ANS also told Larry King that there was no relationship. And a commitment ceremony is meaningless, like something out of high school where there are or at least used to be commitment rings. You can have one with your pet or pet rock.
Commitment ceremonies mean a lot to California folks. I'll bet Howard and Anna went to a few of them given the crowd they hung with.
Remember, the real objection to commitment ceremonies is the "gay" thing not the license.
The license is mere evidence. But hell, Howard has a damn video that says MORE then any license.