LEGEND SINGER DON HO DIES AT 76

The king of Hawaii Don Ho

Legendary crooner Don Ho, known for his raspberry-tinted sunglasses and catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died, his publicist said. He was 76.
Publicist Donna Jung said the singer died Saturday morning of heart failure. He had suffered with heart problems for the past several years, and had a pacemaker installed last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand in 2005. Ho entertained Hollywood's biggest stars and thousands of tourists for four decades. For many, no trip to Hawaii was complete without seeing his Waikiki show — a mix of songs, jokes, double entendres, Hawaii history and audience participation. Shows usually started and ended with the same song, "Tiny Bubbles," which Ho mostly hummed as the audience enthusiastically took over. "I hate that song," he often joked to the crowd, adding that he saved it for the end because "people my age can't remember if we did it or not." Donald Tai Loy Ho, who is Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and German, was born Aug. 13, 1930, in Honolulu and grew up in the then-rural countryside of Kaneohe.

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ACTOR ROSCOE LEE BROWN DIES AT 81

Roscoe Lee Browne, 84, a film, television and stage actor died April 11th at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Cancer claimed his life. Once an amateur athlete, Browne was 35 when he commenced his career in acting. He developed quickly as an astute performer of the Bard and classic literature. He appeared with actors Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett Jr. and James Earl Jones in Jean Genet's 1961 production of "The Blacks," an unflinching statement about colonialism that ran off-Broadway for many performances. Nominated for a Tony as best supporting actor during the 1992 Broadway run of August Wilson's "Two Trains Running," he was given greater exposure through film and television work. He appeared on the ABC sitcom "Soap" and twice played a man whose manner got the better of Carroll O'Connor's classic Archie Bunker in the comedy "All in the Family." An Emmy Award win in 1986 for a his guest starring role in the "The Cosby Show" and later made many appearances on numerous American sitcoms and series. He also appeared in "Uptown Saturday Night" (1974), starring and directed by Sidney Poitier. The Los Angeles Times reports that Browne, who was a minister's son, was born May 2, 1922, in Woodbury, N.J. He was a college track athlete too.

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S COMPUTER FILES

Police and Broward County, Fla., prosecutors discussed whether they can get search warrants to access Anna Nicole Smith's computer files, it was reported. Seminole tribe police have the computers, but expressed concern about examining them because it wasn't clear whether the computers were legally obtained, the Miami Herald said Thursday. Smith's computers, removed from her home in the Bahamas following her death Feb. 8, may or may not be a part of the investigation into her death, Florida officials said. Bahamian law officials were also talking with Broward prosecutors. Among other things, Bahamian police are investigating whether Smith's computers were removed during a burglary at her Nassau home. Ford Shelley, a friend of Smith's who owned the home where she lived, testified that Smith asked him to care for the computers should anything happen to her. He took them from the Bahamas and later turned them over to police in South Carolina, where he lives. South Carolina police released the equipment to Seminole police. Authorities stressed they have no evidence of foul play, but must follow all possible leads.

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S MOM CONTINUES WAR

For Virgie Arthur The War Has Only Started

A Bahamian court considered a request to exhume the body of Daniel Smith, son of the late Anna Nicole Smith, for reburial in Texas, where Smith was born. The request was filed by Smith's estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, who reportedly has a letter from the son's father authorizing her to ask the Bahamian courts to order the body be exhumed and buried in Texas, the Bahama Journal said Monday. Arthur tried unsuccessfully to gain custody of Smith's body in a Florida court, then tried to block the funeral in a Bahamian court. She said she wants to bury Smith's body in Texas and has said she wanted to move the body of Smith's son, who died in September, to Texas as well. She filed the exhumation request Friday, the day Smith was buried. Smith died Feb. 8 of unknown causes in a Florida hospital where she was taken after being found unresponsive in her hotel room.

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MORE WARS OVER ANNA NICOLE SMITH

Anna Nicole Smith's mother is battling for custody of her five-month-year granddaughter. Last week, Virgie Arthur lost custody of her daughter's body but now plans to fight the late model's partner Howard K. Stern for custody of Dannielynn. A private hearing will take place in Nassau, in the Bahamas. Arthur and Stern - who is listed as the baby's father on the birth certificate - will also face Larry Birkhead who has failed a paternity claim. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Isaacs has banned Stern from taking Dannielynn away from the Bahamian island until a custody ruling has been made. Isaacs has also placed a gagging order against the attorneys from making anything said in the courtroom public. Last Thursday, custody of Anna Nicole's body was granted to Dannielynn's temporary court-appointed guardian, Richard C. Milstein. Milstein has said the former Playboy playmate should be buried in the Bahamas, next to her son Daniel, who died last September. Arthur had wanted her daughter to be laid to rest near their Texan family home. Despite the court decision being finalised last week, a funeral is still not expected to take place until tomorrow at the earliest, and Anna Nicole's body remains in a Florida morgue. Anna Nicole died on February 8 after being found unconscious in a Florida hotel room.

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THE BATTLE CONTINUES WITH ANNA NICOLE SMITH AND THE MORON-IDIOT-JUDGE SEIDLIN

Anna Nicole Smith's Mother Virgie Arthur

Anna Nicole Smith's estranged mother and her ex-boyfriend both testified that the starlet said she wanted to be buried in California, not the plots in the Bahamas or Texas that have been the focus of the fierce week long legal debate. Virgie Arthur, 55, said her last conversation with her daughter about her burial came more than 10 years ago, when Smith said she wanted to be interred near her idol Marilyn Monroe. Larry Birkhead (Right) testified he had a similar conversation with his ex-girlfriend in recent years, and longtime Smith companion Howard K. Stern has acknowledged the Playboy model had hoped to be buried near Monroe before settling on a Bahamian site. "Wherever the stars are buried," an emotional Arthur said, "that's where she wanted to be buried." Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin indicated earlier Wednesday that he wanted to broker a compromise between Arthur and Stern. "When you walked into the court, you hope to get everything," Seidlin said. "We will try to fashion a remedy where not everyone gets everything they want."The Florida hearing is just one part of the legal battle surrounding Smith. At issue in a California court is who fathered her 5-month-old daughter Dannielynn, who could inherit millions of dollars depending on how Smith's estate is broken up. Stern is listed as the father on the birth certificate, but Birkhead says the girl is his. The day was filled with all the drama spectators in Seidlin's courtroom have come to expect. There was intense discussion on Smith's use of drugs and accusations of profiting off her losses. Arthur was hammered with questions about any compensation she has or would receive from news organizations for access to interviews or footage after the deaths of her daughter and grandson. Since taking the stand Tuesday afternoon, Arthur had answered most questions directly, but when attorneys targeted her alleged profiteering, her demeanor changed. She frequently said no to questions about arrangements with specific media outlets, but also often said she did not understand or sidestepped inquiries altogether. "Have you in any fashion profited at all from the death of your daughter?" asked Krista Barth, an attorney for Stern. Arthur stared for a moment. "I'm trying to process that question," she said. Then Arthur attempted to deflect the attention, pointing at Stern. "He has," she said. It was a refrain Arthur repeated several times as she also sought to create suspicion about a connection between Stern and the unsolved deaths of her daughter and grandson. "I knew she would be next. My grandson did not overdose. Howard was there when he died, and Howard was there when my daughter died. And he has my granddaughter now and it is not even his child. I'm afraid for her life as well," a crying Arthur said. "Please, help us." Stern shook his head. Earlier in Arthur's testimony, he angrily rose from his seat, but Seidlin interrupted him before he could complete a sentence. After a lunchtime break, Arthur acknowledged what she had denied earlier in the day — that she has received some compensation from news organizations. She said the tabloid news agency Splash paid to fly her to the Bahamas when she visited her grandson's grave last month and acknowledged her sister-in-law had sold family video footage. And Arthur acknowledged a Splash representative — who she described as a friend — had even accompanied her to a viewing of Smith's body Wednesday afternoon. Stern was also questioned on the subject. He said he was receiving no money from news organizations, but had accepted a free flight to the Bahamas from Entertainment Tonight." And Birkhead, who is a freelance photographer, said he had made no media deals, though he said he received royalties from photos he took of Smith. Birkhead took the stand late in the day, detailing his relationship with Smith and reiterating his claim that he is her baby's father. The hearing showed no sign of growing less contentious as it wore on into its fifth day. Seidlin was issued yet another warning from Broward County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Joshua Perper, who said little time remains before Smith's body is too decomposed for a public viewing. Seidlin promised a ruling by Friday morning. Smith died Feb. 8 in a Florida hotel, but the cause is still unknown. She was the widow of Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II. The two married in 1994 when he was 89 and she was 26. She had been fighting his family over his estimated $500 million fortune since his death in 1995.

Anna Nicole Smith's Body Is Decomposing

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH IN BIZARRE VIDEO

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith appeared in a bizarre video filmed by lawyer and lover Howard K. Stern six months before she died.The film - which emerged yesterday - shows the then eight months pregnant model, in what appears to be a drugged state, with clown make-up on her face talking to a doll in a pram as though it is a real baby. Stern asks repeatedly "is this a mushroom trip?", before adding "I'm kidding". As Anna Nicole becomes less and less lucid he says: "This footage is worth money."It was also revealed yesterday that Bahamian Immigration Minister Shane Gibson has resigned. Shortly after the former Playboy model died pictures were released of her and Gibson lying fully clothed in bed and embracing. One shot shows Anna Nicole presenting Gibson with a Rolex watch. She moved to the Bahamas last year and was granted residency status, before giving birth to daughter Dannielynn. It was claimed Gibson had fast tracked Anna Nicole's residency, meaning Dannielynn was a Bahamian citizen and could escape from the paternity battle raging in the US.The model-and-actress died on February 8 after being found unconscious in a hotel room. Her will left everything to her son Daniel, who died in September last year.

Headlines In Miami

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JUDGE APPROVES EMBALMING AND ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S WILL IS READ

A judge approved the embalming of Anna Nicole Smith's remains Friday as he tried to broker an agreement among the three people fighting over the former Playboy Playmate's body.Lengthy legal fights still loomed over where she will be buried and who will get custody of her infant daughter. The hearing over Smith's final resting place was already in its third day."We're beginning to give her peace," Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin said.Smith's will was presented to the court as evidence, and Seidlin refused requests by both sides to keep it private. It was to be released Friday afternoon."I don't want any secrets here," the judge said.The proceedings moved out of Seidlin's chambers and into a courtroom to accommodate the horde of media and attorneys. The hearing stopped around noon for the holiday weekend and was set to resume Tuesday.Seidlin warned attorneys he would schedule as many sessions as it takes to resolve the issue. He ordered Smith's longtime companion, Howard K. Stern, who did not attend Friday's hearing, to appear in court Tuesday since he is trying to get control of her remains."This is a struggle for all of us," the judge said. "Let everyone perspire here."Stern claims he is executor of her will and wants her buried next to her son in the Bahamas. Smith's estranged mother, Virgie Arthur (Upper Right), wants her buried in her home state of Texas. Photographer Larry Birkhead hopes Smith's DNA will help prove he fathered the former centerfold's 5-month-old daughter, Dannielynn, who could inherit millions of dollars. Stern is listed as the father on the girl's birth certificate.On Thursday, Seidlin ordered that additional DNA be taken, saying he wanted to make sure her body wouldn't have to be exhumed.Smith, 39, died Feb. 8 after collapsing at a Florida hotel.On Wednesday, Seidlin declared Smith's corpse would stay refrigerated in the medical examiner's office until he said otherwise. In California, von Anhalt, the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, filed legal documents Thursday seeking a DNA test to determine if he fathered the baby. Von Anhalt, who says he is 59, has said he and Smith had a decade-long affair.Also in California on Thursday, the state medical board said it is investigating a doctor who may have prescribed methadone to Smith through a prescription that contained an alias.The Medical Board of California began looking at Dr. Sandeep Kapoor after receiving information about possible misconduct, board spokeswoman Candis Cohen said. Cohen declined to give details on the allegation or its source but said it was connected to Smith.Among other things, the board is investigating whether it is legal to prescribe drugs for someone using an alias, Cohen said. She described the review as routine and said the board is obligated to review all allegations of physician misconduct.A woman who answered the telephone at a listing for Kapoor in Los Angeles hung up when The Associated Press called Thursday.Smith was the widow of Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, whom she married in 1994 when he was 89 and she was 26. She had been fighting his family over his fortune since his death in 1999.

THE WILL IS READ

Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith left everything to her son Daniel, who died in September, according to a will released Friday by a Florida court. She also named longtime companion Howard K. Stern as executor, according to the document, written in July 2001. The will was never updated. It does not mention Smith's 5-month-old daughter, DannielynnClouding an already murky legal senario, some language in the will seems to exclude any of Smith's future spouses or children.
Smith's heir or heirs stand to inherit a stake in her longstanding claim to the fortune of her late husband, Texas oil baron J. Howard Marshall II. As executor, Stern is authorized set up and oversee a trust on behalf of Smith's beneficiaries, and to make investments on its behalf. The document is signed "Vicky Lynn Marshall," the name Smith used before finding fame as a Playboy Playmate, Guess jeans model and reality TV show star. Smith's son would have received distributions at ages 21, 25 and 30. Daniel was 20 when he died. The judge overseeing the dispute over the former Playmate's burial ordered attorneys to file a copy of the will, which has been the subject of intense speculation since Smith's sudden death eight days ago. The document could be crucial to giving Stern the legal standing to determine Smith's final resting place -- the subject of a contentious courtroom battle between Stern and her Smith's estranged mother, Vergie Arthur. Stern's attorneys say Smith bought a plot in the Bahamas, next to the plot where her son, Daniel, is buried. He died in September, three days after Smith's baby daughter, Dannielynn, was born at a Bahamas hospital.

BICKERING LAWYERS

Anna Nicole Smith And Larry Birkhead

Besides the lawyers for Stern and Arthur, there are attorneys for Smith, daughter Dannielynn, and Smith's former lover, Larry Birkhead, who is seeking a paternity test to prove he is Dannielynn's father. The lawyers have frequently traded barbs. "The woman sitting across from me was estranged from her daughter. I have people who loved her," sniffed Barth, attorney for Stern, on Thursday. "She stands here today to take her to Texas and put her in the ground all alone. It's sad and it's sick." Retorted Arthur's lawyer, Stephen Tunstall: "Counsel is trying to trash my client in some kind of emotional appeal. My client is her mother. She wants to take her back to Texas to be buried with the rest of the family. She has the right." And so it went, all day Thursday for half a day on Friday and, from the looks of things, for many more days to come. The judge worked hard to keep things on track. "We're trying to balance the rights and respect of the body with the legal issues," Seidlin said. "When we bury her, I want it to be forever," The judge has appointed a guardian, Miami attorney Richard Milstein, to protect the interests of Smith's infant daughter, Dannielynn. He also appointed Kelley, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer, to sort through the competing interests and advise him.
Witnesses, including people close to Smith, are expected to testify Tuesday.

SO MANY FATHERS

Birkhead and Stern each claim to be the father of Smith's nearly 6-month-old daughter, Dannielynn. Stern's name is on the birth certificate. Smith's former bodyguard, Alexander Denk, told CNN's Larry King that he, too, could be Dannielynn's father, saying he and Smith had an off-and-on relationship for years. Denk is the fourth person to claim he could be the child's father. Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, Frederic von Anhalt, has said he and Smith had a decade-long affair and that he could have fathered the child. He filed court papers seeking a paternity test on Thursday. Seidlin repeated several times that the most important issue to his court was the welfare of the baby. He also stressed the importance of maintaining dignity. "We want to preserve the beauty and model figure of Ms. Smith," he said. "Beauty was important to her, as you all have indicated to me, and we want her to look beautiful when she is placed in her final resting place." Smith, 39, died February 8 after she was found unconscious in her room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, Florida.
Among the issues the attorneys wrangled over was whether Stern had legal standing to determine a burial place, or even to take part in the proceedings; and who was Smith's next-of-kin under Florida law. Tunstall, the attorney for Smith's mother, argued that Dannielynn did not qualify because a child must be over 18 to be legally considered next-of-kin. The release of Smith's body -- and even the embalming process -- was delayed because attorneys for Birkhead wanted a DNA sample for a paternity test. The judge ordered an additional sample be taken.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH MAY BE EMBALMED

Anna Nicole Smith

A decision will be made today on whether Anna Nicole Smith's body can be embalmed. A Florida medical examiner warned the 39-year-old's remains were decomposing and should be released immediately for burial, prompting Judge Larry Seidlin to order another hearing.Seidlin said: "We are going to figure out whether we're going to embalm her or not."The judge is presiding over a legal row between Anna Nicole's lover and lawyer Howard K. Stern, her mother Virgie Arthur and her former lover Larry Birkhead. Seidlin is yet to decide if Stern or Arthur has the right to bury her. Stern wants to bury the model in the Bahamas, while Arthur wants her buried in her home state of Texas. Birkhead is determined to ensure her DNA is preserved for his paternity battle against Stern for Anna Nicole's five-month-old daughter Dannielynn. Seidlin ordered new DNA samples to be taken from the former Playboy Playmate's body yesterday, and wants all samples to be taken before Anna Nicole is buried so her body won't have to be exhumed. He said: "When we bury her, I want it to be forever."Birkhead fears previous DNA samples may have been switched and won a ruling for a new swab to be reviewed by his own medical expert. Anna Nicole died on February 8, after being found unconscious in Hollywood's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Her death came during a time of personal grief - her 20-year-old son Daniel died five months ago just days after she gave birth to Dannielynn.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH TRIED SUICIDE TWICE

Anna Nicole Smith tried to commit suicide at least twice after she gave birth to Dannielynn last September, it has been claimed. In legal documents written by the late Playboy Playmate's former nanny, Quethlie Alexis, it is alleged Anna Nicole - real name Vickie Marshall -wanted to end her life. Alexis stated: "Ms Marshall attempted to commit suicide on two separate occasions."On the first occasion, she drank in my presence an entire bottle of what I believed to be a sleeping aid."When she awoke from the resulting 48-hour coma, she said, 'I wanted to die. I meant to kill myself.'"She also tried to drown herself in her swimming pool. Howard K. Stern rescued her. I heard him say to her, 'If anything happens to you, I would go to jail.' "The sworn affidavit, written in the Bahamas on December 4, 2006, also reveals Anna Nicole was obsessed with keeping her baby slim, because "she wanted her to be 'sexy' ". Alexis claimed: "Ms. Marshall was obsessed with making sure that her baby was 'sexy'. Ms. Marshall knew that the correct amount of baby food was 3 ounces every 3 hours. Ms. Marshall insisted that the maximum I was to give was 2.5 ounces."She monitored my feeding of Dannielynn by making sure the baby monitor was kept on all the time."The child is badly underweight and not thriving, as a baby should."A California judge withdrew his request to put a ten-day hold on Anna Nicole's body yesterday, meaning it may be released and buried, pending a corresponding ruling from a Florida court. A decision is expected in the next few days.

THE WAR CONTINUES OVER ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S DEATH-ESTATE AND BABIES FATHER

Anna Nicole Smith's breast operations may have led to her death.The former Playmate Playboy, who was said to be "very weak and tired"following breast enhancement and repair procedures, was reportedly taking at least ten different kinds of pills to ease the post-surgery pain. It has been suggested the 39-year-old died last week after taking a cocktail of anti-depressants, Valium, pain killers and antibiotics. Some medical experts claim she had the operations too soon after giving birth to her five-month-old daughter Dannielynn.Women's health specialist Dr Sarah Jarvis told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "To take so many different drugs is unhealthy. Some anti-depressants can cause heart problems after surgery. Valium can cause respiratory problems."If an unfit person has surgery and takes drugs, it's possible they would have complications."Anna Nicole was found dying in her room at Hollywood's Seminole Hard Rock and Casino Hotel on Thursday. No large amounts of medication were found in her stomach, but it could take up to five weeks to determine if drugs aided her death. America's Star magazine has reported prescription medication found in Anna Nicole's hotel room included anti depressant Xanax, pain relievers Vicodin and Methadone and the stimulant Provigil. Shortly before her death, she was reportedly complaining of nausea, headaches and flu-like symptoms.Photographs allegedly revealing the inside of Anna Nicole's fridge were released by celebrity gossip website TMZ.com the other day. The contents apparently include methadone, hypodermic phials and slimming drinks. However, it has been claimed the photographs were staged.Pictures of Anna Nicole lying fully clothed in bed and embracing Bahamian Immigration Minister Shane Gibson have also emerged. Anna Nicole fled to the Bahamas last year and was granted residency status, before giving birth. It was claimed Gibson fast tracked Anna Nicole's residency, meaning Dannielynn was a Bahamian citizen and could escape the paternity battle in the US. Photographer Larry Birkhead filed a lawsuit claiming he fathered Dannielynn during a two-year affair. However, Howard K Stern - Anna Nicole's lawyer and lover - is named as Dannielynn's father on her birth certificate.The paternity battle was thrown into further controversy when Anna Nicole's sister, Donna Hogan, claimed her sibling's dead husband, billionaire J.Howard Marshall could be the father. Hogan says Anna Nicole froze the 89-year-old's sperm and may have used it to get pregnant.Whoever is ruled to be Dannielynn's father will take control of Anna Nicole's estate and the $480 million she could inherit from Marshall.

HOWARD K. STERN STEALS THE BABY

The New York Post

Howard K. Stern has returned to the Bahamas and vows that Anna Nicole Smith's estranged mother will never see her grandchild, Dannielynn Hope. Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, reportedly flew to the Bahamas and tried to gain access to the child while Stern, listed as the father on the infant's birth certificate, was grieving over Smith's unexpected death in Hollywood, Fla., the New York Post reported. Stern was reunited with his child in front of cameras from "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider." ( How much did they pay him this time? ) "This is the only piece of Anna I have left," said Stern as he scooped up Dannielynn. "I wouldn't be here now, but I had to get back to Dannielynn. I know Anna loved her more then anything in the world," he said tearfully. But Stern's sadness didn't last for long; it quickly turned to anger when the subject of Arthur came up. "Anna despised that woman. As long as I have breath in my body, that woman will not see Dannielynn," Stern raged. Meanwhile the mansion that Anna Nicole Smith lived in with her 'FAKE' husband Howard K. Stern is making headlines. Stern returned to the home yesterday and decided to have the locks changed for the second time since Sunday. A dispute has risen about who the real owner of the estate may be. Smith claimed that the residence was given to her by former boyfriend G. Ben Thompson. It appears that Thompson denies these allegations.

Baby Thief Howard K. Stern With Anna Nicole Smith

I think it's disgusting that 'Entertainment Tonight' has once again along with sister show the 'Insider' profited from two deaths. They paid Howard K. Stern for the last photos of Daniel Smith alive and my sources say the money was even bigger this time. These are the shows that claim they won't buy Paparazzi photos because it's wrong, yet behind the scenes they are more slezzy than the snappers could ever be. They have made money from publicity and death. They cut a deal like this, then sell the photos to all the magazines and newspapers and end up making millions. This baby is stolen and belongs to Larry Birkhead. Boycott these shows.

GIVE LARRY BIRKHEAD HIS BABY !

LARRY BIRKHEAD'S MOVING SAD FAREWELL TO LOVE OF HIS LIFE 'ANNA NICOLE SMITH'

FROM LARRY BIRKHEAD'S SITE TODAY !

Chance brought us together, our love couldn't keep us apart. We loved, we laughed, we shared a connection that couldn't be broken, regardless of the challenges. I loved her in life and I will love her long after.Our daughter, Dannielynn is a constant reminder of the love we shared and the life that we desired.My heart is broken, my tears are endless. She called me her "angel," I called her my "sweet potato," and every night before we went to sleep, she made me say to her...........

"GOODNIGHT MY SWEET ANNA BABY"
ANNA NICOLE SMITH

1967-2007

Larry Birkhead And Anna Nicole Smith

ANNA NICOLE'S DEATH ADDS MORE MYSTERY

Several people close to Anna Nicole Smith were quick to speculate after her death that drugs were to blame. The medical examiner who performed an autopsy on her body, though, said it could take weeks to determine a cause of death. Dr. Joshua Perper, the Broward County medical examiner who did the autopsy, said Friday that no illegal drugs were discovered in the 39-year-old Smith's room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood after she collapsed there on Thursday. Perper said there were prescription drugs in the room, but would not identify which. He said it could take three to five weeks to conclude his investigation, which will include toxicology tests. CNN quoted an unidentified law enforcement source as saying there were large amounts of prescription drugs, including Valium and antibiotics, as well as over-the-counter cold and flu medication taken from Smith's room. But Perper said the autopsy found no immediate evidence, either in Smith's stomach or her bloodstream, that she had taken large amounts of prescription medication. Still, officials "do not exclude any kind of contribution of medication to the death,'' he added. Michael Scott, a former attorney for Smith in the Bahamas, and Smith's mother, Vergie Arthur, have both said they think drugs played a part in Smith's death. "I think she had too many drugs, just like Danny,'' Arthur told ABC's "Good Morning America'' on Friday. "I tried to warn her about drugs and the people that she hung around with. She didn't listen.'' There was no indication Smith was the victim of a crime, Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said, and Perper said the autopsy was able to exclude any kind of physical injury, such as blows to the body or asphyxiation. Authorities said they planned to interview a nurse and others and examine medical records before settling on a cause of death. Meanwhile, a Los Angeles judge on Friday ordered that the Smith's body be preserved for at least 10 days for a possible DNA test related to a paternity dispute over her daughter, Dannielynn. The judge refused to order the DNA test be carried out immediately. The ruling could interfere with plans for a funeral. Normally, there is no need for DNA testing on the mother in a paternity case. But one of the men claiming to be the baby's father asked for genetic material from Smith to guard against a possible baby switch. Attorney Howard K. Stern, Smith's most recent companion, and Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend have both claimed to be Dannielynn's father. In yet another bizarre twist, a third man - the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, Prince Frederic von Anhalt _ stepped forward Friday to claim he had had an affair with Smith and may be the baby's father. The paternity decision could determine the child's inheritance. Smith had been waging a yearslong court battle at her death over the estate of her late husband, J. Howard Marshall II, who died in 1995 at age 90. A federal court in California awarded Smith US $474 million euro 364 million), but that was later overturned. Smith, who went from topless dancer in Texas to Playboy Playmate of the Year, Guess jeans model and bride of an 89-year-old oilman, was found unconscious in her hotel room by a private nurse, officials said. A bodyguard performed CPR, Tiger said, but Smith was declared dead at a hospital. Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in September of what was believed to be an accidental drug overdose, just days after Smith gave birth to her daughter.

Where Is Howard K. Stern ?

He Did This !

AUTOPSY FINDINGS ON ANNA NICOLE SMITH

More tests will be necessary to determine the cause of Anna Nicole Smith 's death, but no illegal drugs were found in her hotel room, officials said Friday. It's possible Smith's died of natural causes, because of some medication or from a combination of reasons, said Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief medical examiner for Broward County, who performed the autopsy. Smith apparently had been sick for several days with some kind of stomach flu, Perper said. Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said investigators "found no illegal drugs, only prescription medicines" in Smith's hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Nothing unusual was observed on hotel surveillance tapes, and there was no evidence to suggest a crime occurred, he said. On Thursday, a private nurse found Smith unconscious in her room and called 911, officials said. A bodyguard performed CPR, Tiger said, but Smith was declared dead at a hospital. The autopsy was performed Friday on Smith, whose mother blamed drugs for the former Playboy playmate's sudden death that ended an extraordinary tabloid life. In another bizarre twist to the case, the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, Prince Frederick von Anhalt, claimed that he might be the father of Smith's infant daughter. Two other men are already waging a paternity battle over the little girl, who stands to inherit Smith's estate. Von Anhalt, 59, told The Associated Press he and Smith had been having an affair since the 1990s. "She wanted to be a princess," he said. "I think she had too many drugs, just like Danny (Smith's late son)," Smith's mother, Vergie Arthur, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday. "I tried to warn her about drugs and the people that she hung around with. She didn't listen." "She was too drugged up," Arthur said. "By the last interview I saw of her, she was so wasted." Smith's attorney, Ron Rale, said the one-time reality TV star had been ill for several days with a fever and was still depressed over the death five months ago of her 20-year-old son from what a private medical examiner determined was a combination of methadone and two anti-depressants. Late Thursday, sheriff's deputies carried out at least eight brown paper bags sealed with red evidence tape from Smith's hotel room. Several detectives are reviewing the hotel surveillance tapes to see if they might provide a clue to what happened, Deputy Police Chief Michael Browne said Friday. He said they had interviewed everyone connected to the death and no one was under suspicion. "Nothing about this death seems suspicious. We're not treating it that way," Browne said. "We're being very thorough. We're going to look at everything." If Smith died of natural causes, the findings will likely be announced quickly, but definitive results could take weeks, said Dr. Joshua Perper, who was performing the autopsy. "I am not a prophet, and I cannot tell you before the autopsy what I am going to find," he said. Smith's son's death in the Bahamas on Sept. 10 came just a few days after she gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn, whose custody remains in dispute. The birth certificate lists Dannielynn's father as attorney Howard K. Stern, Smith's most recent companion, who Rale said was with Smith at the hotel and was too choked up to talk when he called Rale with the news. Smith's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead is waging a legal challenge, saying he is the father. At a hearing Friday in Los Angeles, a judge declined Birkhead's attorney's request to order an immediate DNA sample be taken from Smith's body. The judge ordered the body be retained, though, until a hearing on Feb. 20, attorney Debra Opri said. Opri said the DNA is needed to connect Smith with Dannielynn "so that no one can switch the babies." She also asked the judge to take jurisdiction over the child until her paternity is established. "Nothing was granted. Nothing was denied," she said. Rale, Smith's attorney, said it was "despicable that we would have an emergency notice and appear right now." Gabor's husband, von Anhalt, said Friday that he would file a lawsuit if Dannielynn is turned over to Stern or Birkhead. He said he and Smith started their long affair after she approached him and Gabor at the Plaza Hotel in New York while she was still married to Marshall. "If you go back from September, she wasn't with one of those guys, she was with me," von Anhalt said. The baby was being cared for in the Bahamas by the mother of Shane Gibson, the Bahamian immigration minister who is a close friend of Smith's, People magazine reported on its Web site, citing unidentified sources. A visibly shaken Gibson declined comment as he was leaving his office Thursday night, and he has not responded to several message left by the AP seeking comment. Through the '90s and into the 21st century, Smith was famous for being famous, a pop-culture punchline because of her up-and-down weight, her Marilyn Monroe looks, her exaggerated curves, her little-girl voice, her ditzy-blonde persona and her over-the-top revealing outfits. Recently, she lost a reported 69 pounds and became a spokeswoman for TrimSpa, a weight-loss supplement. In recent TV appearances, her speech was often slurred and she seemed out of it. Some critics said she seemed drugged-out. "Undoubtedly it will be found at the end of the day that drugs featured in her death as they did in the death of poor Daniel," said Michael Scott, a former attorney for Smith in the Bahamas. Rale said he had talked to her on Tuesday or Wednesday, and she had flu symptoms and a fever and was still grieving over her son. He dismissed claims her death was related to drugs as "a bunch of nonsense." "Poor Anna Nicole," he said. "She's been the underdog. She's been besieged ... and she's been trying her best and nobody should have to endure what she's endured." The Texas-born Smith was a topless dancer at a strip club before she made the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992. She became Playboy's playmate of the year in 1993. She was also signed to a contract with Guess jeans, appearing in TV commercials, billboards and magazine ads. In 1994, she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, owner of Great Northern Oil Co. After his death the following year, she engaged in a protracted legal fight with her former stepson, E. Pierce Marshall, over whether she had a right to the estate. A federal court in California awarded Smith $474 million. That was later overturned. But in May, the U.S. Supreme Court revived her case, ruling that she deserved another day in court. The stepson died June 20 at age 67, but the family said the court fight would continue. Smith starred in her own reality TV series, "The Anna Nicole Show," in 2002-04. She also appeared in movies, performing a bit part in "The Hudsucker Proxy" in 1994. Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan on Nov. 28, 1967, in Houston, one of six children. Her parents split up when she was a toddler, and she was raised by her mother, a deputy sheriff. She dropped out after 11th grade after she was expelled for fighting, and worked as a waitress and then a cook at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken restaurant in Mexia, Texas. She married 16-year-old fry cook Bill Smith in 1985, giving birth to Daniel before divorcing two years later.

HUGH HEFNER AND ANNA NICOLE SMITH

Playboy's Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner has paid tribute to Anna Nicole Smith following her tragic death.Friends and colleagues of the former Playboy Playmate have expressed their grief after the troubled star passed away yesterday. Playboy founder Hugh said: "I'm very saddened to learn about Anna Nicole's passing. She was a dear friend who meant a great deal to the Playboy family and to me personally. My thoughts and prayers are with her friends and loved ones during this difficult time."US talk show host Larry King said: "She was a special person, she was an unusual person. She was genuine, she was funny, she had some class. I feel very, very sorry for everybody concerned, but mostly for her daughter Dannielynn."The 39-year-old model-turned-actress was once the poster girl for Guess jeans, and starred in 'Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult'.CEO of Guess jeans, Paul Marciano, said: "She had something magic. This is a very tragic and sad day. Personally I feel she did not recover from the loss of her son Daniel who was the love of her life."She was working as the spokesmodel for diet pill Trimspa when she died. CEO of Trimspa, Alex Goen, said: "Today, Anna Nicole Smith's grieficken and tumultuous personal life came to an end. Anna came to our company as a customer, but she departs it as a friend. Anna knew both the joy of giving life, and the heartache of losing a child. We pray that she is granted the peace that eluded her more recent days on earth, and that she finds comfort in the presence of her son, Daniel."Anna Nicole also did a lot of work for animal rights group PETA. PETA released a statement saying: "PETA is extremely upset by the news of Anna Nicole Smith's untimely death. She was a great friend to animals and used every opportunity to speak out against senseless cruelty. We always thought Anna Nicole was a perfect fit for PETA because, just like us, she not only hated cruelty to animals and loved her dog. It is a tragedy when anyone passes away before their time, but with Anna Nicole, animals have lost a true hero and PETA has lost a good friend. We will miss her."

Anna Nicole Smith And Hugh Hefner

ANNA NICOLE SMITH DIES AT 39 YEARS OLD

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy playmate whose bizarre life careened from marrying an octogenarian billionaire to the untimely death of her son, died Thursday after collapsing at a South Florida hotel, one of her lawyers said. Smith, 39, collapsed and was unresponsive while staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe Hotel and Casino, said the attorney, Ron Rale. She was rushed to a hospital. "She checked in Monday at 8 p.m. as a guest. She was due to check out tomorrow," said Danielle Giordaano, a spokeswoman for the hotel. Smith had been a tabloid staple even before she became Playboy's playmate of the year in 1993. Readers were fascinated by her bombshell good looks, her marriage to an elderly billionaire and subsequent court fight over his estate, her weight fluctuations, and last year, the sudden death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel Smith. A former topless dancer, she made her name squeezing into Guess jeans. She resembled the late actress Marilyn Monroe, a similarity played up in her Guess magazine ads, billboards and department store displays. In 1994, she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, the head of oil-based Koch Industries, which is part of a family fortune worth at least $400 million. He died in 1995, setting off a feud with her former stepson, E. Pierce Marshall, over whether she had a right to his estate. A federal court in California awarded Smith $474 million in a complicated legal twist that began after she declared bankruptcy. That was later overturned. But in May, the U.S. Supreme Court revived her case, ruling that she deserved another day in court in her battle with her former stepson. The justices said only that federal courts in California could deal with her case despite a Texas state court ruling that Marshall was the sole heir to the estate. Then, the stepson died June 20 at age 67. But the family said the court fight would continue. Daniel Smith died Sept. 10 in his mother's hospital room in the Bahamas, just days after she gave birth to a daughter. An American medical examiner hired by the family, Cyril Wecht, said he had methadone and two antidepressants in his system when he died. Low levels of the three drugs interacted to cause an accidental death, Wecht said. Meanwhile, the paternity of her now 5-month-old daughter remained a matter of dispute. She was born Vickie Lynn Hogan on Nov. 28, 1967, in Houston, one of six children of Donald Eugene and Virgie Hart Hogan. She married Bill Smith in 1985, giving birth to Daniel before divorcing two years later.
I Think It's Time To Take A Good Look At Howard Stern !