Jerry Falwell

===''Hustler Magazine v. Falwell''===
{{Main|Hustler Magazine v. Falwell}}

In 1983, [[Larry Flynt]]'s [[Pornography|pornographic]] magazine ''[[Hustler (magazine)|Hustler]]'' carried a [[parody advertisement|parody]] of a [[Campari]] ad, featuring a mock "interview" with Falwell in which he admits that his "first time" was incest with his mother in an [[outhouse]] while drunk. Falwell sued for $45 million, alleging invasion of privacy, libel, and [[intentional infliction of emotional distress]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Menand |first=Louis |author-link=Louis Menand |date=February 6, 1997 |title=It's a Wonderful Life |url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1997/02/06/its-a-wonderful-life/ |url-access=subscription |journal=The New York Review of Books |volume=44 |issue=2}}</ref> A jury rejected the invasion of privacy and libel claims, holding that the parody could not have reasonably been taken to describe true events, but ruled in favor of Falwell on the emotional distress claim and awarded damages of $200,000. This was upheld on appeal. Flynt then appealed to the [[US Supreme Court]], which unanimously held that the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] prevents public figures from recovering damages for emotional distress caused by parodies.

After Falwell's death, Larry Flynt released a comment regarding his friendship over the years with Falwell.

<blockquote>My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. He would visit me in California and we would debate together on college campuses. I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/20/opinion/op-flynt20|title=The Porn King and the Preacher|last=Flynt|first=Larry|author-link=Larry Flynt|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 20, 2007 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921050312/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/20/opinion/op-flynt20|archive-date=2010-09-21}}</ref></blockquote>