Virgie Arthur, the mother of former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith, has filed a libel lawsuit against a Houston TV station, CBS Studios Inc. and the late model’s former companion, Howard K. Stern.
The suit alleges that Stern arranged for Smith to appear in an Entertainment Tonight interview where the model stated that Arthur was complicit in Smith’s childhood physical and sexual abuse. The lawsuit says the program aired on KPRC Channel 2 in Houston on Feb. 14, a week after Smith died at the age of 39.
CBS Studios produces the program, which is broadcast locally on KPRC, an NBC affiliate.
The statements have threatened Arthur’s ability to obtain custody and visitation rights for her granddaughter, Dannielynn, the suit alleges.
Arthur, who lives in Montgomery County, also accuses Stern, KPRC and CBS of exposing her to public humiliation by trampling her reputation as a “caring, honest and law-abiding retired peace officer.”
The case, originally filed last month in Harris County district court, was transferred this week to Houston federal court.
Lawyers for KPRC said in court documents that the station has been improperly included in the case because it merely aired a satellite feed, had no “involvement in the reporting, production or content of the program” and “had no knowledge of the alleged defamatory statements.”
Lawyers for KPRC and CBS asked for the case to be heard in federal court. Stern consented to that request.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5282050.html
Thinking about Stern & Brikhead complaining that Rita did not interview them for her book, Blonde Ambition when she printed witness observations of sexual behavior, not criminal abuse.
Did CBS interview Virgie before airing that disgraceful tape where accusations of abuse were made without rebuttal? I think not!
Oh my - unequal under law!!!!!
Thanks SUN,
I usually do a daily scan of the news but, I am runnign behind lately, I appreciate the update.
Hum, is this the old, get it into Stern’s Cali connection courts? How likely will it be that it is transferred there?