Celebrity Justice
Stern's Lawyer: Opri Called Howard a "Killer"

In a sharp and intensely personal accusation, Howard K. Stern's lawyer Krista Barth complained to Judge Larry Seidlin that Larry Birkhead's lawyer Deb Opri, sitting just a few feet from Stern, accused him of "killing" Anna Nicole Smith during court proceedings this morning.

As Barth spoke, Stern glared for several moments in the direction of Opri and Birkhead -- the two men and their attorneys are seated right next to each other in Broward County courtroom. Opri's response -- if she did in fact respond -- was not audible.

Barth made her comment as lawyers for multiple parties in the case introduced their various pleadings. Shortly thereafter, the court went into recess for a hearing on Virgie Arthur's status as next of kin to her granddaughter Dannielynn. As of 11:00 AM EST, the court is still in recess.

Tags: Anna Nicole Smith, AnnaNicoleSmith

Relevant Posts

Reader Comments

(Page 12 of 13) Previous 15 Comments | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

166. Being a publisher of Children's books, I see a lot of children. The Baby looks like Larry Birkhead, especially through the eyes. I question why we need Howard Stern's DNA? Why not just take the baby's, Anna's and Larry's, that can prove the baby is his therefore it could not be Howard Stern's. I personally do not believe Howard was ever intimate with Anna, I believe she was angry at Larry for trying to get her off drugs and therefore turned on him; Howard was there.

Posted at 12:32AM on Feb 21st 2007 by Cami Lampert

167. comment #92....Janet C...glad to see some one took janes advice and taped your mouth and hands...guess you are the dimvit after all....hopefully you are now commenting on brittneys bald head...thats more your style...stay in kindergarten...

Posted at 12:33AM on Feb 21st 2007 by PRT

168. 163.I saw an interview with the so-called nurse the day after anna died . That woman was short , white and older . Now I see this nurse appearing on ET as Black , young and tall . WHAT IS UP WITH THIS !!! Was the other woman picked as a spokesperson ??? Who was she ??? Very , Very strange .

Posted at 2:11AM on Feb 21st 2007 by The Symbolic Clue
================================================================
The Symbolic Clue, O boy, I did the exact same thing thought that Brigitte

Neven (white, older german woman) WAS the nurse! But she isnt -She is a

"companion" of King Eric Gibson (Shane Gibson's father) they were along on

this trip with the bodyguard (Moe Brighthaupt) and his nurse/wife (Tasma
Brighthaupt)..!

Posted at 1:12PM on Feb 21st 2007 by Lynda

169. Thank you Marnie -

1. This proceeding is to determine where Anna is to be buried.

2. They are running out of time to allow her a dignified burial. The Judge needs to reel this circus in and get to the heart of the matter. Anna purchased plots in the Bahama's. She had her son buried there. She trusted Howard enough to entrust his money and children to him. He should be allowed to bury her next to her son. He knew her the best..........not a mother who hasn't seen her in over a DECADE. As a mother, I'm sorry for any parent's loss, but she isn't putting Anna's wishes as her priority. She came into court today looking all dolled up like she was going to a party. She talked about how she doesn't show emotion as part of her job.......then turns on the tears at what appears to be a perfectly scripted moment. Then her husband??? comes up to hug her on the stand... what was that????? This judge is funny and I could see him on tv, but NOT presciding over this IMPORTANT matter. It should have been decided yesterday.....why wait until Friday? Oh yeah....more airplay.

3. Howard K. Stern looks exhausted and grief stricken.

4. To have a lawyer call him a killer is so unprofessional. There should be complaints made to the bar association.

5. A drug addict comes in all forms. She suffered from it and obviously made some terrible decisions in her life, but she was human and deserves peace "now".

6. The tape of her pregnant in clown make-up could just as easily been dipicting her 'pretending' to be high. These were personal videos and they keep surfacing. This might have been one of the stolen tapes from Anna's house. (Howard was in Florida, so it wasn't him as some have alluded to.....) She was coherant enough to apply the make up....... I think they were joking around. It's their private tape and it's in their house.

7. Also....there is so much laugher in this proceeding (esp. from Anna's mother today). Howard hasn't cracked a smile.... he's mourning the love of his life. How horrible for these people to be laughing.............a young woman (a mother) is DEAD. Show some respect!

Posted at 1:44PM on Feb 21st 2007 by Karen

170. howard stern was manipulating vicky/nicole and possibly is responsible for her death. They should fully investigate howard stern.

Posted at 7:57AM on Feb 22nd 2007 by ljoy

171. Dear 166 ...Karen if that is your name ... You seem to have mistaken a HEARING for a TRIAL ! Much is allowed in a hearing and since the only thing the judge can decide is " THE NEXT OF KIN " most of what you have complained about is not current .
The tape is very disturbing . Not only did you not gather the fact that the little girl painted her face but you cannot see how out of it she is . And HKS is not very concerned about it , makes fun of it and insults Anna . This is a chilling tape that goes right to the point that Howard is controling .
Laughter , in itself , is no sign of dishonest emotion . I have seen people laugh at funerals , at weddings , at car accidents . It does release emotional pressure and for you to judge someone , like HKS , on how much he doesn't laugh , owing to his experience as a lawyer , is poorly drawn .
Howard is exhausted from guilt . He will pay some day for his role in Daniel 's death . His lies will catch up to him .

Posted at 12:43PM on Feb 23rd 2007 by Trial by Hearing

172. How in the hell could anyone that actually watched every minute of that hearing believe Virgie? She is a money hungry woman that must really hate her daughter to do this! She needs to let it go my hell it has been 10 freakin years since even seeing Anna and she lies (she lied in court) WATCH THE WHOLE HEARING and you will see that Howard (beleive it or not is not a bad guy and really loved, loves Anna) He is only guilty of co-dependency and being utterly and completely blinded by that love he was Daniel Ana Nicoles Sons Guardian he LOVED THAT KID! Larry needs to tell his over acting attorney to chill out! what a bitch! I mean lets just get Anna buried and then worry about the father of the baby issue. THAT BABY IS LOVED BY HOWARD AND IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT NOW (NO DOUBT) HE IS GOING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! JUST CHILL OUT ANNA JUST DIED! SO everyone help petition to get Virgie the hell away from the bahamas and that baby, and Ana as ANNA would wish and SAID SO ON VIDEO!!!!! GET VIRGIE away from this whole thing all together she is trailor freakin trash! SHE IS PROVING WHY ANNA STAYED AWAY FROM HER!!!! Can't everyone see!!!WATCH THE WHOLE HEARING BEFORE YOU COMMENT ON THIS SUBJECT!

Posted at 12:29AM on Feb 26th 2007 by Landry

173. WATCH THE WHOLE HEARING BEFORE COMMENTING ON THIS SUBJECT! DO NOT EVEN THINK FOR ONE MINUTE VIRGIE SHOULD HAVE ANA! SHE IS AND HAS BEEN SO REMOVED FROM ANNAS LIFE THAT IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT SHE IS EVEN THERE! WATCH IT ALL BEFORE COMMENTING (EVERY MINUTE OF THE HEARING AND YOU WILL SEE)

Posted at 12:32AM on Feb 26th 2007 by Landry

174. Howard Stern did not kill Anna Nicole Smith and i know that because she has appeared to me on several occassions from the Spirit World.
She is now with her son Daniel and is very happy that the Judge has ruled she is to be buried beside her son on the Island.
She also wants everyone to know she intended to Marry Howard Stern and she listed him on the Birth Certificate as the father and said that is how she wants it to be and she wants him to raise the baby just as they planned to do when they planned to get married.
Now if Anna doesn't get her way she will not be happy as she looks back at Earth.
She is very happy that she is not going to be taken back to Texas for Burial, because when she bought the grave sites in the Bahamas she intended to be buried there with her son.
When her time comes the Baby will be buried there and of course the fourth grave is for Howard one day if he chooses to be buried there, but as time goes on he may meet someone else and then of course the plans might change but those decisions are up to each individual.
Anna is very much alive in the Spirit World just as all of us are beyond the veil of Death and when we shed our Earthly bodies our Spirit with all its intelligence and memories good and bad go there with us.
You all might be interested to know that Anna was free to visit the court in Florida and watch the goings on herself and she is very happy that the Video was shown which focused on her mother because she thinks that played a big role in the Judge finally ruling that her wishes be carried out as to her burial in the Bahamas.
As I receive Updates from those beyond the Veil of Death I will be writing about whatever those in the Spirit World ask me to pass on to Earth as many people have spoken through me and many people continue to speak to me on many matters of importance to them.

Posted at 9:03AM on Mar 1st 2007 by Rosemary Campbell

175. Well, even FOX NEWS is trashing ET's interviews with Howard & Anna! And Stern Pressures Larry TODAY to sign a deal!!

Howard K. Stern Plays Hardball With Larry Birkhead
Friday, March 02, 2007

By Roger Friedman

AP

Anna Nicole: Stern Pressures Larry to Sign Deal

Anna Nicole Smith's two baby daddies (I don't know what else to call them) continue to be in a tug-of-war this morning, even as their beloved cash cow is readied for burial.

Overnight, attorney Howard K. Stern — whose hold on the situation is starting to slip — has been strong-arming photographer Larry Birkhead to do a couple of things: keep Birkhead's legal reps out of Anna Nicole Smith's Bahamas funeral, sign a contract deal with "Entertainment Tonight" and acquiesce even further regarding the future of baby Danniellynn.

Stern, as I told you the other day, has already had one secret meeting with Birkhead in which he cut out the photographer's lawyers.

I'm told that Stern has kept up the pressure on Birkhead, actually presenting him with contracts, sources say, in which Birkhead would join Stern for more exclusive interviews on "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider."

"Howard wanted Larry to sign so that it looked like everyone was in agreement, and that it wasn't just Howard benefiting from these deals," my source said. "Larry said the baby's guardian should sign the papers for him and the baby, but he wouldn't. So then Larry wouldn't."

At the same time, Stern is trying to negotiate separately with Birkhead, away from his attorneys, to sign a deal by which Stern would continue to be in baby Danniellyn's life and oversee her finances.

Stern, my sources say, is working as quickly as he can to effect these agreements before he has to turn over the baby to Birkhead, her biological father.

Sources say that Birkhead's representatives are considering taking legal action against Stern's side to prevent further communication between the two sides as soon as today.

The problem, sources also say, is that Birkhead — a novice in these games — continues to be intimidated by Stern.

"Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," both owned by CBS Paramount Television, have denied paying for interviews. But I'm told their method – it's semantics — is to "license" footage either directly from Stern or through a third party.

Recently, "ET" used Solana Productions of Southern California in such a deal. Neither Solana or anyone from CBS Paramount answered calls yesterday.

Anna Nicole: Dead, and For Sale

Today, Anna Nicole Smith — a ridiculous person who accomplished just about nothing in her life — will be buried in the Bahamas.

There are several wars taking place all over the world, not to mention famines; artists are hard at work, movies are opening, buildings are going up, diseases are being investigated. But hey: Anna Nicole is being buried, and "Entertainment Tonight" will be there for every cheesy second of it.

That's because "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," two half-hour shows syndicated by CBS's Paramount TV, have paid a high price for this honor.

Real insiders (not the kind you have to pay for info) tell me that Paramount TV cut the deal with Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole's lawyer and Svengali, right after her son Daniel died of a methadone overdose in her Bahamian hospital room last September.

Paramount TV has denied this, somewhat passively, so far. But my sources say it they paid Stern around $3 million initially, and that this was renegotiated right after Anna Nicole herself died on February 8th of this year.

Of course, we could believe that Stern — who in court told clueless Florida probate judge Larry Seidlin that he was living off his parents — just loves "ET." Anything's possible.

But the reality is that Anna Nicole's death has proven to be a ratings-sweep godsend.

Linda Bell Blue, the show's executive producer, previously helmed Paramount's ugly tabloid show, "Hard Copy." For years she's had to sit through Mary Hart's tedious, publicist-arranged interviews with low-level TV stars, just waiting for this moment: a huge celebrity death, in a sweeps month, and already contracted for!

As recently as last night, "ET" correspondent Mark Steines was reporting "from inside" Anna Nicole's Bahamas mansion — no mention of the fact that it didn't belong to her, and that the landlord is kicking everyone out.

Steines had "the inside scoop" about the B-list country singer who would serenade Anna Nicole into the next life, the color of her burial gown ("pink!") and what would be inside the coffin (with any luck, Anna Nicole).

Steines performs these interviews — as he has since last Nov. 1, when he had his first "exclusive" after Smith's son, Daniel, died — with a reasonably straight face.

He either knows he's skating on very thin ice and doesn't care, or doesn't get it and is happy to accept the money. In either case, he loses.

As far back as last November, the show's viewers were writing into "ET" forums on the Web asking how much the show had paid for the interviews, and begging them to stop.

On the topix.net forum for the show, a woman named Lana from Andrews, Texas, wrote on Nov. 6: "ET needs to rename their show The Anna Nichole (sic) Show. Every night it is about her. I wonder if there are any viewers that care to hear about her."

On Nov. 6, Dianne from Madison, Wis., wrote: "I think they might have finally driven me away from the show with all this Anna Nicole crap. How much is she paying them?"

The viewers were smarter than the show thought. That didn't stop Blue, Steines and friends.

Nancy from Richardson, Texas, posted this before Smith died on Feb. 8: "Get over her ... I am tired of all of the interviews they are doing with her. She sounds like she is either drunk or high. I have no respect for her and am getting tired of seeing her and all the interviews. She can't even talk without sounding like she is a drunken slut!"

Patti Horton from Altoona, Pa., posted this on Feb. 9: "I can't believe someone from E[T] hasn't questioned Anna Nicole about her drug use. Every night that she is being interviewed it is quite obvious that she is somewhere in la la land. I think they should of (sic) been more persistent in following that path than her new house. Some of the interviews it was all she coud (sic) do to talk. Was this a safe environment for this baby???"

Steines, of course, has a blog on the "ET" Web site. It's a hoot.

On Feb. 9, the day after Smith died, he posted: "When the news broke of Anna's death ... I immediately boarded a plane to Florida along with Khristine Eroshevich, Anna's close confidant…"

Steines acts like Eroshevich is just a pal, maybe another Playboy model. In fact, she was the model's psychiatrist, and someone who has yet to be heard from.

Eroshevich's few comments — including that she oversaw an ice bath for a dying Smith — have been limited to ... Steines, who despite his "inside" sources has not been able to secure Eroshevich for a real interview about these people and their drug use.

I doubt that will happen until Stern's usefulness has passed and his agreements with "ET" have expired.

Steines must feel a long way away from the two Emmys he received years ago in local news at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.


Posted at 2:09PM on Mar 2nd 2007 by Briggs

176. If it does turn out that Anna was murdered they should look then into her son's death throughly. Considering how her will reads and all. Then start looking for the killer much as i could see him as the killer I could also, see it being a member of the Marshall family their just as curropt.

Posted at 12:26AM on Mar 10th 2007 by nikki

177. I cannot believe the horrible things that people have said and done to Virgie. As a mother and a grandmother myself, my heart goes out to her. Some people just don't seem to get it, Anna was her baby, know matter what their differences were. I cannot begin to even imagin not only the pain but the terror she must be in after her grandson Daniel's death, then her daughter, and now living every waking moment in fear of what could happen to her grandaughter Dannielynn. I see it like this; Howard K. Stern was Anna's yes man! That's why he was around for so long. The more drugs she took, the more dependant she became on him, the more control he had over her. Virgie didn't condone that lifestyle and neither did Larry Birkhead that's why Anna cut them out of her life. Anna had a disease called drug addiction that she obviously couldn't control and Howard K. Stern prayed on that. I really believe that he murdered her and I pray everyday that he get's caught. I also think that someone should take Howard's no class sister Bonnie and slap her head right off her neck for what she had the nerve to say to Virgie at Anna's funeral reception. She glared in Vigie's face and said you make me sick!

Posted at 1:52AM on Mar 10th 2007 by Lisa Ball

178. Apparently Anna Nicole Smith named Howard K. Stern as the father of her baby daughter because she could not get anyone else who agreed to be the phony father. She tried to name G. Ben Thompson but he declined. So Anna Nicole Smith did not have a choice but to go with the crooked and the murderer of her own son to be the nominal father of her own daughter. She probably needed a bag full of Methadone and other narcotic drugs to get over this hideous act. (remember, she always suspected that Howard K. Stern caused her son's death)

Posted at 3:14PM on Mar 22nd 2007 by lauren mendes

179. One can only hope that Howard's attorneys are seriously considering suing the estate for palimony or companion nurse major domo salaries.
Additionally, the Attorney for The v. creature is stating Howard is a murderer. Apparently opri person does the same. strong words to throw around and ruin a reputation. Hope they win a huge law case against these malicious greedy people.

Posted at 9:43PM on Mar 27th 2007 by Hampshire

180. 108 your must have supernatural powers to kow that HKS is a killer. Ever hear of careful speech?

Posted at 9:43PM on Mar 27th 2007 by Hampshire

Previous 15 Comments | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments