TMZ has learned the "Today" show has pulled the plug on the Rita Cosby interview about her book in which she claims Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead had a "relationship."
The cancellation comes after "Today" received a bristling, threatening letter from attorney Lin Wood, Howard's lawyer. Wood, who represented John and Patsy Ramsey, made it clear he would sue the "Today" show for any falsehoods that spewed out of Rita's mouth. Birkhead has also vowed to sue Cosby and others who he claims are in on a plot to "smear" him.
As far as we know, Cosby's assertion of a relationship is rooted in the testimony of Jackie Hatten, a known wacko whose brother served prison time for stalking Anna Nicole.
Make no mistake about it -- this cancellation is a big, frickin' deal.
31. It's called defamation of character, and it can stick when your livelyhood depends on your reputation (or lack there of ) It can only stick if the information is untrue and a lie. That should make us all go Hmmmmm too.
32. "She has interviewed more than a dozen world leaders, conducting historic back to back interviews with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. She was the first reporter to see prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and even interviewed the late Serbian president Slobodan Milošević who called her from his prison cell at the Hague. Years earlier, while broadcasting live from Belgrade during the NATO bombing, she broke the news that three American POWs were going to be released."
"Cosby also made national headlines for her interviews with boxer Mike Tyson, singer Michael Jackson, and convicted serial killer David Berkowitz, “The Son of Sam,” who wrote to her during the Washington DC sniper shootings in October 2002. As that story unfolded, Cosby secured another major first, by reporting the names and license plate numbers of the sniper suspects. In 2001, Cosby's interview with flight attendant Anne Marie Smith, led to a U.S. Attorney's Office investigation of Rep. Gary Condit for obstruction of justice and witness tampering."
"Cosby served as a lead reporter during the 1996 and 2000 Presidential campaigns. During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, she broke the news that President Clinton was going to be subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury."
35. The media has gone along with a great many people, most of ill repute, yapping about depravity, drugs, sex and murder in its coverage of the ANS story.
Cosby has managed to sink to a lower level than Opri, O'Quinn, Hatten, etc.?
Posted at 1:33AM on Sep 4th 2007 by Only swim in the Ocean
36. 30. Will TMZ be censored when they go on the air next week? How can these thugs imo take away our First Amendment Rights all by themselves?
Larry Birkhead gets sleazier with each word he utters and move he makes. I read on a blog today that he does not have a college degree as he claims.
Posted at 1:28AM on Sep 4th 2007 by ExLBSupporter
Well, read their terms and conditions... they have the posters by the short hairs. I have faith...Howard and Larry will be called to account for all they have been accused of. Right now, they don't feel they need to answer to anyone. No inquest for Daniel, no definitive answers to the questions regarding Anna's death.... All the parties do is threaten and delay. But there will be justice. Keep the faith and keep watch!
Posted at 1:35AM on Sep 4th 2007 by Whack A Mole (finger) (formerly Mad Hatter)
37. The one thing I can say clearly is the sooner Larry cuts off all ties with Howard the quieter his life will be and less lawsuits.. Larry life will be lived out in court rooms the longer he is around Howard
38. Why is Howard sleazy? for asserting his right to protect his sexual orientation aginst slander? jezz you nuts will vent your frustrating lives on any little piece of trash someone drudges up from the pond Rita's fav saying " my sources " which turns out to be a nut the nut's love lmao
Rita Cosby is OBVIOUSLY getting the boot for writing a LIBELOUS book, meaning NO TRUTH TO IT!! Americans ONLY want the TRUTH not a bunch of lies aimed at hurting innocent people, like DANNIELYNN and her FAMILY.
Jackie Hatten is a JOKE, Opri wants REVENGE and Rita better have an ATTORNEY : )
41. Wow no Today show.. Did you have your pants down on this one to Howie. Harvey has someone been blowing you.Must have been the night Larry was out !!! I think maybe a good video for your new show Harvey.I will make sure to set the tivo that night..
Posted at 1:47AM on Sep 4th 2007 by Dr. Perper's Ex Girlfriend
42. Watch the numbers on the poll. The same losers that post about Larry and Howard all day everyday are just sitting there voting for Rita. Less then 5 minutes ago it was Larry 67% now it is at 63% It takes 1000 votes to change it by 1%
Posted at 1:43AM on Sep 4th 2007 by Stern haters are losers
43. I have said since Day 1, and even emailed MSNBC criticizing the sleazy reporting of Rita Cosby, that she was nothing more than a salacious gossip monger. Look at the stories she covered. Nothing more than the sleazy gossip rag mags would cover. She was the Nancy Grace of MSNBC.
I wondered why Rita was in the Bahamas in the first place. Now, learning that she is a "friend" of Deb Ospri, it all becomes clear. Deb overcharged Larry and he is challenging her bill (why should Larry have to pay for Ospri's husband to be in the Bahamas as well as his food, dry cleaning, phone bill, etc.?), so Deb hooks up with Rita and they both bare their claws to try to hit him where it hurts.
I don't for one minute think Howard is innocent of Daniel and ANS's deaths. I DO think Rita Cosby is showing just what kind of person she is, however. I wonder how much Ospri is paying her for these lies.
My one wish is that Larry would get away from Howard. Howard is bad news, and I worry that he will accused of guilt by association. Move to Kentucky, Larry. You family would be thrilled to take care of Danni should you need to travel for work.
And, #8 Victoria, you think Rita wouldn't make the claims without having the proof? And Rita "has the video"? What video? And "let's hear what happened as a learning experience"? Are you really that ignorant or did you think no one would notice your ridiculous statements?
44. No matter how many interviews she has done, that does not make her infallible. It does not mean that her integrity is perfect. It does not make her a moral compass. A moral compass would have taken the facts and presented them in a timely manner to the right authorities to demand justice. Not with hold information for personal gain. She is no saint. And her integrity is highly questionable.
The Today show would never cancel a guest of this high level of interest at the last minute, if there weren't flaws in the information.
Unfortunatly for her now, I now question the validity of all of her interviews.
45. There are an awful lot of people involved in this wretched mess that is Anna Nicole's legacy, almost all of them with varying degrees of greed and varying degrees of sleaze. I don't think Rita Cosby is even nearly the worst of them but I do think she certainly is one of them.
TMZ has learned the "Today" show has pulled the plug on the Rita Cosby interview about her book in which she claims Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead had a "relationship."
