt. She was his wife of more than twenty years and the person closest to him during the final chapter of his life.
A Quick Summary of the Key Points
For readers who want the short version, here is what matters most:
- Larry Flynt was married five times.
- His wives were Mary, Peggy Mathis, Kathy Barr, Althea Leasure Flynt, and Liz Flynt.
- Althea Flynt, his fourth wife, is the most publicly recognized — she was co-publisher of Hustler and was central to the most dramatic years of his biography.
- Althea died in 1987 at age 33.
- Liz Flynt, his fifth wife, married him in 1998 and remained his spouse until his death in 2021.
For anyone doing broader research on celebrity biographies and relationship histories, Business Bezel covers a range of factual profiles and public figures in a similarly grounded way.
Final Thoughts
Larry Flynt’s marriage history is longer and more layered than most people expect. When the name “Larry Flynt’s spouse” comes up, it often leads people straight to Althea — and with good reason. Her professional role, her presence during the hardest years, and the widely covered story of her death made her the spouse most woven into his public identity.
But Liz Flynt is an important part of the record too. She married him in 1998 and was his partner for over twenty years, until he passed away in 2021. Both women deserve an accurate place in the account of his life.
The earlier marriages to Mary, Peggy Mathis, and Kathy Barr are acknowledged in biographical sources, though far less is documented about them in major public records. The full picture is five marriages across a long and public life — with two names that stand out most clearly on either side of a very eventful middle chapter.
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