Nancy Grace Show Leads With Bald Truth Scoop: We Report $2 Million Anna A$$et$ in Bahamas; Will Be Disclosed When 2nd Probate Filed There; Grace: Howard K. Stern Is Hiding Something! Harris: Nancy, You Are Wrong…It’s All Kosher; Grace Appeals to Legal Experts; Harris Upheld! Read All About It in CNN Transcript Below:
Aired May 18, 2007 – 20:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, breaking news. Cover girl Anna Nicole Smith`s fortune, her will and alleged assets just made public. Where`s the money? Tonight, have the cover girl`s assets been traced to the Bahamas? Cash in bank accounts, diamonds and other jewelry in safe deposit. And two homes could top $2 million. So, tell me, why were these assets specifically omitted in court documents? Are cover girl Anna Nicole Smith`s assets being plundered with her in the graveyard? And what about her sole heir, 8-month-old baby Dannielynn?
And tonight, a beautiful 4-year-old baby girl on a luxury resort vacation with her entire family vanishes from her own bedroom, after parents leave the children alone to attend a dinner party. Tonight, did the chief suspect maintain a secret hidden room in his home? And why has he been released? With over 55 million Internet hits in the find baby Maddie site, the world watches and wonders why was she left alone. And tonight, that reward topping $5 million to find baby Maddie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Millions have joined the search for 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, missing now for two weeks from a luxury vacation with her family. findmadeleine.com set up by the McCann family to aid the search for Maddie receiving over 65 million hits.
Rewards offered by businessmen, famous athletes and ordinary individuals total more than $5 million. Maddie vanishes from a bedroom after her parents leave her alone with her 2-year-old twin siblings to go to dinner. Investigators focus on the area near the resort where Maddie went missing. Police Tuesday identified 33-year-old Robert Murat as a formal suspect.
But said they didn`t have enough evidence to charge him. Maddie`s parents, Kate and Gerry, criticized for leaving the children alone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. First, Anna Nicole Smith`s estate. Are millions hidden in the Bahamas?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: As everyone is circling about Anna Nicole Smith`s will now made public, we now get a list of assets, and you know what, I don`t believe that list of assets. I do not believe that all of her personal property amounted to just $10,000. This woman had all of those designer dresses, all that jewelry, the cars, the furniture. I`m not buying it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only $10,000 listed? Like you said, what about the dresses, what about the Trimspa negotiations and contract she had.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did Anna Nicole Smith really die a poor little rich girl? A report says Anna Nicole is actually worth millions, an estimated $2 million to be exact. All this in bank accounts, diamonds, multiple homes, the controversy deepens over the cover girl`s fortune.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: I`m Nancy Grace, I want to thank you for being with us tonight. To the fortune — the so-called fortune of Anna Nicole Smith, last week her will and alleged assets made public in a court of law document. Where`s all the money and if it is true that all of these assets are somewhere hidden in the Bahamas, why wouldn`t they listed on the official court documents? And who`s responsible for preparing the list of assets? Straight out to investigative reporter Art Harris.
Art, you`ve been in the Bahamas trying to track the money. What have you learned?
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, Nancy, on my Web site artharris.com I reveal tonight that there are about $2 million worth of assets in the Bahamas. But I hate to disappoint you. Nothing nefarious going on here. It`s just that the first probate was filed in California, a preliminary estimate of assets there, her house, balance, $710,000, another $10,000 in cash there, filed just so they could set the filing fee.
But there was always a contemplation opening a second probate in the Bahamas, when people live in two places, you have two probates. There I`ve learned there is the house, Horizons, an estimated $1 million about. But it could be worth more if it has appreciated.
She has diamonds in bank accounts. She has the boat, the yacht that was bought when she was in the hospital, worth about $150,000. That will be listed when probate is filed there. Also, a high six-figure bank account, my sources tell me, in the Bahamas.
But what people forget is when she moved from Los Angeles, Nancy, that`s when she moved her money to the Bahamas. So it`s natural that`s where the money was all along. She had those high fees from photo shoots.
GRACE: Question, Art Harris. I don`t know why you think — take joy in something nefarious, as you say, happening. The only person that is going to be hurt — that stands to be hurt in all of this is an 8-month-old baby girl. I`m not quite sure what you`re insinuating. But I know this much.
HARRIS: Nancy.
GRACE: . when you are.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: As I was saying, when you file official court documents in which you list the assets and you know of other assets, just because they`re in a different jurisdiction does not mean, to my understanding, they should not be on that formal court document assets.
HARRIS: Well, Nancy, probate lawyers tell me that you`re wrong.
GRACE: Well, you know what, why don`t we go to a probate lawyer. Why don`t we go out to Burt Levitch, trust and estates attorney. Why would you not list all of the assets, unless you`re intending to file an addendum, Burt?
BURT LEVITCH, TRUST & ESTATES ATTY.: Nancy, the documents that were filed here in the Los Angeles Superior Court were pretty clear in stating that Anna Nicole was a nonresident of California. And the address that they listed as her final residence was the Horizons residence in Nassau, Bahamas.
So what the California court is interested in doing is having an inventory filed of the California assets. And that essentially makes this an ancillary proceeding. One of the things that surprised me when this document was filed on Monday was that we didn`t hear of a primary probate filing.
But now your investigative reporter has learned of the Bahamas action and that`s beginning to fill in some of the gaps in this picture.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: I`ve got a question. Why — if her primary residence is in the Bahamas — was in the Bahamas, why would she file a California probate?
LEVITCH: In most jurisdictions, the primary probate can govern all of someone`s financial resources. But the one exception to what the primary probate can cover is real estate.
So it`s necessary for the California courts to open an ancillary jurisdiction probate here in California, specifically to dispose of her residence. And I`m guessing that the $10,000 listed in the way of, quote, “personal property,” is really the tangible personal property that may have been left in or around the house out here in California.
GRACE: OK. So it`s typical to file two different probate matters, Burt Levitch?
LEVITCH: Yes, it is, Nancy.
GRACE: I want to go back to Art Harris. Art, how does the court double check — how does the court trace all the assets you have discovered about jewelry and diamonds and safe deposit boxes? I`m also interested in not one, but two residences in the Bahamas. Is that second residence on which she made a down payment, is that listed and what about cars and other personal property?
HARRIS: Yes. Sure. Nancy, nothing has been listed yet in the Bahamas. My sources were telling these are some of the things that will be listed when Howard K. Stern files the probate, the will in the Bahamas after he is officially declared an executor of the estate in California June 19th.
That`s when it will move to the Bahamas as earlier anticipated. And a Bahamian judge actually suggested that as the protocol. .
GRACE: Let`s go out to the lines. Martha in Tennessee. Hi, Martha.
CALLER: Hi, Nancy. I appreciate you being strong and keeping your stand.
GRACE: Well, let me tell you, Martha, it`s tough. What`s you`re question, dear?
CALLER: Well, we appreciate it.
GRACE: Hey, Martha, you`re calling from Tennessee?
CALLER: Yes.
GRACE: What about Mary Winkler, the preacher`s wife getting that light sentence? It looks like she`s going to get the kids back, too.
CALLER: Yes. That`s not right.
GRACE: Tell it. OK. Back to Anna Nicole. Go ahead, dear.
CALLER: No. I want to know, why is Howard still the executor of the will, considering he had a personal relationship with her?
GRACE: Let`s go back out to Burt Levitch, trust and estates expert, joining us out of L.A. When you have a personal relationship with someone or you may end up taking under the will or taking, as the executor of the will, is that not a conflict, Burt Levitch?
CALLER: It certainly presents a potential conflict. But keep in mind that each one of us has the ability to say who we want to administer our estate. And back in 2001 when Anna Nicole signed this will, she obviously had a relationship of some sort with Howard Stern and decided that he would be the best person to administer her estate.
And she, for whatever reason, chose not to update up that will following the birth of her daughter, the death of her son and that left Howard in place.
GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight, civil rights attorney, child advocate, Gloria Allred. Also with us, veteran trial lawyer, defense attorney Sandy Schiff in the New York jurisdiction. And out of Austin, Texas, Courtney Anderson (ph).
To you, Gloria Allred, let`s talk about Dannielynn, the likely heir, since it is going to go intestate — the will is going to be declared invalid I would think for various reasons. To Dannielynn, shouldn`t there be someone that doesn`t have a dog in the fight, nobody that`s going to take under the will at all to safeguard her rights, Gloria?
GLORIA ALLRED, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY., CHILD ADVOCATE: Well, yes, and I think that that`s going to be Larry Birkhead, her father, because to the best of my knowledge, I haven`t seen any reports that Anna Nicole left him one red cent. And therefore, he, I think, is in a position to be the guardian of her interests in this estate litigation.
GRACE: Well, you`re absolutely right. He`s totally not named in the will. He`s not named outside the four corners of the will, Gloria Allred. But to you, David Caplan, celebrity journalist, hasn`t he made a request to be a special.
DAVID CAPLAN, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Administrator, yes.
GRACE: Yes.
CAPLAN: Yes. Larry Birkhead actually yesterday in Los Angeles filed a petition to be the special administrator of Dannielynn`s guardianship and estate.
GRACE: And you know, question David Caplan, what is there to be gained from this point on? Is there copyrighting? Is there using her name in likeness? What is there for anyone to gain from this juncture forward?
CAPLAN: Yes, I mean, we`ve already discussed sort of Anna Nicole`s existing assets. But going forward, the Anna Nicole Smith brand is huge. And the potential really is millions and billions of dollar, her likeness, her name. I mean, we`ve seen this before with other celebrities who were deceased from Elvis Presley to so many others, they make so much more money after their death.
GRACE: Out to the lines. Lucy in New York. Hi, Lucy.
CALLER: Hi. Nancy I was wondering, since they`ve waited so long to discuss all of her assets and all, wouldn`t there be a chance for those to be missing and who`s to really know how much of that estate here?
GRACE: You know, to you Vito Collucci, private investigator, how do you determine if assets are hidden? How do we know there aren`t offshore assets and accounts in Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands, in Switzerland. How can we tell?
VITO COLLUCCI, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Well, when we do asset checks for attorneys on cases, basically we are able to find if there`s offshore accounts hidden. The only problem, though, Nancy, when you`re dealing with a different country like the Bahamas or something like that, I have hooked up my attorneys and my clients with PIs, retired detectives, police officials from those countries.
The only problem with that, there`s a lot of payoffs and a lot of sometimes illegal things going on to get the results and who knows who hands their hands in the till of these safe deposit boxes? That`s the problem.
GRACE: Back to you, Art Harris, investigative report. I want to talk about that boat, it`s not just a boat, listen, nobody is rowing with an oar. This is a big yacht. What was the name of it, Crackerjack (ph), or what was the name of it?
HARRIS: Well, it couldn`t have been that big, Nancy. I`m told that they only paid about $140,000, $150,000 for it. So that won`t buy you much boat.
GRACE: Well, that may not be a lot of money to you. But to other people.
HARRIS: No, no, Nancy.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: . that`s a good chunk of change. Is that a down payment?
HARRIS: I know that you can float around a lake like that. No. Well, I`m understanding that that is in fact the full price of the boat.
GRACE: Ah, The Cracker.
HARRIS: Yes, well, you know, Crackerjacks can, you know, cost a little more than that, of course.
GRACE: You know, Art, couldn`t you — they have the boat in the Bahamas, correct?
HARRIS: It has been taken to the Bahamas, that`s what my sources tell me.
GRACE: So if that boat were retooled and renamed The Anna Nicole, how much do you think that thing would go for?
HARRIS: Well, if she was on it, I think it is going to probably be worth a lot. Along with Horizons, actually, I`m told that Ford Shelley and G. Ben Thompson, who claimed ownership of the house, which is questionable at this point, think it`s worth $10 million just because Anna Nicole lived there.
GRACE: Let`s take a look at the Horizons home we are talking about, Liz, if you can pull that up. Now this is where she had been living. There`s also another home, you`re seeing shots there of the home on which there`s a down payment. So there`s actually two homes in the Bahamas, Art. Is that on the list?
HARRIS: That`s right. That`s going to be filed on the list. My sources tell me when the will is filed in the Bahamas.
GRACE: So none of this has yet been filed, correct?
HARRIS: Correct, correct.
GRACE: Art, how did you find out about all of the jewelry in the safe deposit boxes?
HARRIS: Well, you know, I have people who are close to this whole thing, Nancy. And I`m told that she had on a five carat diamond ring, worth a lot, when she died. She had three carat diamond earrings each that were found in the room by Seminole police, along with $10,000 in cash. And of course, that was confiscated. And it will be turned over to Howard K. Stern.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: . executor.
GRACE: OK, now, wait, wait, wait, wait, that`s not in the Bahamas. So back to you, Burt Levitch, if you`ve got a six carat diamond ring, three carat earrings and $10,000 cash in Florida, why wasn`t that part of the California probate list?
LEVITCH: Well, the only reason that there was any personal property attached to the California petition is that I`m pretty sure it was associated directly with the residence out here. Again, the ancillary jurisdiction only deals with real property. And it`s a very related miscellaneous assets. So it sounds like the items that were found in the hotel room in Florida would eventually be under the jurisdiction of the Bahamian court.
GRACE: You`re saying additional photos of that Horizons home, that in itself — to you Gloria, Sandy and Courtney, that`s a legal dispute right there. Anna Nicole Smith apparently got this home, Horizons, with a quitclaim deed. It was handed over to her by her then boyfriend. And now he`s claiming it was just for her to get citizenship.
He didn`t really mean for her to have it, Sandy. So long story short, is that a fraud on the court, and will she, her assets, her estate end up getting this home?
SANDY SCHIFF, DEFENSE ATTY.: Well, quitclaim deed means you get as good a title as the person who conveyed it to you. It`s not a full deed with convenance (ph) against a grantor. And it`s for the court to determine who actually owns that. So it`s up in the air.
GRACE: And what about it, Courtney? The allegations are, the owner of this gorgeous mansion, take a look at that thing, called Horizons. Wanted Anna Nicole Smith to get — help get residency in the Bahamas. You`ve got to have property. So he quitclaims his home to her so she can get residence. Then she dies. Now her estate is claiming it`s mine, what`s going to happen?
COURTNEY ANDERSON, DEFENSE ATTY.: Well, what a wicked web we weave when first we set out to deceive. This woman was just amazing. I mean, I just have to say, from a legal perspective, it is really fascinating. I`m sure it`s going to be riveting evidentiary hearings about what happened and what she promised and the oral representations that were made.
But just as a person and as a woman, I am endlessly fascinated that she was able to cajole, convince and talk this man into this. So it`s absolutely amazing.
GRACE: And back to you, Burt Levitch, trust and estates attorney, he gives her a quitclaim, I think it is a quitclaim deed, to the home just to help her get residency, then she dies.
LEVITCH: Raises a really interesting question. Here the allegation in the California court is that she was a resident of the Bahamas. And I suppose it`s possible that the Bahamian court could say, no, it`s not our problem. Her attempts to gain residency here were unsuccessful. You needed to own a home and she didn`t. And who knows what jurisdiction would pop up next?
GRACE: And let me guess, Art Harris, who`s living in the Horizons mansion right now?
HARRIS: Well, of course, Howard Stern is. And he has been called a squatter by the alleged owner. But I also have right here a judge`s order requiring the owner, Ben Thompson, to put up $100,000 cash bond if he wants to proceed with this lawsuit. That tells me that the judge is not terribly confident it`s a good case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve calculated that she has made in the past 12 months previous to her death at least $1.3 million. Remember those wedding pictures she had with Howard Stern (INAUDIBLE) People magazine for a million dollars, the Dannielynn birth pictures for $300,000. That`s a lot of money to go through. And whatever happened to that yacht she supposedly bought in Florida right, remember, before her death?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s right. Apparently about $2 million worth of assets emerge in the Bahamas, not listed in court documents so far belonging to cover girl Anna Nicole Smith. Who is protecting her assets? Out to you Gloria Allred. I`m looking at this petition filed by Howard K. Stern, no offense, Mr. Stern, but it says you need to be appointed — you`re asking to be appointed special administrator to pay expenses on the property, including utilities, gardener, pool maintenance.
Hello, she`s dead. Why does she need pool maintenance?
ALLRED: Well, I think it`s important that the value of her assets be protected. And so it may be that some of her real property is sold in the future, Nancy. And you would want that property to be in good condition to help to increase the market value of that property.
GRACE: Gloria, you know Howard K. Stern is doing the backstroke in that pool right now.
ALLRED: Well, you know, I don`t know. I don`t necessarily have that same view of Howard Stern.
GRACE: I don`t have that view of him. He stuck by her all these years. He helped her lead the fight on the Marshall estate. But you know, gardening, pool expenses, isn`t that a little over the top, Gloria?
ALLRED: Well, you know, it may not be. It really depends on the circumstances. And I think it`s probably a small amount given what`s at stake in this. And I don`t think that he`s asking to be paid himself for gardening or taking care of the pool.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anna Nicole had personal property valued at $10,000. She had a home in Los Angeles valued at $1.8 million, but she had a $1.1 million debt on her home, presumably a mortgage, maybe tax bills. Bottom line here, she was only worth about $700,000.
GRACE: But tonight, according to Art Harris, investigative reporter, she has got about $2 million worth of assets in the Bahamas. Out to the lines. Debbie in Florida.
Hi, Debbie.
CALLER: Hi, Nancy. Nancy, Anna Nicole`s will specifically eliminates future children and husbands. But it doesn`t eliminate her mother. So doesn`t that lack of exclusion open the door for Virgie Arthur, as a blood relative, to inherit everything?
GRACE: You know, I understand where you`re headed. What about it, Burt Levitch? She does have a point. Under the will, it specifically excludes, for instance, Dannielynn, by excluding future children. What do you think, Burt?
LEVITCH: That is true, but this is an unusual document because there`s not one but there are two disinheritance clauses. There`s that specific one that you just alluded to, Nancy, in which future children are specifically disinherited. But I`m actually looking now at section 6 point 2 that says “except as otherwise, provided, I have intentionally omitted to provide for any of my heirs.” That would include Virgie.
GRACE: When we come back, not only more on Anna Nicole, but a beautiful baby girl vanishes from a luxury resort vacation while her parents leave her for a dinner party. Tonight, where is baby Maddie?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Is it possibly clear who would receive the money should Anna`s estate win that court battle?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, I think that they`re going into probate because they want to settle the whole issue of Anna Nicole Smith`s estate so that they could get to the big battle over the big money, which is the estate of J. Howard Marshall, potentially worth to Anna Nicole Smith estate, if she wins, at least half a billion dollars.
But until they settle this whole estate business, they can`t go forward to that big battle. And, remember, Howard K. Stern is a lawyer in that battle and could make a contingency fee worth several million dollars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s right. Howard K. Stern is set to get about a 6 percent fee, I believe, of any of the huge, half-a-billion-dollar estate of Anna Nicole`s former husband, Howard Marshall. And the reality is, he had a lot of oil interest. So, hey, take a look at the pump. That money has only increased.
Out to the lines, Carla in Colorado. Hi, Carla.
CALLER: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: What`s your question, dear?
CALLER: My question is, even though the baby is not in the will, shouldn`t she get her mother`s jewelry?
GRACE: Absolutely, Carla. I think every woman on the set would agree with you on that one.
And out to you, Burt Levitch, the reality is, when the will is struck down, the deceased goes in testate, in other words, without a will. Won`t the government governing the will give all the money to the child? Or does some go to Virgie Arthur, the mother?
BURT LEVITCH, TRUST AND ESTATES ATTORNEY: Under California law in this case, the child would inherit all the assets. But, remember, California law will presumably govern the disposition of the house out here in Los Angeles. But with respect to the recovery from the litigation in Texas, the Bahamian court may well be interpreting the California will, as well.
GRACE: So you`re talking about the Howard K. Marshall money, half a billion dollars?
LEVITCH: Exactly. My guess is that that would still go to Dannielynn and that Virgie would not inherit anything. But I can really only predict, without any measure of certainty, what a California court would do. It`s really hard for me to say what might happen in the Bahamas.
GRACE: Back out to you, Art Harris, is it true that there have been secret talks to settle? This has been a long, long legal dispute. It`s gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. It`s landed back. Now it`s at the kooky Ninth Circuit. God only knows what that bunch will do.
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: In San Francisco.
GRACE: Yes. Aren`t they the ones that said the Pledge of Allegiance was inappropriate in the classroom? Yes, that`s the Ninth Circuit. So God only knows what they`re going to do. So it`s going to land with the Ninth Circuit, the Howard Marshall billions. What do you think is going to happen?
HARRIS: Well, right now, there have been secret talks, Nancy. They have been cancelled since the death. And, of course, since Howard Marshall died, his widow was at those talks. And the last time they met, Howard K. Stern was there with Anna Nicole and their lawyers, and it`s going to be in San Francisco, but right now the mediation, the court-ordered mediation is halted, and so has the wheeling and dealing.
GRACE: Why?
HARRIS: Well, there`s nobody really to talk…
GRACE: Well, Stern can do it. He`s been representing her in this forever.
HARRIS: Well, he`s been named a special administrator. He doesn`t get to go back officially until and unless he`s named executor of the estate.
GRACE: OK, well, it`s clearly her wishes that he be the executor of the estate. I find it very difficult to believe, Gloria Allred, that even if the will is struck down that they will take Stern away as executor. That was clearly her wish.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: I think you`re right, Nancy. I think that was her wish. And, apparently, that`s what may happen. And he has said that he is not going to accept any compensation for being executor. But as you pointed out, he certainly will benefit big time, if as and when the Marshall litigation results in millions, potentially, to the estate of Dannielynn. Then he`ll get his contingency fee on that litigation.
GRACE: Out to the lines, John in Oklahoma. Hi, John.
CALLER: Hello, Nancy.
GRACE: How are you, dear?
CALLER: Good, good.
GRACE: What`s your question?
CALLER: Does Howard Stern still play a part in the receiving and getting the money from the Marshall estate over into the — what we would call the Anna Nicole estate?
GRACE: Out to you, David Caplan, the answer would be most likely yes.
DAVID CAPLAN, “STAR” MAGAZINE: Yes, no, he definitely does. And we just have to see how much money, you know, when it all unfolds in court. But he definitely will. And that, again, was Anna Nicole`s wishes.
GRACE: And I believe, Sandy Schiff, it`s about a 6 percent fee that he gets, but, you know, a lot of people come down on Stern, but he has been on the Howard K. Marshall lawsuit from the very, very beginning. He`s been working this thing forever, and it really is only fair that he gets paid for all that work.
SANDY SCHIFF, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, and with his former partner, and he has a percentage. And, believe me, it`s worth more than his executor`s fees, and it doesn`t make any sense for him to fool around.
GRACE: And back out to you, Courtney Anderson, I agree. I want him to get paid for all of his hard work. But I do have a problem — that may not even be a legal question — with him shacked up in the Horizons mansion, you know, with that pool — let`s see the Horizons mansion again, Liz, OK? I`m not saying this is illegal, but he`s asking for upkeep on this palace he`s living in. And the legal argument is, Anna Nicole shouldn`t have even been living there.
COURTNEY ANDERSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, that`s not Anna Nicole…
GRACE: He`s a squatter. He is a squatter.
ANDERSON: That was not Anna Nicole`s argument, if I remember correctly. They were fighting over this property. I think they had the utilities turned off in the quest to evict Anna Nicole prior to her untimely passing. So her perspective was — and she maintains to the very end — that she was rightfully the owner of that. He said that they had a spiritual wedding, I believe, that he was her boyfriend. He loved her. He lived with her and her new baby.
And so he`s there maintaining the property, as Gloria said, maintaining the property value, ensuring that that`s not any waste. You know, and the whole entire thing is fascinating. I do want to mention, though, I`m in Texas, and I`m not so convinced that the Marshalls are going to settle.
It was pretty clear that, when they won their lawsuit here in Texas against Vickie Lynn or Anna Nicole, that they had kind of dug their heels in on this, and they felt that she was not in the will, and that she wasn`t going to get any more than she`d already received.
GRACE: But that was when the son and Anna Nicole were both still alive.
ANDERSON: Well, I know. But after the son passed away, his family publicly said that — their lawyers said that they were going to continue with the exact same position they`d had. So I`m not so sure that money is ever, ever going to come to fruition and be in anybody`s pocket.
GRACE: There`s almost a curse on that money, millions.
Out to a special guest joining us, medical examiner and forensic pathologist, Dr. William Morrone. We`ve all kind of forgotten the inquest into the death of Daniel Smith. That`s been put on the back burner. We know that methadone likely involved.
DR. WILLIAM MORRONE, MEDICAL EXAMINER: Yes.
GRACE: What do you anticipate will happen at the inquest?
MORRONE: The actual facts that come out from the autopsy need to be filled in. Where did the medication come from? What kind of instructions were there? What were the actual doses? Was there any supervision? Was there a doctor-patient relationship? Was this off the street? Was this illegal? Those are all questions that still need to be answered.
GRACE: And what happens at a formal inquest? We understand Howard Stern is going to be a witness.
MORRONE: The people in the family have the responsibility to answer questions that I just posed publicly. Those questions have been out there for five or six months. They know the answers.
GRACE: And as far as Anna Nicole Smith`s death, are there any potential criminal or civil charges out there?
MORRONE: The criminal charges are pretty much wrapped up. There might be civil charges, but the answers were actually more forthcoming in the Anna Nicole investigation.
GRACE: Right, because of Dr. Perper.
MORRONE: Absolutely. He did an excellent job.
GRACE: Maybe they could use him down in the Bahamas. And very quickly, back to you, Art Harris, the house, the Horizons house, the one I keep showing the pool, with the Grecian statues around it, there`s more update on that, too.
HARRIS: Yes, Nancy, a Bahamian judge has ordered the so-called owners, the plaintiff Howard, Ben Thompson and Ford Shelley, to put up $100,000 cash bond to cover legal fees in case they lose. That suggests to me that they may not have as strong a case as they think.
May 19th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Art, I watched Nancy Grace last night and you did a great job. Why would a broadcast lead-in using a defamatory question like “Are ANS assets being plundered?” a clear implication that Howard K. Stern is the one doing the plundering? When Nancy cut you off and went to the probate attorney for “proof” of the probate facts you were presenting, I don’t know how you kept your composure, but I’m glad you did. Grace began to soften her stand when the other guests did not jump on her grandstanding tactics. I keep hoping Lyn Wood is taking notes of her careless and unprofessional comments. Why does Grace invite guests such as yourself, if she doesn’t want to respect them on a professional level?
Keep up the great work and I look forward to more information from your website!
May 19th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Art, I only watched Nancy Grace because I was told you were going to be on, personally I do not rely on her to give me facts. IMO her show is like the national enquirer on TV.
I think she is rude and wish she would have given you more time, but that’s Nancy.
I am writing to address why so many people feel Howard does not have the right to stay at the Horizon’s. Didn’t Anna buy the place for them to live? Why don’t people realize Howard and Anna were in a relationship? I do not understand why some people are taking the view he deserves any thing less than to be treated as Anna’s partner. He was her partner for 12 years. It is a long time. They clearly had more than a business relationship. I simply can not understand why some people are so mean.
May 19th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Hi Art, I love your website! I also love when you politely, put Nancy in her place! She always thinks she’s right!
May 19th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I am so glad Art, that you put Nancy Grace straight on this whole thing! Her reporting is taken VERY SERIOUSLY buy local Bahamians – they often quote what she says on her shows in their message boards. She should stop statings negative things when she does not know the answers!
Love your site! Keep up the good work for TRUTH!
May 19th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Go ART! Keep up your great reporting. Loved the way you put everyone in check with the facts!
May 19th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Dear Art Harris,
Once again, thank you!
In addition, I truly appreciate your posting of the transcript.
Blessings to you and yours,
Kristina
May 19th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Dear Art,
You really should make more public appearances.
It was good to see you again on the tele, I missed one the other nite. You should have a place here on your website letting us know, as soon as you know, that we can actually see you, live/or pre-recorded…I’ll take you anyway I can get you!
(Loved that line from Nancy…take a look at the pump, and I have visions of Howard doing the backstroke.)
Someday, I’m convinced I’ll know the whole truth, but not by watching regular TV, I want premium unleaded!
May 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Art:
I am so glad that you appeared on Nancy Grace’s show. I read he transcript as I was unable to watch only bits and pieces of it. I get too annoyed with her obviously biased reporting.
You have single-handedly made Nancy, Gloria Allred and co change their tune, tone and attitude somewhat. We can’t expect everything all at once.
Since this whole tragedy began you are the only guest that Nancy has listened to and I am unbelievably impressed! It was as if it was a different Nancy, almost. Normally if you were not willing to crucify Howard K. Stern then you were summarily dismissed by Nancy as she moved from guest to guest until she obtained the answer she wanted.
You provided your information calmly, respectfully and without bias or needless speculation. As a result, you set the tone for the entire show.
It was obvious by the way you were able to answer any questions directed you that you have thoroughly researched this story as you had every answer and point at your fingertips.
This is what a good investigative journalist does and once again you did it with distinction. That is why you are the Emmy Award winning journalist that you are. It is just unfortunate that there are not many others like you as so many of the mainstream journalists have now become tabloid reporters running on rumor, innuendo, at times outright slander and complete lack of regard for the truth. You are what journalism is all about and what others should strive to emulate. Hopefully they will do so and rise to the occasion and follow your example. Please please I beg of you, please follow this story. Do Greta Van Susteren’s show. The public deserves to hear the truth from someone whom they are able to trust.
I watched a documentary about Walter Cronkite last night, a man who is a part of a dying breed of journalism. You have done him and your profession proud.
Keep up the excellent reporting Art and I look forward to your next article.
Kudos to you Art!
May 19th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Well Well Well Mr True Fact Harris, you did an AMAZING job last nite serving Nancy Graceless her just desserts.
Not only did you remain calm and respectful as she cut you off at every turn but you never veered off your chosen path, Facts & Truth.
As many have witnessed on such laughable news shows such as Nancy Graceless it tends to become what the host provides, in this example Graceless attempted many times (((i gave up counting after 5))) to veer her guests and callers onto the bashing and slanderous roads of deflamation onto Howard. You, Mr True Facts did NOT fall for the bait nor attempt to in any way appease Graceless in her set out agenda.
Kudos to you Art ! GREAT JOB !
May 19th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Nancy cracks me up!
She is a clown right?
NC has a Prime Time Cable TV show and appears to not have a clue what she is talking about most of the time.
She claims she loves research, however, most of us that have kept up with this tragedy UNDERSTAND AND KNOW MORE THAN SHE DOES by a long shot.
She doesn’t talk about the facts. She spouts off her opinion in and around loosely based rumors! I mean come on… one of her favorite guest is the guy from the National Enquirer!!! Give me a break. So she must be a clown in an attorney suit. She is a joke…please tell me it is so.
Art Harris – Never for a moment did I believe you wouldn’t “HOLD UP” … YOU ROCK AND you were the ONLY reason I tuned in to begin with last night!
I respect what you have to say.
I can’t say that for the clown in an expensive suit with a Prime Time Cable Show.
May 19th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Does the tabloid media really think that their viewers are dumb? Anyone with 1/2 a brain knows that all of her bank account info was probably in those items stolen from Horizons shortly after her death. This would be known by fla/bahamas authorities. Even i knew that there wud be something else added in the bahamas, since this is where she moved to. GVS/NG!!!please stop insulting your audience. Most ppl usually carry their stuff with them when they relocate. Maybe FS’s group shud be the ones to put questions to regarding her assets. NG/GVS knew the answers all along, but tried to stir ppl up…sidenote, i understand HKS to be a FRUGAL MAN. Room and board for all the legal advice over the years is nowhere near what lawyers usually charge. Look at Opri’s fee for the short time that she represented larry b’head. Get a grip GVS/NG/GR. We, the ppl, are not as lame as you might think.
May 19th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
While others are cheapening themselves by their actions and/or turning a blind eye to the truth our esteemed investigative journalist Mr. Art Harris, has once again not only scooped every avenue of competetion, but has done it with taste and style. Art, you are a man among men. Watching you on Nancy Grace I was as proud of you as I imagine that your mother, wife or daughter must be.
May 20th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Howard is ONLY in it for money…ANS truly was a “BIMBO”….VIRGIE IS A “BITCH”…Larry deservers a chance…he loves his daughter!
May 20th, 2007 at 4:30 am
I also watched the show and have followed this all the way and they we’re evicted from horizons so how are they now going to keep the property that they did not PAY for at all.She tore the promissary note up. So as far as I’m concerned she reniged on the deal.At the time of her death she had a 30 day stay at the house. That is why they bought the other property and was fixing it up. They we’re squatting. Art you are a wonderful reporter and you did report the facts as you have gotten them. But what I said is also true.
May 20th, 2007 at 8:58 am
PUBLIC OPINION IS AS FICKLE AS A LEAF IN THE WIND. NOT LONG AGO STERN WAS ACCUSED OF BEING A MURDERER, ANNA’S DRUG ENABLER, AND AN INCOMPETENT ADMINISTRATOR OF ANNA’S FINANCIAL AFFAIRS (THE CALIFORNIA HOUSE TAX BILLS UNPAID, FOR EXAMPLE).
NOW IT NOW SEEMS HE IS BEING HAILED AS A GOOD GUY. LETS RESERVE JUDGMENT UNTIL ALL THE FACTS ARE IN. WE DO NOT KNOW: WHO REALLY OWNS THE HORIZON HOUSE, WHO GAVE DANNY LETHAL AMOUNTS OF METHADONE, STERN’S CULABILITY IN KEEPING ANNA SUPPLIED WITH DRUGS, THE INFAMOUS CLOWN TAPE OF ANNA WHEN HE HEAR HOWARD SAYING, THIS IS WORTH MONEY. ETC., ETC. AND OF COURSE, HOWARD FOUGHT TO KEEP ANOTHER MAN’S BABY WHILE KNOWING FULL WELL HE WAS NOT THE FATHER. RECALL, THAT ANNA WAS “SHOPPING AROUND” FOR ANOTHER MAN TO BE NAMED ON THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND HAD TO SETTLE FOR HOWARD. SO LET’S KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE AS MUCH REMAINS UNKNOWN AND I BELIEVE HOWARD IS IN THE BATTLE OF HIS LIFE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
May 20th, 2007 at 9:46 am
For your information under British Law whenever a Plaintiff files a lawsuit, they are required to put up a bond for costs in the event that the Plaintiff loses. In this case the Plaintiff would be required to pay all Court costs incurred by the Defendant. However the Plaintiff is not required to compensate the Defendant for Attorney/Client fees. This is common practice under British law therefore the Judge has no preconceived ideas about Ford Shelley losing the case. In fact the Bond for Costs is established by the Defendant who submits a Pro Forma Statement for costs to the Court. If the Plaintiff considers the Pro-Forma Statement to be unreasonable, the Plaintiff may dispute the Bond for Costs with the Taxing Master, who is a Court appointed official. Your supposition relating the Judge’s preconceived opinion relating to the Bond for Costs is entirely incorrect.
May 20th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Oh my God. You people sound desperate for a God or something.
IF Art wanted to present the truth, he would present the fact that Howard is a squatter. AND he would present the Court Order in it’s entirety. Where is it? What’s he hiding? And why is he hiding it?
Where is his so called truth now?
May 20th, 2007 at 11:20 am
THANK YOU for putting these speculators in their place!
She had 3 “attempts” at bashing Howard:
It seems her argument for putting Hks down in this particular interview were the ‘pool expenses’…again she was put in her place as to maintain assets worth.
Of course she continued in the assets were missing even though You and backup probate atty told her otherwise these were prelimary..
She continued with the Sqatting theory… has she really read the injunction. He lived in the Horizons home as well as Anna. He has every right to be there until this is all settled.
I can’t wait to hear the end of the Horizons saga.. All of those who were in that home taking belongings should face criminal charges as well as civil IMO! Ford & Gina Shelley, Gaither Thompson II & Melanine C. Thomspson as well as Tracey Ferguson (an attorney)! m
I am so glad we got to see you and thank you for continued reporting of this story with FACTS!!
May 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Dear Art:
Thanks for putting the real truth out there, and go get Nancy until she tells the truth.
What did Howard K. Stern ever do to her that she continues to dog him with accusations, and no facts?
May 20th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Ppl are wondering why she disinherited everyone including future children. At the time the will was drafted, she felt that all the money, humiliation, etc that had come her way was to provide for her child Daniel. She also did not want some husband or child later on to challenge Daniel’s inheritance(hence the disinheritance clause). The will was to make sure that Daniel wud not go thru the ‘will’ hassles. Anna felt(like so many other mothers who choose a certain line of work) that she will put up with the nonsense as long as my child is fed. Daniel was the only one that deserved the money. After he passed, she did not care anymore.
May 20th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
NG continues to insult the intelligence of her tv audience.
It is amazing to me that she is not up to date on any laws.
She is laughable by the ignorant statements that she makes
nightly on her show. She is rude, insulting to her guests.
It makes you wonder what the ’shrinks’ she has on her shows
must think of her, she cuts people off and says some of the
most stupid statements, throws books, kleenex boxes and uses
props to try to make herself look more intelligent than others. Can you imagine being prosecuted by a crazy person?
May 20th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
xcel:
Why don’t you ask your fellow Court TV Message Board Bashers , on the Anna Nicole thread , you know the one where they are accusing Howard of every vile thing known to mankind , and Anna a drug crazed , lowlife who didn’t deserve to live. Well guess what i don’t think Howard gives a god damn what you think , hows that !
May 20th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Dear “Jill from Western Australia”
What an incredibly rude post! Shame on you for calling the late Anna Nicole Smith a bimbo, her mother Virgie a bitch, and so on. Do you know them in person and have an ax to grind? Then take it out with them directly. This type of attitude has no place on a site as this one. PS: Larry already has his chance, he’s got Dannielynn and the monies and fame that come with her.
Dear “Sandy Powell”
I am curious: Were you there, did you witness with your own eyes what had transpired between ANS and GBT re. Horizons? Admit it, none of us among the general public have a right to pass judgment on this issue. This is entirely up to the Court to decide. The Court will consider witness testimony, review the paper trail, listen to experts and lawyers, and then come to a decision. It is quite possible that GBT — who is a VERY smart, VERY shrewd, VERY wealthy businessman who knew exactly what he was doing when he conveyed the title to said property to her — bought the house as a gift, or gave it on condition that she would reimburse him upon the settling of the Marshall estate. I do not know the truth. You do know the truth. None of us know the truth. Only the parties who were directly involved, know the truth. Thus, it is not up to any us to pass judgment on.
It seems that today, certain posters who are regulars at other websites, have decided to make a showing here.
I believe their attitude is disrespectful to the memory of the late Anna Nicole, but also, to Art Harris, who is an investigative journalist and not a tawdry gossip columnist.
May 20th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Dear “CindyLou”
Just to keep things in perspective.
“..THE INFAMOUS CLOWN TAPE OF ANNA WHEN HE HEAR HOWARD SAYING, THIS IS WORTH MONEY….”
Well, fact is, as we all learned, it was not Howard who gave that tape to the press for MONEY, but Ford Shelley. Who removed the tape and many other personal items of Anna, from Horizons. And just to keep things in perspective, none of us here in the Great BP (General Public), are privy to the contents of the entire tape.
Indeed, dear CindyLou, let’s keep everything about the Anna Nicole Smith and Howard Kevin Stern Saga in perspective, and withhold our opinions until qualified members of the justice system pass their verdict.
May 20th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I appreciate knowing the TRUTH. I have posted your http://www.artharris.com on my Myspace Blog so that others can come here and STOP QUESTIONING HOWARD. Thank You!
http://www.myspace.com\knoxholly3
It is a Howard K. Stern Support page!
I think he is the BEST!
May 20th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Wilhamm, makes me wonder how many innocent ppl are in jail due to her mannerism. She has a 100% conviction rate, isn’t that really statically impossible? By the way your post made me laugh.
May 20th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Art Harris,you did a good job,like an intelligent man!
I don’t use to watch NG and her friend Gretta for me they are both frustrated and both have big ego they have nothing else to do?Or they have noting else to carry and they stick on a case and try to put H.K.S down on a public.They both took Vergie’s party and they lost some fedders. But the intelligent public look somewere else for good informations! Howard K. Stern is not a squatter ha ha!You know some wedding dosn’t last long than couples years.Howard and Anna were together for 12 to 13 years.And I whant tell something,before comming in Horizon Anna and Howard were living in the other house.After Daniel past away ANS return to Horizon she was scared to returning home in providence.The Horizon is her house Remember how much documents were stoll from Horizon!Shelly is not able to return to Bahamas he is charge there.I hope Howard will wind his just good part of the money for all the work and love he provide to Anna, for all the love and support for Daniel, and the good care he gave to Dannielynn and also the way he handle the paternity case.this make him a good guy The poeples who crucifing him don’t know there life, what they shared together cause it was not an ordinary life for all the family.Maybe it’s to hard for ordinary poeples to understand!Life star are not always easy!
May 20th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
PS:Nancy Grace is the only one who never whent in Bahamas for this case.Her friend Gretta whent before the bigining of Daniel inquest you remember.I took a look at her report and the most interesting is whent she try to film Horizon.She ad nothing absolutly nothing to gave! she was filming on the hole of the fence! she was looking poor!Really poor.
Maybe NG can also have a hollyday to so she can have a good informations cause she miss a lot in this case!
May 21st, 2007 at 2:09 am
Art you are to be commended, you were able to complete a sentence on NG. It was a wonderful thing to see someone able to state the facts and not have them all twisted. The thing that amazes me is that I am a homemaker and Canadian and I k new about the probate in both countries. I find it amazing that with the resources of CNN that these shows are turning into little more than entertainment media love your straight talk, with no sensational little by lines. Keep up the good work. I look forward to future articles. You should post a schedule when you might be on other programs.
May 21st, 2007 at 8:55 am
Art,
I watched the show and I think you held your own. At one point, I thought she was going to cut your microphone. She is such a witch. She talked over you at times, but you still got the message out. She hates Howard, why, I don’t know. I can’t imagine how these people sleep at night. Again, great job!
May 21st, 2007 at 9:42 am
xcel,
What a despicable statement to make,”Oh, my God, you people sound desperate for God or something”. It sounds like you need to get deperate for him. I think Howard can hold him own. He knows more about what’s going on than any of us. He is a man of decency and integrity, so I’ll leave it at that, if you know what I mean.
May 21st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
If it were not for Nancy Grace I would not have found Art Harris.
# freida Says:
May 21st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
READ ALL ABOUT IT…
REAL NEWS…GOOD NEWS…REALLY GOOD NEWS!!!
“Daughter Back Home After Tour of Duty in Iraq”
Go to Jane Devin.com for the latest report…
“Welcome Home”
Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 2:14 am
May 21st, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Jill from Western Australia Says:
May 20th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Howard is ONLY in it for money…ANS truly was a “BIMBO”….VIRGIE IS A “BITCH”…Larry deservers a chance…he loves his daughter.
Jill obviously knows, and she knows all of these people.
So, Jill, come back, and tell us more, tell us the facts.
I want the truth, I want to know all that you know…
I invite you back, and I’m sure Art Harris will, too.
May 21st, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I agree HKS should be paid for his services, but the one thing I want to know is after Anna died did HKS keep DL away from her father because of anything to do with Anna’s estate or for reasons involving the Marshall Estate? I personally would of have know problems with HKS if it had not been for the long drawn out struggle with reuniting Larry with his baby. Apparently some deal was reached with Larry and Howard and DL became a bargaining chip. Just does not seem right.
May 22nd, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Anna Nicole Smith’s Sister Visits Grave
http://insideedition.com/ourstories/inside_stories/story.aspx?storyid=802
Anna Nicole’s mother, Virgie Arthur, called her just three hours before the service to un-invite her to the funeral
nice mother huh????
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:29 am
Donna Hogan needs to go away as well as the rest of that dysfunctional clan of crap. Her going to Anna’s grave means nothing to Anna. The old saying is “Give me my flowers while I yet live”. Where was she when Anna was alive? It’s now all about 15 minutes of fame and money. Shame on all of them!
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:10 am
PR your question is valid, but I think we would have to understand the relationship between Anna, Larry and Howard to answer your question. I can see where you would think DL could have been used to negotiate a deal. In my opinion Howard did need to get Larry under control, he was a lose cannon. Anna was clear in her wishes to keep VA out of her child’s life. Anna had strong reasons for this; I think Vergie Arthur has shown us why Anna felt this way. So I would not be so hard on Howard for what ever he had to do to honor Anna’s wishes. He did the best he could left in the situation he was in. You also have to consider this is a man who was losing his world, he was suppose to raise Dannielynn. I think he did great when you consider the amount of time it took him to realize what was best for his little girl. In the realm of time, it really did not take him that long, I have seen people drag out adoption against biological for years. He put Dannielynn’s best interest first, he should be congradulated for his actions.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Art -
Saw you on a couple of shows recently. When you were on Nancy Grace, I was holding my breath. When she asked you why you would think she would enjoy anything nefarious concerning Howard, I couldn’t stop laughing. That woman rarely allows anything positive to be said about him and if it is she turns it into a negative. She totally ignores the facts and whoever is doing her research is not doing a very good job. The public knows the facts before she does. Will watch you on ET tonight. You’re doing a great job. Thanks.
To the person who asked a question about the paragraph in Anna’s will intentionally omitting future children etc. Before the testimony in Florida, after her death, I did hear one party on TV report that a similar paragraph was in J. Howard Marshall’s will. So I guess that is a possibility of where she may have seen it and why she may have used it. However, I don’t know if the television report was accurate because I have never heard that remark again.
I also have questions concerning Horizons. Originally, I heard Anna was asked to pay $960K for the house. I have also heard $950K. In a video of Ford Shelly at the gate of Horizons arguing with Anna over the house, Anna says, “Ford, I am not going to pay you $1.4 million for this house”. Was the price increased while she was living there? Is this why she did not sign the promissory note? It was also reported that G. Ben Thompson’s deed for Horizons was not filed until February 2007. Was it filed before or after her death? Thank you.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
maryst,
Very well put. Enough said.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:38 am
#38,
My understanding is that the title to Horizons was changed after Anna’s death. How dirty!
May 24th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I think HKS wanted to believe he was the father. Also, he was all about Anna’s wishes and she wanted to keep Larry Birkhead away. Maybe because LB did actually abuse her, as the bodyguards say, and she never wanted her children to be abused the was she had been.
Thanks Art for reporting facts and not sensationalizing them.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:28 am
PAY THE MAN HIS MONEY. HE DESERVES IT.
He’s an overall good dude but he was sssooooooo wrong in keeping up the lie of paternity. He, as well as most everyone else in the world, knew all along that wasn’t his child and he also knew there was no chance it could be. I always have flashbacks to Anna’s response when questioned one time about a “physical” relationship with Howard, “EEWWWW GROSS.”
May 24th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Tonya- If you watch their show if very obvious they where “close” with one another; you can tell just by look at their body langauge that they where definitely more that friends. And Anna herself once said,
“when people think that me and Howard are together, it doesnt bother me at all because he’s my best friend, and if people are going to say that, I don’t care.”
And if that still isnt enough, go to amazon.com and download the “trading spaces” episode. They freaking start rolling around on the ground, making out.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Art Harris
your a good journalist tank’s to be there to strait the record up.As I know now you are independant journalist,so you can chose witch story or report you whant do? So in your life no lies for side or other, cause you can write what you tink is true!
In this matter you were interested an you came to us give you side of the story.Tank you so much and continue we fallow you even if we don’t make comments!
May 25th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Tonya, don’t be so quick to judge, maybe he did know it was not his baby or maybe he didn’t. You don’t know what went on in the relationship. Anna also said on ET she loved him all along. I watched her show on you tube (clip) it showed she liked to tease Howard and keep him guessing. Anna’s assistant stated they did have a intimate relationship.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:28 am
tonya,
That is pure hearsay that you’re spewing about Anna’s relationship with Howard. You guys are so quick to judge and condemn. You know a lot of men probably would be surprised if DNA was done for every father and child. Men that have thought for years that they were biological fathers, have beem found not to be. Get real!
May 25th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
It never ceases to amaze me how so many ppl, such as #42 has drank the GVSW/NG kool-aid. When Anna was alive, she was in control of the custody. LB was advised to take the case to the Bahamas after she died.. All that nonsense in FLA & CA by LB’s lawyer wasted his time. That’s probably why Opri was kicked to the curb. LB was told that HKS wud handle burial 1st then custody. The custody and DNA test in the Bahamas were probably one of the fastest in history. Look at the timeline. While the media was telling you that HKS was denying the test, facts showed that both he & LB requested the test w/i a week of each other. The media had egg on their faces. As far as him not being intimate w/ ANS, do you REALLY believe that they spent 10-12 years/ lived together/ and they were never intimate?. There has been no evidence that he had any other significant other. Do you believe that he was ‘celibate’ for 10-12 years. Of course she wud say eeew, he was a lawyer/ she had an image to uphold. I believe that from time to time they were intimate. It is nice to know that you are a mind reader by saying that he knew that he wasn’t the bio-dad. Maybe CTV cud use a Psychic such as yourself. Best wishes to all involved in this mess.
May 25th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Dear #17 (xcel):
You wrote:
Oh my God. You people sound desperate for a God or something.
IF Art wanted to present the truth, he would present the fact that Howard is a squatter. AND he would present the Court Order in it’s entirety. Where is it? What’s he hiding? And why is he hiding it?
Where is his so called truth now?
—————
Dear xcel:
Sorry to pop your balloon of suspicion, but, alas, you have the Bahamian Court Order in its entirety. You may also want to check out the Bahamian Journal article I’ve posted that confirms my reporting…
As for for the squatter moniker for Howard K. Stern, if you heard me on Nancy Grace, I did use the word, but attributed the characterization to the plaintiffs, GBT and FS. You can call him that if you believe it, but suggest you look at the trail of lawsuits and chain of events, and reconsider the spin of a convicted drug smuggler and his minions.
Remember when son in law FS showed up at Horizons the day after Daniel’s funeral to demand the berieved mother sign a mortgage on the spot for 1.5 million– a million more than he agreed to sell her the house? Nice friend, huh?
If you missed it, it’s on a video Shelley allegedly stole from the house, that FOX partially aired…Anyway, Anna cursed him to the curb, demanding he get off HER property. He never did return, except to break in and steal her property, according to Bahamian police reports.
As for your insinuations I’m hiding something, if you’d done your homework and obtained the order yourself, you’d see it’s a short, one pager–judge telling G. Ben Thompson to put up $100,000 cash bond by May 28, to show he will pay any court costs if he loses. You got what I got.
I usually don’t add fuel to these fires, but your snide remark warranted a reality check. If Rev. Jimmy Swaggart can forgive me for exposing the hooker he used to frequent on Airline Highway, I can certainly forgive you. Your apology is accepted in advance.
Beyond that, I do appreciate your passion, and your taking the time to analyze and write, as I do all contributors to The Bald Truth. So keep coming back.
Art
May 25th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Art, very well said. That was short and sweet.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
So you are all saying in those 10-12 years they were together Anna and HKS used birth control? Really??? I wonder. Why didn’t they have a baby together then since they were so much in love? Anyways, people can be best friends without actually having sex. I saw many interviews with Anna saying he was my best friends not lovers. Others said Howard slept on the couch or in another bedroom. Never shared bedrooms. Besides there were a lot of gay men around the house. Whose to say who had sex with whom, we weren’t there. But I’ll bet a lot of kinky stuff went on in that house though.
The show, well it was just that, A SHOW. They were acting, just like in the clown video. Really? I guess there whole life together was just that, A SHOW. Reality actually hit and they were outa there.
I don’t believe one has to be a mind reader to know HKS wasn’t the daddy. At the beginning of the pregnancy Larry was involved. Remember when Anna was in the hospital, Howard and Larry were there and in the baby book Anna put Larry as the daddy and Howard was “Uncle Howard”. Besides this one thing Larry said over and over he was certain to be the daddy cause he was there. Howard never was intimate with Anna during this time. I don’t think Larry was lying about all of this. I mean look at the outcome! Larry is the daddy!
Marb, the media was reporting that Howard filed another appeal at the very last minute to prevent the DNA from being read. It was reported by the media HKS had to pay a fine of $10,000 for wasting the courts time. Larry even confirmed it in an interview. Howard appealed the DNA too many times. When the result came in with Larry being the daddy, I believe Howard decided not to fight the custody with Larry and join hands just to keep Virgie from intervening and getting custody.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
#47,
I agree with you. Anna and Howard have always tried to conceal their intimate relationship and did a damn good job of it. They were private and rightfully so. It was nobody’s business. There is no way in this world that they were not intimate with each other. It was all over their faces even when they denied it. Howard knows “The truth”, and so do the people that saw them together. Just because Dannielynn turned out to be Larry’s biological child doesn’t mean Howard wasn’t in the mix. I believe he was. Larry was just there at the wrong time. Yes, I mean the Wrong time.
May 25th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Art~
you are the bomb! I hear Playgirl has asked Birkhead to wave his flag on their pages and declined the offer..any chance you can maybe nudge L Lin Wood to pose??
May 25th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Sheep….with the exception of excel….SHEEP….You are all sheep….SOME of us are smart enough to know the TRUTH…the REAL TRUTH…Howard!!! What was it the Nannys said????….Wake up, People!
May 25th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
# Marb very funny
It never ceases to amaze me how so many ppl, such as #42 has drank the GVSW/NG kool-aid
May 25th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Marb, Larry was advised from the very beginning, even when Anna was alive he needed to take his case to the Bahamas. Makes you wonder what they were doing on TV every day.
May 26th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Toni,
First of all, yea! couples who don’t want to get pregnant take birth control. I know thats a pretty Crazy concept, but its true.
Take a moment to think about it. Not only has Anna said many times that couldn’t wait to have another child- a baby girl, but she used to keep a chest full of baby clothes.
Anna was 38 years old when she had Dannielynn. Do you really think she waited all these years to have another child for Larry Birkhead?! (with all due respect to Larry Birkhead) A kinda cute PHOTOGRAPHER?! Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead had a love/hate relationship at best. Birkhead may have wanted the world to think they where all lovey dovey, but Anna’s e-mails and other writings paint a different picture. I have read that apparently he didn’t treat her all that well, even to the point where she was forced to have her locks on her house changed. And not one but TWO of Anna’s former bodyguards have come out saying that Larry didn’t treat Anna well.
Back to Anna and Howard.
Take a moment to think about another thing: What was the One thing that was always hanging out there that prevented Anna and Howard from officially “coming of of the closet”, if you will. The Marshal case. In my opinion, as long as that case was still going on, and Howard was working for her in an official capacity, they could never come out. But once Daniel died, EVERYTHING changed.
It is said that most marriages don’t survive the loss of a child; as close as Anna and Howard truly where, in my opinion, after Daniel’s death, they became even closer.
Toni, did you actually WATCH their show? I have watched every episode (WAY more times than I care to admit). The ONLY time I have ever thought Howard “lied” was when he was giving commentary after their little “Las Vegas experience”. While in Las Vegas, Anna and Howard where making out and rutting around like a couple horny teenagers. Afterwards Howard tried to explain that it was just fun and that it wasn’t sexual. My response? “My ass!”
Finally, I recently read an article by Howard’s brother Bonnie. Bonnie said that one day while out shopping for the baby Anna admitted to her that Larry Could be the father. And that the father was either Larry’s or Howard’s. Bonnie also went on to say they where still surprised of the result of the DNA test. Toni, what does that (Highly) suggest?
May 26th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Art,
Thank-you for the truth and for putting xcel in it’s
place……
I read sometimes on the CTV boards and this person
always seems to be very full of anger…….
This person needed to be told and I loved seeing it
being done……
Please keep up the fair and HONEST reporting,there are
not many places we can get that in this case….
Thanks again…….
MARY
May 26th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Sue, are you talking about the nannies that were paid to lie, or are you referring to something else entirely?
May 26th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Also, Art Harris, you rule! Keep up the good reporting! And we all thank you.
Joan S.
May 27th, 2007 at 9:21 am
The whole reason that the paternity issue was dragged out for months unessesarily,in the wrong court, was Miss’look at me’ Opri! Did she get her law degree out of Kracker jax box or is she an habitual ’shamless attention whore’ ? My opinion is she ‘pimped’ Larry for all it was worth because of his association with Anna…I hope Larry takes her rediculous bill and let’s Sugar Pie christen it with a piddle and steaming pile..!!
I could really go for some LOBSTER about now…lol
May 29th, 2007 at 4:12 am
The stolen allegations are to me again a big yawn. I am glad what is out got out. The police report is howard’s words. GMAB! The baby’s legal daddy? You mean the guy that was with Daniel when he died suddenly? The one that ran out for food, ONCE? I see no action on that report. You call the cops, they write a report, big deal.
I really don’t care the outcome all that much on the house. Unlike you, I have no special agenda. She used him. He let himself be swindled so whatever will be will be. Dumb jerk tried to do her a favor to harm someone else and he got bit by the serpent himself. Your distraction attempt isn’t working on everyone. Many are still questioning not one, but two suspect deaths.
I shall return. Someone has to bring balance and truth here.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:44 am
#56, I agree with you. Howard and Anna have had something going on for years. Due to the situation at hand at the time, they couldn’t come out with it. I watched all of the Anna Nicole show and came to the same conclusion about Howard. He is not a dumb person, just the opposite.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:09 am
#56. HW Marron, Hi! Thanks for responding to my post. Sorry to take so long to respond back, but I was enjoying my family from out of town over the long weekend.
I heard Anna say in an interview on Larry King with Howard sitting next to her she wanted another child. She said she wanted a child by a “one night stand”. She did not want to be in love or get married and have a child.
Yes I do believe she waited all those years to have another child with Larry Birkhead. She was waiting for the right looks, the blue eyed blonde hair, someone with whom she could make a baby with to resemble her son Daniel.
I believe Larry and Anna were close at one time. Other events stick in my mind where Larry and Anna had a separate apartment together for privacy. In fact it’s the same apartment Larry lives in now. She was even in rehab in the beginning of her pregnancy with the baby book listing Larry as the Daddy and Howard as “Uncle Howard”. The love/hate relationship started IMO after Larry kept after her about getting off of the drugs. She refused telling him they weren’t drugs but prescriptions from doctors. Yes, they were all prescriptions which were being abused by Anna. As for the hateful emails that were exposed, well who knows who actually wrote those emails to Larry for him to respond like he did.
I remember seeing an interview after Anna was in Betty Ford and she felt better than she ever had. She swore she would never get back on drugs. I believe Larry thought she should get that help again. Larry wanted a healthy child.
HW Marron you said: “Back to Anna and Howard.
Take a moment to think about another thing: What was the One thing that was always hanging out there that prevented Anna and Howard from officially “coming of of the closet”, if you will. The Marshal case.” Wasn’t there an episode on a show on the first CD where Howard was asked why he and Anna haven’t gotten married? and his response was maybe after the Marshall case was settled. Then he said he didn’t know if they would ever get married. Not those exact words, but something like this.
I have not watched all the shows, just bits and pieces. Some day I would like to watch them all. People tend to pick and choose what is believable to them from the shows, the interviews, in court, readings, etc. Anna said in an ET interview Larry and her were not in a relationship. Was he really the one night stand or did Larry lie under oath about living with her in CA in her house then the apartment? I believe in this interview she was telling about the 3 contracts she made Larry sign. Why if she thought Howard was the Daddy?
Finally, I didn’t know Howard had a brother named Bonnie? LOL! Maybe it was wishful thinking on Bonnie’s part for Howard to be the paternal daddy. Again, I think it’s all in what we want to believe another person says or the source as being credible.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Toni,
First of all, I’m glad that we seem to be able to be civil to each other (I really don’t like the nastiness)
And I think we are just gonna have agree to disagree in regards to Larry and Anna’s relationship
For the life of me I can’t figure Larry Birkhead out. I am deeply greatful Virgie “mommie dearest” Arthur has managed to alienate him and grateful that apparently he and Howard are on good terms, but I can’t tell you how horrifying and frankly confusing it was to see Larry STILL friendly with Virgie Arthur after that tape of Anna was played in court where it clearly showed how much she truly hated her mother. And how he went to go, what it looked like, comfort her when she had to leave the stand because she was basically caught in a lie. And seeing him go her table after Judge Seidlen came back with his verdict that Anna would be laid to rest next to her son in the Bahamas and not buried in Texas by a family she very clearly hated. (I understand his frustration with Anna not being buried in CA. In retrospect, Howard my even be a little frustrated that Anna and Daniel are not buried in CA. But at the time of the hearing, literally the only other option other than the Bahamas.was Texas. Anna didn’t even like driving through Texas, she sure as heck wouldn’t want to be buried there.) After seeing that I thought, “this guy is either dumber than dish water, extremely nieve(sp?), or just cruel.”
I also believe it is significant when not one but two of Anna’s former bodyguards come out saying that Larry didn’t treat Anna well. Yet at the same time, I cant believe that Howard wouldn’t have fought for custody of Dannielynn until her 18th birthday if he thought she was in any danger what so ever with Larry Birkhead
When you said,….”I heard Anna say in an interview on Larry King with Howard sitting next to her she wanted another child. She said she wanted a child by a “one night stand”.” I totally agree with that statement. I don’t think anna wanted ANY father in her life. She raised Daniel on her own and she Thought she could do the same thing with Dannielynn. (But Larry Birkhead had other ideas) I think she Wanted Howard to be the father of her daughter because, as she has said many times, she has had a very difficult time trusting people and if she HAD to have any father at all , it would make sense that she would want the father of her child to be the same person who was the guardian of her son. (I cant get over the irony of Howard being at Anna’s side for every single significant moment in the last ten years of her life, except the one that mattered the most, Dannielynn’s conception)
I believe that before Daniel died and especially after Anna lost the weight, for all there of them, life was just about living life to the fullest and having fun. I have seen pictures of Anna and Howard together looking pretty comfortable with one another while Anna and Larry where boyfriend and girlfriend and I have seen pictures of all three of them really looking like they where just enjoying themselves. At one point Larry and Howard where clearly friends.
Toni, to me that conservation about Howard not wanting to getting married until the Marshal case is over (I cant believe that case is actually going to last longer then Anna and Howard knowing each other!!) strengthens my argument about the two of them waiting until the case is over.
In regards to the contracts, EVERYBODY in Anna Nicole Smith’s life has to sign contracts, even her stupidass cousin Shelly, EVEN Howard
Will we ever know for a fact that Anna and Howard where more than best friends? Of course not. But it was the little things through out their show that pretty much convinced me.
It seemed like, no matter what time of the day it was, Howard was Always as Anna’s house.
Little things like Howard taking Anna to the dentist and him saying, “the last time we where here…”
Howard telling Bobby Trendy, “When she gets up in the morning…”
The fact that when Daniel came home from school he asked were Howard was
After watching both season its really hard not to come to the conclusion that they where some sort of unofficial married couple; but I think that “Lardbisket” from an Anna Nicole show fan site can sum it up the best,….”…They may not be in love, but it sure looks like these two have a weird emotional relationship that goes beyond being best friends, in whatever twisted way” (He’s referring to Anna and Howard essentially getting into a lovers spat after some chick tries to pick Howard up in a bar. Its one of my favorite shows. and ironically, if you look VERY closely, you can see Larry Birkhead in it).
Toni, go ahead and buy it. with the exception of the first episode (which is terrible) it really is a good little show. (The second season?..ehh.. not so much.)
When you First watch the show, especially with that awful first one, you are frankly taken aback by her behavior and you think to yourself, “Dear God. Howard is fairly cute and a LAWYER what on earth does he see in her?? She is a mess.” But by the end of it, you really see Anna Nicole Smith for what see is and why Howard loved her so much. Although she could certainly be stubborn and head strong. she was a really nice and sweet person. I have an aunt who would probably be appalled if I said it, Anna Nicole Smith Really reminds me of her in a lot of ways (maybe that why I’ve grown to like her so much. I am deeply ashamed it took till after her death for it to happen) They are both just really funny and cool and obviously I don’t know what its like to hang out with Anna Nicole Smith, but my aunt is blast to be with.
June 1st, 2007 at 6:21 pm
64. HW Marron, With eveything you said in this post about Larry and Howard I agree! This time we agree to agree!
Thanks for sharing some insight on the Anna Shows. I am going to get the shows, unless they cost $$$$$$! like everything else of Anna’s that has gone up in price. lol
June 1st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I have a tape of Anna after she lost the weight and wore that pink Heatherette dress with the short hairdo they flashed so frequently on TV. She seemed to have alot of pain in her back . She quite frequently would ask Howard to crack her back and without hesitation he would sit on her back and pull her shoulders back and roll her backwards to help the pain . When the owner of a store opened the store so that Anna could have a private shopping spree. He offered Howard to shop and he declined, instead saying that he wanted Anna to have whatever she wanted and as long as she is happy. He was her friend , confidant, loyal partner. Money was not everything to him. I do not look at the big things, it’s the little things that paints the better picture and tells the story.
June 2nd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
LEE!!!
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE E! NETWORK’S FOLLOW UP OF ANNA NICOLE ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AFTER THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW WENT OF THE AIR?!!! I *BELIVE* ITS CALLED: “ANNA NICOLE: CARBIAN SPECAIL” FROM WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT IT, ANNA HAD TO DO A RUN WAY SHOW AND SHE WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT IT, HOWARD FIANLLY GOT A DECENT HAIRCUT SO HE WAS CUTE AGAIN, AND THEN THEY WENT ON A VACTION AND DAINEIL GOT DRUNK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HOWARD PUT HIM TO BED.
IS THAT THE ONE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?!!! AND YOU HAVE IT ON TAPE?!!! I HAVE BEEN ***DYING*** TO SEE THAT AGAIN.
IS THEIR *ANYWAY AT ALL* YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO UPLOAD IT OR SOMETHING??!? *****PLEASEEEEE******
June 2nd, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Hi HW !!!
Just got in out shopping with my mom.
Well, The tape is called Anna bares all. She did have to do a run way show and yes Howard looks like he had a haircut and looked confident, handsome and poised but he was still the loyal friend. They went to NEW YORK Fashion Week for Anna’s big reveal after losing the weight from Trim Spa and she had to walk the run way in a pink heatherette short dress. At the end of the runway she did a little Marilyn rendition. SHE WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PERSON. Isaac Ghindi from Century 21 Dept Store opened the store and brought in bodyguards to escort them and she had a private shopping spree. He offered Howard to pick out a suit and he declined. He told him he wanted Anna to be happy. The guy looked smitten and asked Anna if he could take her out when she wore one of the dresses she picked out. As much as they keep saying she was always drugged was so far off. In this she spoke quite often as she was being interviewd and she went from being poised and calm to the baby talk and the pouted tantrums and it switched around, so this shows that she played around with her moods. Both Howard and Anna attended the Betsy Johnson fashion show. he wore a dark navy blue suit and they both looked beautiful.Daniel was there but you only saw him in the limo, Kimmie was when there when Anna went to the Regis and Kelly show. This is the tape I have. It goes on much longer. It covered her stay and interviews and the fashion show. This is the best tape that showcased Anna and Howard friendship,closeness and trust.
July 7th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
[...] out of the home? If they did what was it, the Quit Claim Deed we found out about through Art Harris’ interview on Nancy Grace? By the way as a side footnote, be sure and read Art Harris’ latest edition to his last article, [...]