HOUSTON — Anna Nicole Smith’s mother is suing a Houston television station, CBS Studios Inc., and Howard K. Stern, the late Playboy playmate’s lawyer and former companion.
In her libel lawsuit, Virgie Arthur says Stern arranged an Entertainment Tonight interview in which Smith said her mother was complicit in sexual and physical abuse Smith suffered as a child.
The program aired in Houston on Feb. 14 on KPRC Channel 2, an NBC affiliate. CBS Studios produces the program.
Smith died a week before the program aired.
The lawsuit claims that Stern isolated Smith from her family, and controlled who Smith could see and what public appearances she could make. After Arthur expressed concern over the safety of Smith and her daughter, Dannielynn, Stern cut off contact with Arthur and retaliated by arranging the Entertainment Tonight interview, the lawsuit says.
In the interview, the lawsuit alleges, Smith is “shown speaking the words, “All the beatings and whippings. That’s my mother. That’s my mom.” Onscreen graphics of the words “hatred” and “allegations of abuse” were shown as Smith talked.
Arthur, who lives in Montgomery County just north of Houston, also says Stern, KPRC and CBS subjected her to public hatred and contempt by injuring her reputation. Before the interview aired, the lawsuit claims, Arthur “enjoyed a reputation as a caring, honest and law-abiding retired peace officer.”
In court documents, CBS Studios denied all the allegations in the lawsuit, saying Arthur had been the subject of other critical reports that had already affected her reputation.
KPRC also filed court documents denying the allegations. It maintained that the station was improperly included in the lawsuit because it acted as a “mere conduit” that aired a program obtained from a satellite feed.
Lin Wood, the attorney for Stern, called the lawsuit frivolous and an attempt by Arthur “to harass and intimidate” his client.
“Anna Nicole Smith’s comments in the broadcast at issue were true and were her comments only,” said Wood. “Mr. Stern and the other defendants had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with those comments.”
Arthur originally filed the lawsuit last month in Harris County district court, but it was transferred this week to Houston federal court.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5283112.html
DOES HOWARD K. STERN’S BODY LANGUAGE SAY THAT HE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ANNA NICHOLE’S DEATH?
I was asked to analyze the body language of Howard K. Stern during his interview with ET when he was flying to the Bahamas. It was most revealing To me it seemed that his tears were crocodile tears. To me it seemed like there was no facial emotion associated with those tears. He NEVER once looked at his interviewer Mark Steinetz when he was asked questions. He consistently looked down as though he had a paper with notes on them . He was completely disconnected. He looked as though he may be guilty about something—like perhaps doling out too many drugs to her and enabling her drug addict behavior and thereby contributing in a huge way, if not causing, her premature death.
The one thing he said that literally made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up was when he said “I WANT HER TO BE WITH DANNY” He did not say as most people would, “I HOPE SHE IS WITH DANNY” Instead he said “I WANT HER TO BE WITH DANNY”
This arises many questions. Did he WANT her to be with Danny and therefore perhaps kill her by giving her an overdose of drugs so that she could actually be with Danny? In his mind was he committing a compassionate act for Anna? Or was it a self serving evil act?Only Howard knows that for sure.
Since he was so manipulative and controlling in every aspect of her life, including how much drugs she took,as referenced in various interviews on television by people who evidently saw him dole out drugs to her, Anna was now at his mercy. During her not too often lucid moments when she was not drugged out, she perhaps may have had the wherewithall to remember what she was witnessed to have said that day Danny died and couldn’t be revived. She was overheard saying to Howard “THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU! IT IS YOUR FAULT!”
Is this perhaps why Howard encouraged her drug use to keep her silent and submissive and to never again bring up what she was overheard as saying in the hospital room when she found Danny dead? Was his aim to silence her by providing her with just one too many pills so she would be silenced forever? Only Howard knows the answer to this question.
Also where in the world was Howard when Anna was so ill? Why wasn’t a physician called? Why was a nurse there? Who is this nurse and why was she hired? Did Howard hire this nurse to diffuse any link to him regarding Anna’s death? After all the nurse was there— not Howard when Anna Nichole died.It seems ironic ince Howard was always seen hoovering around Anna and never leaving her side.
Howard was completing his transaction for a yacht purchase when Anna Nichole died! Why would anyone leave a woman whom he supposedly loved who was running a life threatening high fever days earler?,
Howard professes his love for Anna Nichole on the ET interview but as a body language and voice expert,and as a communication psychologist, I am not buying it !I don’ believe that he loved Anna Nichole. I do believe that he loved the excitement of her life—the whirlwind of the parties she attended to which he tagged along , the coming off as Mr. Bigshot—“Anna Nichole’s—manager/ lawyer”. He loved that role because it gave him power he didn’t have. I have seen this all too often in my private practice where managers often feel like they are the stars and try to dominate the real star’s life. While everyone wanted Nichole for photo shoots, tv shows, films,and commercials, they all had to go through her “manager/ attorney” which made him feel like he was the real star. After all, without him, Anna couldn’t do any of these things he thought. Finally I believe loved her millions she was about to get from her husband the late Howard Marshall’s estate.
A man who really loves a woman does not leave her in the hands of a nurse when the person is so ill that they require a nurses assistance. He gets a doctor immediately! He takes her to a hospital. When a man loves a woman he doesn’t sedate her and enable her to continue self destructive behavior. When a man really loves a woman he doesn’t try to keep her away from others like Howard apparently did. In fact a best friend of Anna’s said that she couldn’t get near Anna since Howard came on the picture.
Because Howard was in total control of Anna Nichole, he definitely had her ear but definitely did NOT have her back, so to speak.
He just had his own back! Did he dole out a little too many drugs to Daniel as well? Why would an otherwise healthy boy be taking methadone? Were they his mother’s pills that Howard was dolling out to him? Was Howard trying to get rid of him now that Danilynn was born so that he could his stake claim to Anna’s upcoming multi-millions by registering as the “father” of the baby? Did he know full well that he wasn’t the father? Did he think that with Danny in the picture as well as a new baby, there would be even less time for him? Was this a motivation in perhaps doing away with Daniel? I am not accusing Howard but these questions concern me.
Another thing that bothers me is that why did he and Anna Nichole go to the Bahamas in the first place? It certainly wasn’t to get away from the press! In fact they filmed the baby’s birth and sold it to the press immediately. They even sickly invited the press to film their bogus “wedding ceremony” where an incoherent Anna Nichole jumps off he boat into the water. She did not appear to be coherent and may have possibly been on drugs at the time as most people would not jump into the ocean fully clothed and act the way she did especially after just losing their child.
Was it perhaps Howard’s plan all along to do away with Daniel? Who knows? Was it perhaps why he insisted that Anna Nichole come to the Bahams to have the baby? Did he perhaps believe that no one would investigate him in the Bahamas or that Bahamians were not as sophisticated and would never discover what he may have possibly done?
Also when Anna was grieving when she talked about Danny, she was breaking down in sobs and was emotionally overcome with grief. Howard just sat there emotionless. To me, that appears to be another body language hint that makes me think that there is a lot more than meets the eye that is going on with Howard-especially emotionally.
Another thing I find strange is the fact that Howard won’t submit himself to a paternity test. Why not? If anyone is sure that they are the father they would gladly oblige so that they could be done with all of the speculation and focus their energy on caring for their child. But not Howard.! Is that because he is clearly NOT the father? This little baby in no way resembles Howard? To me the baby looks more like Larry Birkhold. Whomever the father is-it seems to me that it is not Howard’s. He acts too evasive.
Another point which I found very chilling after watching the ET interview was that when he was crying what I believe to be his alligator tears, one of the producers came up to him and hugged him. If someone was truly that distraught they would have responded and clung on to the person and responded to their tactile kindness no matter if they were male or female. Howard did not do that. He was pulling away as if to say—” look get away from me . I’m not really that upset.”
The only thing that Howard may seem upset about is that his master plan to legally marry Anna Nichole fell through. He perhaps thought that he could keep her sedated and messed up just long enough for her to say “I DO” and then he would have TOTAL control not only of her but of her multi millions and TOTAL control of the baby!
But it all backfired on him. She couldn’t hang on to life that long. She checked out earlier than he anticipated. Even the policemen and the firemen on the scene possibly knew that something was suspicious with Howard when he fell to his knees and wailed. They did not even comfort him. That is what policemen and firemen are trained to do—comfort people during times of extreme emotional distress. Instead they left him alone and just watched what they may have felt was his charade. They just waited until he finished with his seeming theatrics so that they could proceed and ask him questions. Evidently, they too must have read Howard’s body language that something was just not right as far as what happened to Anna Nichole and his possible involvement.
Dr. Lillian Glass......February 22,2007
I read this again last night. She was able to read early on about Howard..Very interesting
Remember, Howard leaned into camera range not once but twice. They must have been in such a hurry to get this out that it was never edited.
You'll never touch this baby???...But Virgie raised Danny for the first 7 years of his life while Anna was being a tramp??? Virgie was no good doesn't fit!!
There was also another interview in which Howard says..."If I had harmed Danny in any way, do you think Anna would be with me"...or something to that effect.
This was a quick clip...and because of WHEN it occurred, I thought it was released by accident (have never seen it again). The implication in the tape was that Anna was responsible for Danny's death.
Then there's the tape about her "disassociation" with Danny. Howard was right by her side...and visibly prompted her.
Both tapes had the same implication: I had a reason for not talking to Virgie and/or Danny...
Anna should have listened to her mother..."Watch Out".