What's the latest news on Anna Nicole Smith's dead? I can't seem to get a news page to load?

Answer 1

Prescription drugs were found in Anna Nicole Smith's hotel room, but there were no pills in her stomach, and investigators said Friday they are awaiting tests that could tell whether the former centerfold died of an overdose, as some close to her suspect.
At the same time, a judge in Los Angeles ordered that the model's body be preserved for at least 10 days for a possible DNA test related to a paternity dispute. The ruling could interfere with plans for a funeral.

Dr. Joshua Perper, the Broward County medical examiner who did the autopsy, said no illegal drugs were discovered in Smith's room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood after the 39-year-old pinup collapsed there on Thursday. He would not identify the prescription drugs.

But 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.

Perper said there were no pills in Smith's stomach and no other immediate signs of an overdose, but officials "do not exclude any kind of contribution of medication to the death." He reported signs of inflammation in Smith's heart — "Something which looks a little bit unusual" — but added, "It may be nothing."

He said it would take three to five weeks to conclude the investigation. Authorities also planned to interview a nurse and others and examine medical records before settling on a cause of death.

Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said there was no indication the voluptuous blonde was the victim of a crime, and Perper said the autopsy was able to exclude any kind of physical injury such as blows to the body or asphyxiation.

"There are a number of possibilities" as to the cause of death, Perper said, including natural causes, a drug reaction or some combination of the two.

Perper said she had been sick for several days with some kind of stomach flu


And in yet another strange twist in the case, a third man — the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, Prince Frederick von Anhalt — stepped forward Friday to claim he may be the baby's father.

Smith, a small-town Texas girl who went from topless dancer 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.

In recent TV appearances, Smith's speech was often slurred and critics said she seemed drugged-out.

Michael Scott, a former attorney for Smith in the Bahamas, said he suspects drugs "featured in her death." And Smith's mother said Friday she believes her daughter died of an overdose. Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in September of what was believed to be an accidental drug overdose, around the time Smith gave birth to her daughter, Dannielynn.

"I think she had too many drugs, just like Danny," her mother, Vergie Arthur, told ABC's "Good Morning America." "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, dismissed claims her death was related to drugs as "a bunch of nonsense." 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.

In Los Angeles, a judge ordered that Smith's body be preserved until a Feb. 20 hearing in the paternity case. He refused to order an immediate DNA test on Smith to help identify the baby's father.

Normally, there is no need for DNA testing on the mother in a paternity case. But one of the men who are claiming to be the baby's father asked for genetic material from Smith to guard against a possible baby switch.

Two men have claimed to be the father: attorney Howard K. Stern, Smith's most recent companion, and Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend. Then, on Friday, Anhalt announced that he had had an affair with Smith and might be the father.

The paternity decision could determine the child's inheritance.

At her death, Smith was waging a yearslong court battle 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 $474 million, but that was later overturned.
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch in Los Angeles and AP writers Laura Wides-Munoz in Hollywood, Fla., and Ana Beatriz Cholo in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


Feb. 12, 2007 — In the wake of Anna Nicole Smith's death, a fierce and unpredictable custody battle for her 5-month-old daughter Dannielynn has ensued.

Now, Smith's final companion, Howard K. Stern, has said the baby girl is the only thing keeping him alive. He's determined not to let Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, ever see her. At the same time, Arthur has said that Stern is not Daniellynn's father. She wants to make sure the baby is with her real father, in a safe place.
Arthur is in the Bahamas trying to see her grandchild. In an exclusive interview with ABC's Chris Cuomo, she said Stern refuses to talk to her or let her see the baby.

"He won't talk to me," she said. "I saw him on TV and he said … 'you'll never see her as long as I'm alive.'"

Arthur is convinced that Stern is not Daniellynn's dad. She believes that Larry Birkhead, Smith's ex-boyfriend who is also fighting for custody of the baby, is really the father.

"I think Larry Birkhead is the father. I don't have a problem with [Danniellynn] being with Larry Birkhead, I do have a problem with her being with Howard Stern," she said.

Arthur asserted she doesn't want custody of the baby.

"I don't want possession of her, I want to know if she's in a safe place," she said. "I want them to do a DNA test and I want her to be put with her father."

She also shot down any suggestion that she's interested in the millions of dollars Daniellynn could inherit.

The money has nothing to do with that baby," Arthur said. "If Howard wants the money, give him the money. Just give us the baby."


Stern Vowed to Keep Arthur Away From Daniellynn

As for Stern, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Steines, he said Daniellynn is the only thing keeping him alive.

"If it wasn't for Daniellynn … it's the only reason why I'm here," Stern said. "[Arthur is] trying to get the baby … [I] despise that woman … as long as I have one breath left in my body … that woman will not see Daniellynn."

Stern maintains he is Daniellynn's father. According to Steines, Stern and Daniellynn had an emotional connection during the interview.



"He rushed to that baby, that's the one thing that's keeping him strong," Steines said. "He clutched her, he held her for what seemed like an eternity."
Stern told Steines about a break-in that occurred at Smith's house shortly after her death. According to Stern, all of her personal items were stolen, including Daniellynn's birth certificate. Stern said he knows who committed the crime.

By MATT SEDENSKY

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Feb 15, 2007 (AP)— With at least three people bickering over the fate of Anna Nicole Smith's remains, a Florida judge stepped in to argue that he has the final say.

"This body belongs to me right now," Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin said Wednesday during an emergency hearing. Another hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Smith's longtime companion Howard K. Stern and her estranged mother, Vergie Arthur, each hope to win control of the body. Photographer Larry Birkhead, who claims to have fathered the former centerfold's 5-month-old daughter, Dannielynn, hopes DNA taken from Smith will prove his case.

The judge said the dispute could be lengthy. "We're going to have hearings as many hearings as we need," Seidlin said. "This is just a warm-up."

Stern claims he is executor of Smith's will and wants to have her buried next to her son in the Bahamas; Arthur wants her daughter buried in her home state of Texas; and Birkhead simply wants to prove he is the father of Dannielynn, who potentially could inherit millions.

Debra Opri, an attorney for Birkhead, said in a statement that she was satisfied DNA samples would be provided by Florida authorities.

Opri has said Smith's DNA is needed to connect her with Dannielynn so no one could switch the babies. "We don't care about the body," said another one of Birkhead's lawyers, Susan Brown.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt, the husband of the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, has also said he had a decade-long affair with Smith and may also be the father. He said he plans to file a paternity challenge in court and wants a DNA test.

Smith's body remains at the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, and Seidlin said it would stay there. "This body's not leaving Broward County till I make the ruling."

Smith, 39, died Feb. 8 after collapsing at a Florida hotel. She 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 1995.

Elsewhere, custody of Dannielynn is being fought, too. A Bahamian judge issued an injunction Tuesday preventing the baby from being taken out of the country until the custody case is resolved.

Arthur wants to be named guardian of her granddaughter and sought the order because she feared Stern would take the child from the Bahamas, her lawyer said.

By CURT ANDERSON

DANIA BEACH, Fla. Feb 10, 2007 (AP)— 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 $474 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, around the time Smith gave birth to her daughter.


AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch in Los Angeles and AP writers Laura Wides-Munoz in Hollywood, Fla., and Ana Beatriz Cholo in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Feb. 14, 2007 — While the cause of Anna Nicole Smith's death is still a mystery, a report from TMZ.com has linked Smith with the drug methadone.

New pictures from the entertainment Web site show a bottle of methadone in Smith's refrigerator in the Bahamas.

Investigators haven't said what killed Smith, but they do say drugs are a possible cause. Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in September because of a mixture of methadone and antidepressants.

Smith's attorney believes the methadone may have been planted in her fridge.


A Common Killer

Whatever happened in Smith's case, methadone has become an increasingly common killer. Overdose deaths from the drug shot up nearly 400 percent between 1999 and 2004.

Robin Debaise's 16-year-old daughter, Sara, died after taking methadone.

"She made one bad mistake, and it cost her her life," Debaise said. "It's been 2½ years, and I still expect her to come walking through the door. Everyone says this can't happen to them, but it's happening to me."


From a Treatment for Addicts to a Prescribed Painkiller

Sara is the new face of methadone. For decades, liquid methadone was given to help heroine addicts ease the agony of withdrawal.

In recent years, doctors have increasingly prescribed methadone pills as painkillers because they're cheaper and less controversial than OxyContin or Vicodin, which have been widely abused.

Dr. Terry Horton, medical director of Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol treatment center, believes methadone can be safe.

"The problem occurs when methadone is used outside of the physician's supervision. Then individuals are misusing it and can find themselves in harm's way," Horton said.

While methadone can be safe under medical supervision, it is considered a tricky drug to prescribe.

There are concerns that doctors who are not sufficiently familiar with methadone can prescribe it in ways that lead to medical complications and even death.
By KELLI KENNEDY

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. Feb 14, 2007 (AP)— Two men claiming to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby are now battling over the late model's body.

Photographer Larry Birkhead petitioned a court Tuesday asking that the model's remains be preserved for DNA paternity testing, while a medical examiner warned that her body is decomposing and should be released.

The petition made in Broward County Circuit Court requests that a California court order for DNA testing that was filed Friday, the day after Smith died, be enforced in Florida.

An attorney for Smith said DNA had already been taken.

Tuesday's request was made so that work done to secure the Los Angeles court order "not be in vain," Birkhead's attorney, Debra Opri said.

A Los Angeles judge last week requested that Florida authorities keep Smith's body for 10 days. That court earlier ordered DNA testing, which Smith's companion Howard K. Stern and Smith's mother, Vergie Arthur, were opposing.

A court hearing was planned for Wednesday morning, she said.

Meanwhile, Broward County medical examiner Joshua Perper issued an affidavit urging the prompt release of Smith's body, warning that "any further delay would result in destructive changes to the body." Smith died Thursday after collapsing at a hotel.

Perper said attorneys representing Stern and her mother notified him that they plan to request an emergency order for a prompt release of the body.

Stern, who says he is the father of 5-month old Dannielynn, and Smith's mother fear that if the body is not embalmed, even though it is refrigerated, it will not be suitable for viewing or funeral purposes, Perper said.

Perper said the model's body will remain refrigerated until he receives a judge's order.

Telephone messages left at the offices and on the cell phone of James T. Neavitt, Stern's attorney, were not immediately returned. Telephone messages could not be left on Stern's cell phone.

Ron Rale, the attorney who had represented Smith in the Los Angeles court battle over paternity, said late Tuesday that he planned to go to the Los Angeles court Wednesday morning to ask that the hold on the body be reduced on grounds that the coroner had already extracted DNA.


"Her DNA is never going to show paternity for the baby," Rale said.

Along with the paternity case, Rale is the executor of Smith's estate. He and Stern, also a co-executor, are authorized to make funeral arrangements. Rale, however, told The Associated Press Television News that Smith's mother was fighting to bring her body to Texas for burial.

Smith's mother could not immediately be located for comment. Rale said Smith and her mother had been estranged for 15 years.

"I implore Anna Nicole's mother to do the best for her daughter, carry on with her wishes and her wish is not to go to Texas," Rale said.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt, the husband of the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, has said he had a decade-long affair with Smith and may also be the father. He said Monday he plans to file a paternity challenge in court and wants a DNA test.


Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky in Miami and Ana Beatriz Cholo in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Answer 2

With at least three people bickering over the fate of Anna Nicole Smith's remains, a Florida judge stepped in to argue that he has the final say

Answer 3

"Anna Nicole still dead, pictures at 11."

Answer 4

Why don't you just leave it alone? If a dear close relative of yours had passed away, you'd definitely would have had it up to here with the media and nosey busy buddies.
ARE YOU THAT BORED WITH YOUR OWN LIFE?

Answer 5

Last I heard, she's still dead.......

I know there are lurid details floating around out there, but I haven't watched TV in the last few days, so I don't really know anything more.....and not sure I really want to...........

Answer 6

The judge is in hot water because he got nasty in court and said her body belongs to him and is to stay in the morgue. That's the last I heard.

Answer 7

They want to preserve her body for tests

Answer 8

yea shes still dead. everybody and their brother wants to be the daddy.

Answer 9

She is still in the freezer and they are still going to court this a.m. fighting over the body SAD, SAD , SAD!

Answer 10

She's still dead.

Answer 11

well she did die ..& sadly DannyLynns future is up for grabs..