The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court, alleges that Flynt obtained the photos from a third party and published them without permission from the twins. The unidentified man who sold Flynt the pictures also supplied editorial content for the photo spread.
The twins filed an injunction asking that Flynt refrain from publishing the photos. They are also seeking unspecified damages.
The photos in question were taken by Shane Barbi's husband, actor Ken Wahl, and show the two models engaging in what Hustler publicist Cindy Rakowitz calls "kinky and incestuous fantasy role playing."
XBiz was not able to reach the Barbi twins or their lawyer Jeff Le Beau for comment. Le Beau has been quoted as saying that the photos were intended for private use only.
"Larry believes that he went through the proper channels to buy the pictures and he feels that the lawsuit is unwarranted," Rakowitz told XBiz.
After announcing on national television that they both suffered from severe cases of bulimia as a means of maintaining the voluptuous bodies that launched them into fame in the early 1990s, the twins have made strides in recent years in distancing themselves from the adult entertainment world.
Both twins recently earned Master's Degrees in nutrition, and they are reportedly launching a vitamin line and hosting a health talk show.
"I really thought they would disappear after they finished with Playboy," said Rakowitz, who used to work for Playboy. "The moral is you can always be successful if you continue to reinvent yourself."
Earlier this week Larry Flynt came close to publishing topless photos of Private Jessica Lynch, but he later rescinded the idea and decided to keep them for safekeeping rather than embarrass a war hero.
