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Showbiz Tonight
Continuing Coverage of the Death of Anna Nicole Smith
Aired February 13, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Anna Nicole Smith`s final moments, the explosive, just released 911 tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is not breathing and she is not responsive. She`s actually Anna Nicole Smith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight what you haven`t heard before. Could Anna Nicole have been saved?
Plus, disturbing new charges from someone very close to Anna Nicole about her lover, Howard K. Stern, and the role he may have had leading to her death.
Also tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals an explosive new tell-all book about Anna Nicole. Is her late husband really the father of her baby? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s powerful and continuing coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith starts right now!
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight we`ve got the startling new tell-all book about Anna Nicole Smith, written by a close family member. The explosive claims in the book are coming up right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: But first tonight, Anna Nicole Smith`s final moments. You are about to hear the 911 call made to try to save her life on the day she died. Police released the tape today and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that, if anything, the tape is raising a whole new set of questions that only deepens the mystery surrounding Anna Nicole`s shocking death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi this is Seminole Police. If you could please respond to the Hard Rock, room 607.
HAMMER: It was the call to save Anna Nicole Smith`s life. Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern had been staying at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on the Seminole Indian Reservation in south Florida. At 1:42 p.m. last Thursday, Seminole Police get a call for help and then they call the Hollywood, Florida Police Department asking for paramedics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is going to be in reference to a white female who is -- what is she, not responsive? She is not breathing and she is not responsive. She is actually Anna Nicole Smith. If you guys can please --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK? All right, thank you.
HAMMER: That call lasted just 31 second. The Seminole Police, who have jurisdiction over the Hard Rock Hotel on the reservation, are not releasing any tape of the first call.
CAPT TONY RODE, HOLLYWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT: They are their own entity. The reservation is in the city of Hollywood. They are a sovereign nation, that is sovereign land. We do not have jurisdiction on that property. Unless you are a federal agent and you work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, you have no authority on that land.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that, without the tape of that first call, the mystery only deepens now about what happened during Anna Nicole`s final moments. There are so many unanswered questions. First, how long did it take between the first call and the second? Was it a long delay?
RODE: I won`t comment on that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you confirm for us though, the time of the original 911 call?
RODE: That I can not. I`m telling you when we received the call from Seminole Police department, which was the 1:42 time. Six minutes later our fire rescue personnel are on scene at the Hard Rock, at 1:48. They are there until 2:15 p.m., and then they depart the Hard Rock. Six minutes later they arrive at Memorial Regional Hospital at 2:21.
HAMMER: Twenty eight minutes later, at 2:49 p.m., Anna Nicole was pronounced dead. The Broward County Medical Examiner said she probably died before she even arrived at the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the hospital, unfortunately, the patient was virtually dead on arrival.
SHAWN CHAPMAN HOLLEY, CHIEF LEGAL CORRESPONDENT FOR E!: We don`t know who is going to be in control of that investigation, but there will be a question as to whether or not she could have survived, if she had gotten medical treatment quickly. That`s going to become a critical issue that has to be answered by someone.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that someone just might be the so-called nurse who traveled with Anna Nicole because she had flu-like symptoms, which leads to the next mysterious question. Why didn`t that nurse perform CPR? Anna Nicole`s bodyguard did, but that was three minutes after the second call for paramedic help. And in a situation like this, every second counts.
HOLLEY: Once we learn from the coroner what the cause of death is, then we`re going to know how important these timing issues are. If, for example, I understand that she was unresponsive when initially contacted. If it is determined that there is nothing that could have saved her, then obviously all of these questions become moot.
HAMMER: What exactly caused Anna`s death has been a mystery since day one. Anna Nicole`s own mother told "Good Morning America" she believes drugs played a part.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she had too many drugs just like Danny. And I tried to warn her about drugs and the people that she hung around, and she didn`t listen.
HAMMER: The medical examiner investigating Anna Nicole`s death says it could be three to five weeks before we know for sure how she died. But he still is not ruling out foul play or drugs. If all this sounds complicated, that`s because it is. From Anna Nicole`s mysterious death to the paternity battle for her five month old daughter.
HOLLEY: This case is so complicated, from the jurisdictional issues to the family law issues, to the probate issues, to the question of whether or not there was foul play, whether or not a civil lawsuit will arise because of the timing issues, whether or not she could have been saved. It would be a law school professor`s dream of an essay.
HAMMER: And until we know for sure what killed Anna Nicole, all we have for now are pieces and clues, like the new 911 tape.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is not breathing and she is not responsive. She is actually Anna Nicole Smith.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And tonight there are even more new questions about that 911 call and about whether a parking ticket actually could help prove that Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby. Yes, you heard me right, a parking ticket. And will Birkhead be the one to claim Anna Nicole`s body?
I need somebody to sort it out for me or two people. Joining me, Court TV correspondent and host of "Hollywood Heat," Ashleigh Banfield, and investigative journalist Jane Velez Mitchell. She is in Los Angeles and her books, "Secrets Can Be Murder," will be out later this year.
Ladies, I appreciate you joining me tonight. Let`s talk about this 911 call. Because we just saw that there were two calls actually placed. That first call, which was placed to the Seminole Police Department, those are the people who are going to be investigating the death of Anna Nicole Smith, that tape not being released. Ashleigh, help me out here. Should we be suspicious of that at all?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV ANCHOR: I don`t think you should be suspicious yet, A.J. It`s not unusual for police to withhold evidence in the early stages of an investigation. And if in fact they have a mysterious death on their hands, they may very well be wanting to keep their cards close to their chest. Down the road that may change. They may release the tape. But at this point it might be premature to think it`s suspicious.
HAMMER: Jane is that your take on it? Because obviously people are being very careful with everybody really having a laser focus on every aspect of this case.
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: A.J., I think you`re absolutely right. This call raises more questions than it answers. My big question is, why was Anna Nicole Smith in a hotel room and not in a hospital? Why hadn`t she been rushed to the hospital much earlier? Reports are coming in that she had a 105 degree fever, that her nurse was bathing her in cold water and ice to keep her cool. So why wasn`t she taken to a hospital?
Now, according to Howard K. Stern`s sister, he tried to convince her to go to the hospital, but she didn`t want to because she was afraid of publicity. But is there something else behind it? A lot of times when people are suffering from drug addiction, they don`t want to go to the hospital, because they are afraid of what might be discovered in their system when they are tested. We don`t know that for sure. We won`t know until the toxicology reports are back, but that is a big question.
HAMMER: Yes, I`ve long been wondering why she hasn`t been in some kind of treatment before all of this took place, based on her behavior and the way we saw her in the last interview she gave. Now, you guys got to help me out with something here, because I`m dumbfounded. Larry Birkhead has produced a speeding ticket that he got back in April listing the reason for speeding as that he got a call from his pregnant wife, she is sick. Tell me what a speeding ticket, Ashleigh, has to do with any of this?
BANFIELD: Well, the fact that there is actually a comment that was written down in a police report from a police officer, and there is some question as to whether the police officer may have written down the wrong thing when he said, my pregnant wife. He claims he said pregnant girlfriend at the time, but it does basically produce a record before any of this mess all happened, before the paternity issues all happened, where Larry Birkhead tells a police officer, I am racing to deal with issues with my pregnant girlfriend/wife. And it all had to do with a fight that had broken out between Anna Nicole Smith and Howard Stern over the jealousy issue over Larry Birkhead being the father of the baby.
Anna apparently allegedly called Larry Birkhead and said, quick, come and meet me in a parking lot and on route there he was caught speeding. But there is a record, written down by a police officer before any paternity issues came around, saying, my pregnant/girlfriend wife.
HAMMER: Obviously if the paternity test moves forward, that won`t be a necessary piece of evidence, I suppose. Jane, let me ask you about this, speaking of being dumbfounded, TMZ.com is now reporting that Anna Nicole`s body can be claimed by Larry Birkhead and Anna`s reps have actually contacted Birkhead and reached out to him to release the body to him.
MITCHELL: This shows you how unseemly this entire case has gotten. I mean, the phrase, "rest in peace" means absolutely nothing, unfortunately, when it comes to Anna Nicole Smith. Everybody is fighting over her remains right now. Her mother has hired a lawyer, trying to get the remains. Howard K. Stern would like the remains. Larry Birkhead has gotten a court order to preserve the body so that he could take DNA testing until a hearing occurs on that DNA testing February 20th. So you`ve got this three way tug of war. We`ve got reports that they`re negotiating.
Some people are saying, hey, I`ll give you the DNA if you hand over the body. How unseemly is that.
HAMMER: And, of course, there`s the question of the will. Now Howard K. Stern is saying, Ashleigh, that he is the executor of the will. Does that basically mean, in the simplest terms, he is responsible for carrying out Anna Nicole`s wishes or is this possibly a really bad thing, because he can get away with doing what he wants?
BANFIELD: Well, you really can`t be the beneficiary and the executor for starters, just in case that comes down the pipe, not knowing what`s in the will at this point, but he has also told media outlets that he knows that the will was originally drafted before Daniel died and before Dannielynn was born, and that Daniel was -- Daniel was supposed to be the full beneficiary.
And then I`ve heard other reports that he has suggested the opposite, That Dannielynn was actually written in the will as the sole beneficiary. So it`s all a little complex at this point. I think we really need to wait, the jury is out on that.
HAMMER: The jury is out on all of this, as far as I`m concerned. Ashleigh Banfield, Jane Velez Mitchell, thanks for trying to help us out as best you can.
ANDERSON: A.J., there is even more speculation about Howard K Stern`s role in Anna`s life. We`re going to hear from a woman who claims she knew Anna better than anyone. That`s next.
HAMMER: And in the mystery over whether Stern is the father, there is new information that could actually bolster Larry Birkhead`s insistence that he`s the dad. And another guy is coming out of the woodwork saying he could be the father. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if you`re Howard K. Stern and the love of your life just dies, why are you in a hotel room negotiating a deal and why are you having cameras on the plane? Isn`t this a time of mourning? Isn`t this a time where you want some peace and quiet?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Cashing in on the tragedy, we`re taking a close look at who may be making some money as this mystery unfolds. That`s as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coverage of Anna Nicole Smith`s death continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Of course, one of the many mysteries in this story, who is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby daughter?
And now yet another man has thrown his hat into the ring. Should we be surprised? It`s Anna`s former bodyguard, Alexander Dank (ph), who says he had a two-year affair with her, and there is a possibility he could be the father. Did I get the math right? That`s five potential dads? Yes, we got this new guy, we got Larry Birkhead, we got Anna`s late husband J. Howard Marshall, of course that`s by frozen sperm, Zsa Zsa Gabor`s husband, Prince Frederick Von Anhalt, and Howard K. Stern, of course.
And tonight there are new explosive accusations against Stern from a woman who says she was Anna Nicole`s best friend. Jackie Hatten says it was Howard who pumped Anna full of pills and on "Larry King Live," she essentially blames him for her death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKIE HATTEN, FRIEND OF ANNA NICOLE SMITH: I tried warning everyone --
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: About?
HATTEN: About Howard and Howard`s behavior towards my friend.
KING: His behavior would affect the length of her life?
HATTEN: Definitely.
KING: How?
HATTEN: Because I`ve seen him -- I`ve witnessed Howard give her Vicotin, Valium, Vinegrin, Morphine, Demerol, shall I go on? I mean, it`s too much for someone to take over a period of time. That`s considered aggravated death, you know what I`m saying? Accumulated effect over the years, whether he gave it to her the last second or not, it`s just not acceptable.
KING: Would your guess that the final results of the autopsy would show that?
HATTEN: I`m sure it will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, not holding back one bit. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke with a representative for Stern. Now, he called into question Hatten`s relationship with Anna Nicole, saying that the two women were estranged for years. Howard`s sister Bonny also appeared on "Larry King Live." Now, she said that Howard never controlled what Anna did and that she thinks there is a conspiracy against him. Hatten also weighed in on who`s daddy issue. She said that she that Anna Nicole told her that Larry Birkhead is the father of Dannielynn.
ANDERSON: Well, tonight the man that Hatten claims is Dannielynn`s daddy, Larry Birkhead, is speaking out. And if you believe Birkhead, Howard K. Stern controlled Anna Nicole`s life and got between anyone who tried to get close to her. In an interview with the "New York Daily News" Birkhead said he tried to save her life, but was kicked to the curb when he told her to kick her drug habit or risk losing custody of the baby. He says it`s his, that child.
Jo Piazza from the "New York Daily News" interviewed Birkhead and is with us tonight in New York. Jo, thanks for being here.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Thanks for having me, Brooke.
ANDERSON: OK, in your interview with Larry Birkhead, he talks about what he calls the drug-soaked lifestyle Anna Nicole lived. Did he reveal what drugs Anna Nicole might have been taking?
PIAZZA: Larry didn`t get into specifics about what kind of drugs Anna had been taking. He has only ever said that she was heavily taking drugs, and drinking.
ANDERSON: So he didn`t specify prescription or otherwise.
PIAZZA: No, he never told us.
ANDERSON: OK, well, Birkhead told you, you were told that he gave Anna Nicole an ultimatum -- give up those drugs or lose custody of the baby. What did he say happened after he told her that?
PIAZZA: After he told her give up the drugs or lose custody, she told him and her friends that she was going into rehab and then she fled to the Bahamas with Howard K. Stern.
ANDERSON: And he just was awaiting her return from the Bahamas? Is that what he said?
PIAZZA: Well, Larry says that he has been waiting for her. When he found out that she was there with Howard, he tried to contact her, and he says that after the baby was born, she was back in contact with him and telling him that the baby was great and doing fine. And he just kept saying to her, please come home and bring my baby home.
ANDERSON: Well, speaking of Howard K. Stern, Birkhead told you that Anna Nicole Smith`s partner Howard K. Stern did everything to keep Anna and Larry, to keep them apart. What was the reason he gave you for Howard doing that?
PIAZZA: Well, Larry has been telling us from the beginning, we interviewed him back when Anna first got pregnant, and he has been saying that Howard was extremely jealous of the relationship between Larry and Anna, and that he would do anything to keep the two of them apart, which included taking Anna to the Bahamas.
ANDERSON: You know, one thing I find really fascinating about this whole thing, Larry Birkhead said that he had even gone to get an ultrasound with Anna Nicole, that he then took infant care classes, as well as infant CPR classes, those done by himself, right?
PIAZZA: Right.
ANDERSON: But if this is true, this doesn`t sound like a guy who was not convinced that he was the father, does it?
PIAZZA: No, I think that Larry Birkhead is convinced he`s the father. And it sounds like Anna Nicole had so many boyfriends during that time period that we can`t say for sure. But on Larry`s head, it sounds like he thinks he`s the dad and he went to these pre-nadal classes, he took the CPR classes, and he went with her for the first ultrasound. So in his mind he is Dannielynn`s dad.
ANDERSON: He is convinced. After speaking to him, were you convinced?
PIAZZA: I`m convinced that he believes it. Whether or not he actually is, who knows. We`re going to have to wait for the paternity test.
ANDERSON: You know, he won`t talk about his last meeting with Anna Nicole. However, he says that even throughout this legal battle over the paternity test, they were in constant contact. What did they talk about, very quickly?
PIAZZA: He says they just kept the conversation strictly to Dannielynn and the health of the baby.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, for Larry Birkhead`s sake, for everybody`s sake involved, hopefully this paternity matter will be resolved very soon. Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News," thanks so much for being here.
PIAZZA: Thank you.
HAMMER: And now we would like to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Question of the Day. Here`s what we`re asking about tonight, Anna Nicole`s baby, should Dannielynn be kept away from Howard K. Stern? Go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT to vote. Got more to say? E-mail us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video e-mail. If you would like to send us a video e-mail, go to the website, we`ve got all the details at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT.
ANDERSON: A.J., in a story this big, with all this mystery and drama, you know some money is changing hands.
HAMMER: No question about that. So coming up we`re going to take a close look at who may be profiting from this tragedy. It`s fascinating. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My whole world is gone. And I said no, your whole world is not gone. You`re baby is left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Howard K. Stern`s sister speaks out. Coming up, what she says about Howard`s emotional state and why she is worried about his safety.
ANDERSON: And, believe it or not, there is stuff about Anna Nicole that you haven`t heard before. Straight ahead we`re talking to the author of an explosive new tell-all book. That`s as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coverage of Anna Nicole Smith`s death continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Howard K. Stern`s sister says that her brother is absolutely devastated about Anna`s death. She says a day after Anna died, Howard told her that he had lost his entire world. Even when Howard was just Anna`s lawyer and not her lover, he was often by her side.
Back in 2004, Anna Nicole appeared on "Larry King Live" with Howard, in her first interview after her dramatic weight loss. And they said people often thought they were a couple, even back then. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD K. STERN, FIANCE OF ANNA NICOLE SMITH: I think she is hot. She looks beautiful. She looks absolutely beautiful.
KING: Are you two -- do you two date? I know he is your attorney. Anna, do you date Howard?
ANNA NICOLE SMITH, MODEL: No.
STERN: I wish.
KING: Where do those rumors come from?
SMITH: Which ones?
KING: About you and Howard.
SMITH: From everybody.
STERN: I think we just spend so much time together that people think that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Stern`s sister said that Howard and Anna met in 1996 when she was referred to his law firm and they became best friends and then he fell in love with her. And he is listed as Dannielynn`s father on the birth certificate, although, as we all know now, that fact is in dispute, to say the least.
HAMMER: To say the least. And Howard K. Stern`s sister is coming out swinging. Coming up, what Bonnie Stern is saying about Howard`s emotional state right now and why she is rushing to his defense. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you`re Howard K. Stern and the love of your life just dies, why are you in a hotel room negotiating a deal and why are you having cameras on the plane? Isn`t this a time of mourning? Isn`t this a time when you want some peace and quiet?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s the question. Who`s profiting? Cashing in on the tragedy. Coming up we`re taking a close look at who may be making some money as this mystery unfolds.
HAMMER: And, believe it or not, there is actually stuff about Anna Nicole Smith that you haven`t heard before. Coming up, we`re talking to the author of an explosive new tell-all book, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coverage of Anna Nicole Smith`s death continues. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the very latest on Anna Nicole Smith, the last moments of her life and the claims on her body and her baby.
Now just today, authorities in Florida released the second part of a 911 tape. It contains the emergency call from the Seminole tribal police to the paramedics in Hollywood, Florida, saying Anna was unresponsive.
Let`s listen to that call.
(BEGIN AUDIO CALL)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, Fire and Rescue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, this is Seminole police. If you could please respond to the Hard Rock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Room 607.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s going to be in reference to a white female who is - what is she, not responsive?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not responsive and not breathing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s not breathing and she`s not responsive. She`s actually Anna Nicole Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh huh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you can please.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well in addition, TMZ.com reports that Anna Nicole`s ex- boyfriend Larry Birkhead has a legal hold on her lifeless body. Now TMZ says Anna Nicole`s mother, Virgie Arthur, has hired a lawyer in her fight to claim the body.
And then there`s the increasingly bizarre custody battle for baby Dannielynn in which a fifth man has now come forward to say he might be the child`s father. That man, Anna Nicole`s bodyguard Alex Dank (ph).
Meanwhile, Zsa Zsa Gabor`s husband, who announced he, too, could be the father, says he`ll file a legal challenge over custody.
As often happens in sensational and tragic cases like this, there`s a big rush to cash in on the tragedy. The groundwork for that seems to have been laid in the Bahamas, where Howard K. Stern has been holed up.
"Access Hollywood"`s Tony Potts has been there since this story broke. I spoke with him a little earlier today about that rush to cash in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Tony, obviously being down there in the thick of this Anna Nicole Smith story, you - you have to compete with other reporters to get the scoop.
But now, do you also have to compete with some organizations who are actually willing to spend some big money so they can get the scoop?
TONY POTTS, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, A.J.
I can tell you definitely that Howard K. Stern was paid at least a million dollars if not more by "Entertainment Tonight" or through the - the cash depository that is "Entertainment Tonight" for his story.
You got to think about - let`s look at the agenda here. What if - if you`re Howard K. Stern and your - love of your life just dies, why are you in a hotel room negotiating a deal, and why are you having cameras on the plane? Isn`t this a time of mourning? Isn`t this a time where you want some peace and quiet? Where you have a publicist who comes out, as you know, A.J. - the publicist comes out and they say, `Hey, look it`s - it`s a very, you know, mournful for time for him. Give him some space, he`ll release a statement in a couple days or two.` That`s usually how it is handled.
But no. He had cameras with him the entire way. Is this a guy who was in mourning?
I can tell you, too, that I know other organizations have paid money as well, because we were offered various people in this, behind the scenes, involved in all of this Anna Nicole post-death story. And we declined. And I can tell you the numbers were between 50 and 100 -- $200,000 for various individuals. Not for Howard K. Stern.
Also we were offered the video of Anna Nicole being resuscitated on the gurney as she left. We declined that. Initially it started at $300,000 - went up to $500,000 for that video. And that was sold within 10 minutes.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I - I think that`s just wild and will just blow people`s minds. I think a lot of people were clearly shocked when they saw the cameras with Howard K. Stern.
I do have to point out, responding to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s inquiry on whether Howard K. Stern actually paid for his - was paid for his interviews or that reunion photo with Danielynn Smith, a spokeswoman for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" said - quote - "Absolutely not true. These types of accusations are typically made by news organizations that don`t have" - quote - "exclusives on major stories. The photos of Howard with Danielynn were taken by an `ET` producer. The producers always carry a digital camera to any shoot."
You`re saying differently though.
POTTS: Absolutely.
And you know what? The thing is, they did - how it happens, A.J., is - is here is a subject, here is say "Entertainment Tonight," OK? There`s the middle man, OK? So they maybe didn`t pay Howard K. Stern, but they paid the middle man. And I`ll stake - I`ll stick my - my next two years of pay on that. I know for a fact that`s how it works.
And I know that they`re saying that. But the thing is, we just do not want to pay for that kind of stuff for these kinds of people. And their story by the way - I`m down here in the thick of this, and there`s some bad mojo down here. I`m hearing stories that I can`t tell you about now that we`ll try to piece together, that there are some - some things that have gone on here, and it`s all about money.
The - the pictures you see with people in them, whether it`s - whether it`s Virgie, her mother and what have you, or those exclusive pictures of other people - those were all bought and paid for. I can guarantee you that - A.J.
HAMMER: You`ve been - you`ve been covering the celebrity for a long time. Would you say that what you`re seeing in the case of the Anna Nicole Smith story, in terms of people paying for these scoops, bigger and larger and grander than anything you`ve experienced in your career?
POTTS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, in others words when I was covering the Michael J - Michael Jackson trial just a couple years ago, there was talk of some video that was found in his room that was leaked, or thought to be leaked. And I was talking to some people who were talking about $500,000 to a $1 million for those kinds of videos as well.
But this - yes, beyond belief. Because you have to remember, there are so many people tied to this. There are so many - you know, the clown prince of Zsa Zsa Gabor - actually, when he said off-handedly, you know, she may have had 30 or so lovers, pick one - he may not have been far off. And these were all billionaires or millionaires that came in contact, and older men with Anna Nicole.
If Howard K. Stern was indeed in love with her and she was in love with him, why would he allow all these trysts to happen? That`s a question you have to - to ask Howard K. Stern. I`d love to ask him, but apparently he doesn`t want to do that.
HAMMER: As - as you well know, the word "shocking" cannot be used enough when it comes to this story.
Tony Potts, thanks for joining us.
POTTS: Thank you, A.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The Bahamian immigration minister is now ducking out of the limelight, saying he did not show Anna Nicole Smith preferential treatment when granting her permanent residency. A Bahamian newspaper printed photos of immigration minister Shane Gibson embracing Anna Nicole on her bed, their faces just inches apart.
Gibson was already accused of fast-tracking Smith`s residency application last year, based on her claim of property ownership in the form of a $900,000 waterfront home. The bedside photos add another dimension to the argument, with some officials now demanding Gibson resign from his government post.
Gibson denies any favoritism, saying he and his family became particularly close to Smith after the passing of her son Daniel.
HAMMER: A last look at Anna Nicole Smith. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the details on her final film.
ANDERSON: And a real-life drama. Inside the pages of "Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith." Was her life spiraling out of control, and could Smith`s late husband really be Danielynn`s father? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sets the record straight.
Plus we`ve got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONNIE STERN, HOWARD K. STERN`S SISTER: My whole world`s gone. And I said, `No, your whole world`s not gone. Your baby is left.`
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Howard K. Stern`s sister is by his side, defending her brother. We sit down with Bonnie Stern`s publicist, who knows Howard in his own right. What he thinks of the man Anna Nicole trusted most. That`s coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s turn A.J. to Camera 1 desk with tracking for the E-block.
Master, roll it, and to effect (ph) black now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Start your push, Don (ph). Stand by, Brooke. Pre- set 7. Open her mike. Dissolve L.A. Go.
ANDERSON: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with our continuing coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith.
Tonight, we`ve got the inside story on an explosive tell-all book about Anna Nicole by her half sister Donna Hogan. It`s called "Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith," due out in April.
The co-author of the book is Henrietta Tiefenthaler. She joins us tonight from Hollywood.
Henrietta, welcome.
HENRIETTA TIEFENTHALER, CO-AUTHOR, "TRAIN WRECK": Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. You completed the book, which Donna actually had started with a previous author. And there are conflicting reports, Henrietta, that the earlier draft claimed that the father of Anna Nicole`s baby might actually be her late husband, J. Howard Marshall, from frozen sperm.
Can you set the record straight for us? In this final version of the book that is coming, is that in fact what Donna Hogan is claiming?
TIEFENTHALER: No.
What Donna Hogan is claiming is that there was sperm tested, and it was discovered J. Howard Marshall was fertile. But there is evidence to say that the sperm was frozen.
ANDERSON: So she`s saying he could be the father.
TIEFENTHALER: Yes, he`s - she`s saying there`s a possibility that he could. And she wanted to find out where the sperm was frozen - I mean, was tested to see if it was frozen.
ANDERSON: I see.
OK, well the name of the book is "Train Wreck." Is that what Donna`s claiming? That Anna Nicole was a train wreck? That her life was just a mess?
TIEFENTHALER: Yes, I think that`s obvious from all the years of footage that we`ve seen of Anna Nicole Smith, that she was spiraling out of control. And just like her idol Marilyn Monroe, she was - her fate was to end in the same way.
ANDERSON: Donna claims that Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole`s lawyer, was a divisive force, very controlling, split up the families, and then Anna Nicole was his puppet.
What is one of the more controversial examples Donna gives of this?
TIEFENTHALER: Donna says that Howard K. Stern was always with Anna Nicole Smith, and that throughout the 10 years that he was with her, Anna Nicole Smith suddenly cut her out her entire family. She had no friends around her, no family. And as everyone that knows her will support, they will all cut off. And that is highly linked to Howard K. Stern`s introduction onto the scene.
ANDERSON: You know, I`ve just got to ask you this, Henrietta: a few minutes ago, we were talking right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about claims and questions of people cashing in on Anna Nicole`s death. The book has been revised to include her death. It`s going to be released in April.
How do you respond to criticism that Donna Hogan is cashing in on her half-sister`s death? What do you say to that?
TIEFENTHALER: Well, of course, Donna Hogan is very upset that this has happened right in the middle of the process of the book being published. But the book was finished the day - I handed the book in the day before, or the day - well, it was finished on the day of the death.
ANDERSON: Wow.
TIEFENTHALER: And we were both immensely shocked that that has happened. And Donna was so upset that she almost didn`t want to publish the book.
But we`ve been writing it since September. And so it`s not because of her death that the book has been written.
ANDERSON: How - that`s quite a coincidence, you handed it in the day she died.
How did you react when she was died? What did you think?
TIEFENTHALER: Well, I was shocked. I heard it from the tabloids. I was on the phone to somebody asking me about Donna Hogan, and I was like, `Why are you asking me questions about Donna Hogan?` And they told me that there was a possibility that Anna Nicole Smith had just died.
And I called up Donna Hogan`s publicist, and she was on the phone to other media outlets. And they confirmed it.
ANDERSON: What is the point of this book, Henrietta? Is Donna trying to give insight into Anna Nicole`s life? I know they had a pretty contentious relationship there at the end. Or is she trying to set the record straight about what Anna Nicole was all about?
TIEFENTHALER: Well, she`s trying to set the record straight about what Anna was about and what their relationship was about, and where they came from. They had very similar upbringings. They shared a father, and they both really struggled to become the people that they were.
Anna Nicole obviously struggled to become successful and famous, which is what she always wanted. And Donna had to suffer as her sister, being hounded by the media, always wanting her side of the story.
ANDERSON: Hmm.
Henrietta Tiefenthaler, thanks so much for joining us and bringing us this perspective. We appreciate it.
TIEFENTHALER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And the book, "The Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith" will go on sale in April. Henrietta also co-wrote a book with CNN`s Larry King called "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt." And that`s out right now.
HAMMER: Tonight, we are now hearing from someone very close to Howard K. Stern, namely his sister Bonnie, who has come out swinging in defense of her younger brother.
Bonnie Stern flew to the Bahamas to see Howard and the baby as soon as she heard the news that Anna Nicole Smith had died.
And on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," she described what he was going through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STERN: He was completely devastated. He was freezing, sweating, under the covers, crying, just completely devastated. His whole world was gone, is the way he put it. `My whole world`s gone.`
And I said, `No, your whole world`s not gone. Your baby`s left.` And that`s all of Anna that`s left. And your memories. And that`s what you have to do. You have to fight for your baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joining me tonight, the man who represents Bonnie Stern and actually used to work down the hall from Howard K. Stern, celebrity publicist Michael Levine.
I appreciate you being with us, Michael.
MICHAEL LEVINE, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Thank you.
HAMMER: You can certainly understand where Bonnie is coming from, because a lot of people are - are really painting Howard K. Stern as a villain in - in what is such a tragic story.
And in a previous statement, Bonnie had said that she was actually concerned for Howard K. Stern, her brother`s safety. Does she really think somebody is actually going to try and physically harm him?
LEVINE: No. I think she is speaking with the passion and intensity of a sister who loves her brother very much and is very concerned about his own emotional well-being, because he is very, very traumatized by this.
HAMMER: Regardless of what the circumstances are personally for him, you can only imagine what he might going through.
A lot of people have made him out to be a manipulator. If you`re looking in from the outside, it`s certainly understand if you don`t - you know, if you don`t really have inside knowledge as to exactly what`s going on.
Now Bonnie Stern, who says she`s very close with her brother, says that`s simply not true; he`s not a manipulator.
I want to take a look at what she told CNN`s Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STERN: I think that there are some people that are trying to create a kind of conspiracy that basically is portraying Howard to be the bad guy, or the controller of the situation. And that`s not the case.
Anna Nicole controlled what Anna Nicole did. He did not feed her pills; he did not her medication. Anna Nicole got her own medication, and she did what she what she wanted to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So Michael, Bonnie thinks there`s a conspiracy that`s being formed here. Isn`t that just a little dramatic, wouldn`t you say?
LEVINE: Well, again, I think these are the words of a person that`s traumatized and the words of a deeply loving sister who cares very much about her brother.
But, you know, I - I think that there is - there may be a conspiracy in the sense that people do things to themselves and get involved in dysfunction that become a life unto itself. And - and I - and I think that that`s what Bonnie`s referring to. I don`t think there`s a particular conspiracy of any one particular person or group of people to try and attack them. I just think that --- that she - they engaged in a relationship over a long period of time that was highly dysfunctional, and of course, it - it all came to a very dramatic and shocking end.
HAMMER: So she`s not saying necessarily the conspiracy is from people who are tied to Anna Nicole, or - or tied to Howard K. Stern, or tied to anybody involved here. Perhaps this is just coming from the ether?
LEVINE: I think that`s - I think this is more of a metaphor than a particular conspiracy in a traditional sense.
And again, these are the words of a very loving sister who cares very much about her brother and - in a very - very shocking circumstance.
HAMMER: Well, Michael, one thing we - we pointed out before, and it`s been consistent throughout our knowledge of Howard K. Stern as - as a person, a public figure, not a lot is known about him. And I know when he was starting out as a lawyer, he was working in the office right down the hall from you, and at that time he used to bring Anna Nicole around for the news conferences.
LEVINE: Right.
HAMMER: And you had said that he - quote - "lost his objectivity when he began to realize the fame he would bring to her would make him famous as well."
Are you kind of saying that he became a - a bad lawyer, and was one of those people trying to hitch on to the old Anna Nicole bandwagon?
LEVINE: What I am saying is that I - you know, I`ve represented hundreds of major celebrities over a long period of time, and I`ve watched this up close. And I can tell you that when you become personally involved with clients, often objectivity is sacrificed.
I think that he, unlike myself who had many clients, he had one. And I think his objectivity over a period of time became very sacrificed. And I think that`s unfortunate, not only for him, but also for his client.
HAMMER: Michael, I have 10 seconds for three words of good advice from you to Howard K. Stern at this point.
LEVINE: Well, I think before you start doing good things, you better stop doing bad things. And I think that doing anymore interviews right now is inappropriate. I think this story`s got to play out in a little more restrained, sensible way. And I don`t think he should feed this - this media sensation anymore.
HAMMER: I agree with you right there. I got to run.
Publicist Michael Levine, thanks so much.
LEVINE: Nice to talk to you.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is this: "Anna Nicole`s Baby: Should Danielynn be kept away from Howard K. Stern?"
Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
Don`t forget, we`re the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So to send us a video e-mail, go to cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Coming up, Anna Nicole`s Smith`s final film. New details on her movie "Illegal Aliens." Why the film was almost delayed, and when fans will actually get to see it.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Start your push, Don (ph). Pre-set Camera 2. Stand by, A.J.
Open his mike, dissolve, go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, the public will soon be able to see Anna Nicole Smith in her final film. Her movie "Illegal Aliens" is due out on DVD in May. Now Smith starred in the flick, and also helped produce it. Her late son, Daniel, also served as an associate producer.
A spokesman for the video company says that the movie was always slated for release in May, and the timing has nothing to do with Smith`s sudden death. The release had been delayed when Daniel died.
ANDERSON: Yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Anna Nicole`s Death: Do you think foul play was involved?"
Forty-three percent of you say "yes"; 57 percent of you say "no."
And here are some of the e-mails we received:
Jindy from Canada writes, "This is obviously foul play. Everyone who loved her says the same thing: Stern kept her isolated and drugged her up."
Barbara from Florida says, "It was not foul play. Howard has been there for her in every way. She had a mind of her own, and was very strong- willed."
Cindy from Florida thinks, "There was no foul play in her death. Anna had an addiction to painkillers, and was taking more than her body can handle."
A.J., obviously, differing opinions on this. And we`re just going to have to wait until those autopsy and toxicology tests come back, which could be several weeks from now.
HAMMER: Yes, I think it`s really important that we do our best to just stick to the facts. We certainly will here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. But if you go out on the Internet and you look at some of the things that people are writing, it is just nuts.
ANDERSON: Yes, and conspiracy theories and on and on. Yes, you`re right.
HAMMER: They are everywhere.
Well coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`ll be dealing with Anna Nicole Smith, the poor little almost-rich girl. Does she have any money, and if so, where is it? Or does it all depend on the estate of her late husband? The truth about her bank account tomorrow.
And should the tragic story of Anna Nicole be a wakeup call for Britney Spears? Ditch the party ways and make better decisions, or pay the price later. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates tomorrow.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night, everyone.
"GLENN BECK" is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it here, and take care.
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