Stern sues over sex claims
2007-10-04 12:38
New York - Howard K Stern, the
lawyer and former companion of Anna Nicole Smith, has filed a
$60m lawsuit against the author and publisher of a
controversial book about the late actress for libelous claims.
The lawsuit says former US television news anchor Rita
Cosby's book Blond Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna
Nicole Smith's Death, details false claims including that
Stern had a sexual encounter with Smith's former boyfriend
Larry Birkhead and exploited her February death.
Smith died aged 39 of an accidental prescription overdose
in Florida. Her death sparked a legal battle over custody of
Smith's daughter between Stern and Birkhead, a Los Angeles
photographer.
"Defendants have exploited Ms Smith's life and death by
publishing false and defamatory factual accusations against
Howard K Stern," said the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in
Manhattan federal court.
It seeks $10m in compensatory
damages and $50m in punitive damages.
A spokesperson for Hachette Book Group declined comment on the
lawsuit, and attempts to reach Cosby were unsuccessful.
The book was published in September and has been listed on
The New York Times bestseller list, the lawsuit said.
Smith, a former topless dancer was once married to late
billionaire oil tycoon J Howard Marshall. Her death touched
off a battle for custody of her daughter, Dannielynn, who could
one day inherit a fortune if her late mother's estate wins the
right to inherit some of Marshall's millions.
Birkhead, who has also denied the allegations in the book,
was declared the father by a Bahamian court in April after DNA
testing.