Howard K. Stern

Infobox Celebrity
name = Howard K. Stern

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imagesize = 150px
caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1968|11|29
birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = attorney
salary =
networth =
partner = Anna Nicole Smith
website =
footnotes =
children =

Howard Kevin Stern [Howard K. Stern is not related to Howard Stern, the Sirius Satellite Radio host.] (born November 29, 1968) is the former attorney and partner of Anna Nicole Smith. He is always referred to as "Howard K. Stern", to avoid confusion with the popular radio personality with whom he coincidentally shares the same first and last names.

Early life and legal background

Stern was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He graduated with a B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1990 [ [http://cal.berkeley.edu] ] and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was admitted to the State Bar of California on February 25, 1994. [cite web | url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=169888 | title=Howard Kevin Stern - #169888 | work=The State Bar of California | accessdate=2007-02-12]

Relationship with Anna Nicole Smith

His law firm first handled Anna Nicole Smith's modeling contracts in the mid 1990s. When she fought for the fortune of her late husband J. Howard Marshall, Stern presented her direct examination at the trial. Stern's law firm was later dissolved around the time he became a co-star on "The Anna Nicole Show".cite web | url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah4059.shtml | title=Who Is Howard K. Stern? | work=Access Hollywood | accessdate=2007-02-14] Stern maintains an apartment in Santa Monica, California, from which he operated a business called "Hot Smoochie Lips Inc" [cite web | url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/celebrities/4546665.html | title=Beyond Anna Nicole, just who is Howard K. Stern? | work=Houston Chronicle | accessdate=2007-02-12] which is a talent agency that only had one client, Anna Nicole Smith. [cite web | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02112007/news/nationalnews/sterns_murky__1_client_career_nationalnews_brad_hamilton.htm | title=Stern's Murky, 1-client Career | work=New York Post | accessdate=2007-02-11]

The Anna Nicole Show

From 2002 - 2004, Stern portrayed himself in "The Anna Nicole Show", a reality based series. He had a major role in the series, and was seen either looking out for Anna Nicole's best interests (which turned into an antagonistic relationship with decorator Bobby Trendy, who Stern thought was trying to take advantage of Smith through delays in orders and inferior products), or joining in on the sometimes bizarre events that took place on the show. At the time, Smith and Stern claimed to be just close friends.

Death of Daniel Wayne Smith

On September 10, 2006, Stern was with Anna Nicole Smith when her son Daniel Wayne Smith died in Nassau, Bahamas, while visiting his mother and newborn sister. He has denied allegations by Anna Nicole's mother and the interior decorator Bobby Trendy that he was involved in Daniel's death [cite web | url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/stern%20lashes%20out%20at%20mums%20murder%20claims_1011053 | title=Stern lashes out at mum's murder claims | work=ContactMusic.com | accessdate=2006-10-17] .

Commitment Ceremony

On September 28, 2006, Howard and Anna exchanged vows in an informal wedding ceremony on a boat near Nassau, though it was not a legally binding marriage. Photographs of this ceremony were sold through Getty Images to "People Magazine" for around $1 million. [cite web | url=http://gawker.com/news/people/people-pays-1m-for-pics-of-anna-nicoles-weddingsuffering-204844.php | title='People' Pays $1M for Pics of Anna Nicole's Wedding/Suffering | work=Gawker | accessdate =2006-10-03]

Death of Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole died on February 8, 2007, less than five months after her son's death. According to the Florida court overseeing her estate, Anna Nicole left everything to her late son Daniel in a 16-page will that named Stern as the executor of her estate.cite web | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/16/smith.ruling/index.html | title=Anna Nicole Smith's will leaves everything to dead son | work=CNN | accessdate=2007-02-16]

Legal proceedings

Custody of Smith's remains

On February 21, 2007, hearings commenced before the Hon. Larry Seidlin in Florida's Broward County Circuit Court over the remains of Anna Nicole Smith. The proceedings were televised and were broadcast on the Internet.

On February 22, 2007, Judge Larry Seidlin denied motions by Virgie Arthur and Howard K. Stern, instead awarding custody of Smith's body to her infant daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern. The judge's order stated that attorney, Richard Milstein, the minor child's guardian ad litem, would make all final decisions regarding the interment of the body and funeral services. Seidlin stated that Smith should be buried next to her son Daniel in the Bahamas and directed Milstein to consult with Arthur, Stern and Birkhead regarding funeral arrangements. He also urged the parties to agree to paternity testing so that Danielynn's biological father could be conclusively established. Seidlin announced that he would be handing off that aspect of the case to another judge. [cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17276661/ | title=Judge leaves Smith decision with baby guardian | work=MSNBC | accessdate=2007-02-23]

Paternity dispute

On September 26, 2006, Mr. Stern claimed in an interview from the Bahamas with Larry King on CNN that he is the father of Anna Nicole's newborn baby girl, contrary to identical claims by celebrity photographer Larry Birkhead. [cite web | url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/26/smith.baby/index.html | title=Attorney: I'm Anna Nicole's baby's daddy | work=CNN | accessdate=2006-09-26] The Bahamian birth certificate lists the daughter's name as Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern with Howard as the father. [cite web | url=http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27268991.shtml | title=Anna Nicole Smith Names Howard K Stern as Dad on Birth Certificate | work=The National Ledger | accessdate=2006-10-11] Stern and Smith were reportedly staying in the Bahamas to avoid paternity testing in the United States. [cite web | url=http://www.inthenews.co.uk/entertainment/entertainment/quirky/anna-nicole-smith-back-in-hospital-$456420.htm | title=Anna Nicole Smith back in hospital | work=In the News | accessdate=2006-11-01]

On February 9, 2007, following the death of Anna Nicole Smith, it was revealed that Stern had custody of Smith's child, Dannielynn. [cite web | url=http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/09/people_hot_water/main2452507.shtml | title= Attorney: Stern Has Custody Of Anna's Baby | work= ShowBuzz (CBS News) | accessdate =2007-02-09] Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, the current husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, also claimed to be the father of the baby girl and threatened to file a lawsuit for custody. [cite web | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/09/prince.paternity.ap/index.html | title=Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband: I could be Smith baby's father | work=CNN | accessdate=2007-02-09] Alexander Denk, an actor and a former bodyguard for Anna Nicole Smith, told the tabloid television program "Extra" that he had an affair with his former employer. [cite news |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070213/ap_en_ce/anna_nicole_smith_prince_10 |title=Gabor's husband to file claim for baby |date=2007-02-12 |publisher=Associated Press |accessdate=2007-02-14] Mark Hatten, a former boyfriend of two years, also came forward to claim paternity of Dannielynn.

On April 10, 2007, a Bahamian court determined from DNA evidence presented by court-appointed DNA expert Dr. Michael Baird that Larry Birkhead is the father of Dannielynn. [cite news | url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1536410_20033495,00.html | title=DNA Test: Birkhead Is Dannielynn's Father | publisher=People |date=2007-04-10 |accessdate=2007-04-10] Howard K. Stern announced that he would not contest the ruling and would help Birkhead obtain sole custody. The court has ordered Stern to repay $10,000 in court costs for the abandoned appeal. [cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/10/smith.baby/index.html | title=After DNA test, Birkhead ruled Smith's baby's dad | publisher=CNN |date=2007-04-10 |accessdate=2007-04-10]

exuality

Rita Cosby alleged in the book "Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death", released on September 4, 2007, that Smith's nannies revealed a sex tape existed of Howard K. Stern and former rival Larry Birkhead engaged in a homosexual relationship. However, a lawyer for the nannies threatened to file suit against the book and said the nannies never spoke about such an encounter between Stern and Birkhead. [cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/10/09/2007-10-09_anna_nicole_nannies_sue_rita_cosby_over_.html|title=Anna Nicole nannies sue Rita Cosby over sex tape scandal|publisher=New York Daily News|date=2007-10-09] After Stern filed a $60 million libel suit against Cosby and her publisher in October 2007, [cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299104,00.html|title=Howard K. Stern Sues Rita Cosby for $60M Over Birkhead Gay Sex Claim|publisher=Fox News|date=2007-10-03] a spokesperson for the nannies claimed that Cosby offered bribes in an unsuccessful attempt to contact the nannies. [cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301383,00.html|title=Spokesman for Anna Nicole's Nannies Goes 'On the Record'|author=Greta Van Susteren|publisher=Fox News|date=2007-10-12]

References

External links

*imdb name|id=1229774|name=Howard K. Stern