Celebrity Justice
Anna Nicole to E!: You Screwed Me

The new E! show "Pop Fiction" sounds like a complete rip off of another pitch -- "Celebrities Strike Back." Oh, by the way -- it was pitched by Anna Nicole Smith more than three years ago and there could be a lawsuit.
Read the treatment
"Pop Fiction," produced by Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Television, debuted last night. It seems identical to a treatment obtained by TMZ that Anna Nicole registered with the Writers Guild in 2004. Now get this -- in 2004, Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern met with Jeff Shore and Jay James, both programming execs for E!. They pitched the show and sent Shore the treatment.

We're also told Anna Nicole and Howard K. met with then E! Prez Ted Harbert in 2004 and also raised the show.

Ashton's show sounds like a carbon of Anna's treatment -- "...what happens if Anna Nicole Smith and other celebrities turn the tables and capitalize off of the overzealous media? What if the next big supposed scandal is not a scandal at all? What if everything is staged, but the media (and the public) don't know it?" It continues, Anna Nicole and other celebrity guests take aim at the media and push all the limits."

That's Ashton Kutcher's show and we're told Howard K. has already threatened suit. What is really pissing him off is that he and Anna had multiple meetings with E!. Two months ago, Stern spoke with E! again on behalf of the estate and the network seemed intrigued by making Larry Birkhead the celeb to do the first prank and then host the show. Ultimately Jay James said it just wouldn't work. Oh really?

UPDATE: A rep for E! tells us, "'Pop Fiction' is a program independently created and developed by Ashton Kutcher's company, Katalyst. 'Pop Fiction' is not based on any idea or concept that may have been pitched to E! by any other party."

Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TV, Anna Nicole Smith

Reader Comments

(Page 10 of 10)Previous 15 Comments

136. I think this lawsuit is just part of the show. in a couple weeks ashton will pop out and say PUNKED!!

Posted at 5:15PM on Mar 12th 2008 by SteveM

137. 136. The police should ATREEST HOWARD K STERN & LARRY BIRKHEAD!!! THESE BUMS WILL SUE EVERYONE TO GET A BUCK!!! GET A REAL JOB YOU BUMS & QUIT LIVING OFF OF OTHERS PEOPLES MONEY!!!

Posted at 1:44PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Cheryl Soto

Arrest Howard and Larry for what? It doesn't work that way, if it did they would arrest you for being so dumb.

Posted at 5:15PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Patty2

138. What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.
















Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

What a shame that Howard did not protect Anna by drawing up an updated will for her!!!!

If he had been as careful with that as he was about this, lots of time and money could have been saved and that entire fiasco in Florida with the wanna be Celebrity Judge Larry Seidlin and the other pot-smoking one, Korda, avoided. There would have been no need for the GAL and his huge bill.

Yes siree, I think since Howard was aware of this, he has really succeeded in acting-out the plot in real life.

Posted at 6:52PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

Posted at 8:47PM on Mar 12th 2008 by Walter Barbera

139. Sounds like HKS was trying to get LB a job and they said no. I don't know anything about what your rights are if you register an idea with the writers guild, Another lawsuit and the show will be gone before it gets settled. Again the only people who will make a dime off of this are the lawyers and maybe HKS so yawn.

Posted at 10:25AM on Mar 13th 2008 by So What

140. How ironic. Anna spent the last 12 years of her life fighting tooth and nail to steal whatever she could from the Marshall family and now even as she's not even alive to defend herself, other people are stealing her intellectual property. It would only be funnier if this idea made Ashton Kutcher a ton of money.

Posted at 11:24AM on Mar 13th 2008 by agent zero

141. how can men walk in a store or restaurant and
pull money out of their pockets and pay for stuff
knowing that the people they are giving it to know
just how they got that money?

SHAMELESS, PITIFUL BUNCH.
dannielynn needs to read and learn about her other side of the family to learn the work ethic.

Posted at 9:45PM on Mar 13th 2008 by AMAZING

142.
from PITTSBURGLIVE.COM &&&&&&
So after federal prosecutors finished presenting their public corruption case against Wecht, the defense did, too, without calling a single witness.
Wecht, the former Allegheny County coroner, declined to answer questions as he left the courtroom. McDevitt offered only a brief comment.

"What do you want me to say?" he said. "I look forward to closing."

Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday morning.

Prosecutors allege Wecht, 76, of Squirrel Hill used his public office for private gain, in part by having county employees work on his private cases while on county time. They say Wecht used county resources to benefit his private business, Cyril H. Wecht and Pathology Associates.

Posted at 9:46PM on Mar 13th 2008 by lying wecht?

143. This show has an interesting concept but I was dissapointed when I actually went about seeing it, It was boring! On one prank alone they have 3 commercials & it just seems to go on forever & its not exciting because you know the papparazzos are gonna be duped so why drag it on so long?!

Posted at 3:49AM on Mar 20th 2008 by Jayri

144. still trying to milk money and now using Larry to do it

Posted at 4:15PM on Apr 3rd 2008 by raggedy

145. wow, just give it a rest. she's dead, and who really cares. it's actually a good show.

Posted at 2:43PM on May 9th 2008 by fucking douchee eww tranny head im decaying

146. Thank you TMZ for investigative reporting again. Your site, is the only gossip site, I've seen this story.

34. This pretty much shows Anna was not a druged up women. She had many good ideas for TV shows. She also had many good and loving friends. She only had 3 in her life that is making money still off of her and they are Shelly , Tompson, Hattens. If she was so druged up then how did she work on Movies, Molding, Commericals, Charity advents. Funny that the only peeople that say she was wasted 24/7 are these 3 low lifes. So I hope E has to pay her estaste and it goes to Dannielynn. Good for Howard watching out for Anna. If she came up with the idea then they should pay her for it.

Posted at 2:53PM on Mar 10th 2008 by WAY TO GO

I'm sorry, but you must've had a typo because the only people that HAVE NOT made any money off of beautiful Anna were the three that you named. Oh, Howie's gonna sue again...............I wish he/they could bother to put something a cross, a cross with a heart, for those dispicable UNMARKED graves down there. While they are WAITING for the "headstone".

Posted at 6:03PM on Jul 13th 2008 by just the facts please

147. They are so pathetic...... with the 1 don't believe Harding he's not credible 2. Oh, believe him now though because what he meant was it was the S.C. crew of course......they had to do it..... forgetting of course that only their SATAN STERN was in the ROOMS both times...... Yes, sorry Bon Bon, but you spoke volumes to me when you came out and said "HE WASN'T THERE WHEN SHE WAS FOUND"...........u made it clear that was a very important point for you to make.....WHY? He knew she was dead, that is why he freaked.......when it actually happened. That was the plan..... how sweet of Dr. KIllvorkian to MURDER her, the same way her idol MARYLN was MURDERED. She wanted that Baby Girl ALL of her adult life......... and perhaps even before.....

Posted at 6:04PM on Jul 13th 2008 by just the facts please

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