One year ago, attorney Howard K. Stern spent his time with exactly one needy client -- Anna Nicole Smith. From the perspective of an outside (or anyone who watched her 2002-2004 eponymous reality show), it seemed as though the vaguely creepy curly-haired counselor wanted much more than a professional relationship with the blonde bombshell. Sure enough, in a questionably valid ceremony at sea, the odd pair allegedly tied the knot. Smith identified Stern in the press as her months-old daughter's father, though questions of paternity quickly came to the surface, with a variety of peculiar players involved.
The tortured tabloid favorite became a cautionary tale in February when an ultimately lethal mix of prescription medication brought the new mother's early demise at the age of 37. Just five months prior, her 20-year-old son Daniel had died as well under dubious circumstances.
But Stern was about to lose more than his stepson and the woman that he loved. In a highly publicized paternity battle, he would lose the daughter he had claimed as his own and the rights to any of Anna Nicole's willed fortune. He would lose what shreds were left of his dignity, when rumors of a twisted affair between Stern and Larry Birkhead went public through an (unauthorized) tell-all book. And worst of all for the fame-hungry pseudo-widower, he's lost relevance.
Without a tenable connection to Anna or baby Dannielynn, there's absolutely no reason for anyone to care about Stern. Maybe he should brush up on his courtroom skills and join the O.J. Simpson defense team.
Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-22-2007 @ 7:57AM
Geo said...
Howard Stern??????? Are we scrsping at the btm of this barrel???LOLOL.. I though tot be a financial loser you had to have money to start with. home-boy was nothing but a man-ho on retainer
12-21-2007 @ 1:38PM
jbxbz said...
I'll take his retainer No questions ask.
Merry Christmas
12-23-2007 @ 2:25AM
Jill from Western Australia said...
HK$ MUST BE CHARGED WITH NEGLIGENCE!!! at least for the death of ANS...he procurred her a huge percentage of the drugs...he was the "ENABLER"...sure Sandeep and Khristine prescribed them...BUT PROVIDING THEY PUT THE CORRECT DOSAGE ON THE LABELS...they are not accountable! ANS was very manipulative...it was her way...or the "highway" as she progressively lost many friends who loved her!! ANS demanded drugs...HK$ made sure she had them! I FEEL THAT HK$ SHOULD HAVE DENIED HER THE DRUGS AND MADE SURE THAT SHE WAS SENT TO HOSPITAL where with medical assistance she would have lived!..HENCE I FEEL THAT HE MUST BE CHARGED WITH NEGLIGENCE!!!...sure I realize that if he didn't give ANS what she wanted then he would be "kicked out!"...he CHOSE THE WRONG OPTION!!..which resulted in her death!. After witnessing {or even being involved with the death of Daniel} I FEEL THAT HE HAD A "DUTY OF CARE" TO LOOK AFTER ANS! HE FAILED TO DO THIS...very negligent of him!
His "timeline" involving Moe & Taz causes me to WORRY...{but I will let the courts work this out}. I am very concerned that Larry is allowing HK$ into Dannielynn's life, I am sure that he loves her BUT FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!!!...He has "filed" for 6% of the J. Howard Marshall II estate if {BIG IF} it ever happens....poor HK$...he must be broke by now, I doubt if anyone would hire him...though "ferrets" have flown..."Dopey" has clients...hmmm!
I hope that Larry can distance both himself and Dannielynn from HK$
Merry Christmas from "down-under"
12-24-2007 @ 2:16PM
Noodlemonkey said...
I'm with Geo--in order to lose money, you had to have some to begin with. And as far as I can tell, HKS isn't big into "earning"--seems like he'd prefer to live off others...
12-31-2007 @ 11:11PM
raven said...
...{but I will let the courts work this out}.
This seems to be the only intelligent statement regarding the analysis of this topic.