Birkhead, Baby, Bahamas.

Judge Korda decided today that he has no jurisdiction in Florida over the case filed by Larry Birkhead to get a DNA sample of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern and passed the case back to California. Korda also said he believes that the Bahamas is the only place to fight out the paternity issue, as that is where Dannielynn resides. This means that Larry Birkhead will fighting for Dannielynn's paternity solely in the Bahamas. However, Judge Korda did order that samples of Anna Nicole Smith's DNA be released to Birkhead's lab for testing.

MSNBC has the full story

Larry Birkhead tearful interview
Larry Birkhead Says Dannielynn looks like him
Larry Birkhead meets Dannielynn
Birkhead and Stern Custody Agreement?

Will Larry Birkhead Finally Be Able To Pay His Legal Fees?

Will Larry Birkhead finally be able to earn some money from the emotional saga of his fight for fatherhood? Fox News is reporting that "sources" are telling them that Larry has inked a deal with Bravo TV for his story, in the "high six figures", and there will be enough money to pay off Debra Opri and with some left over.

"... the deal was actually cut through NBC’s Bravo channel for documentaries about Birkhead. The way it’s been explained is this: Everything Birkhead does for “Access” will be repurposed for Bravo. And it was “Access Hollywood” executive producer Rob Silverstein who delivered Birkhead to NBC’s “Today” show for an exclusive interview with Meredith Vieira. That appearance was also covered by the Bravo deal."

I'm sure that everyone is now going to start accusing Larry of "cashing in" on Anna Nicole's death, but give the guy a break! He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to prove that he is Dannielynn's father and gain custody of her, and since the day that Anna Nicole died, Larry has probably not worked. He is selling his story, and it's very compelling.

Fox also says "Birkhead is said to be in the middle of negotiations for a million-dollar photo shoot of himself and the baby with a celebrity weekly. The suspects: Us Weekly, Star, OK!, Hello!, Life & Style, In Touch Weekly.". I hope so!!

Today Larry Birkhead, Virgie Arthur and Howard K Stern will be back in court in the Bahamas to work out the custody arrangements for Dannielynn. Hopefully Larry will be able to take his daughter home in less than two weeks!!

Will Vergie Mess Up the Custody Arrangements?

Slate has a great article on why it's OK to be interested in the Anna Nicole Story!

UPDATE: Absolutely nothing happend today and the hearing is due to resume next week. There are some rumors floating around that Vergie Arthur and Larry are going to meet without lawyers and try and get an agreement together to present to the court next week. The gag order is still in place.

Opri Sues Birkhead.

Debra Opri has filed suit against Larry Birkhead for his unpaid legal bill of over $600,000.

Debra Opri wants to force binding arbitration under the terms of a contract in which she agreed to represent Birkhead in September, according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court.

Opri was Birkhead's lawyer in his paternity dispute with Anna Nicole Smith, over Dannielynn. It was ultimately proven that Dannielynn is Birkhead's biological daughter and he now has custody of her. Back in April Opri served Birkhead with a bill for $620,000.

On his website, Larry Birkhead makes this cryptic statement:

BILLS: I HAVE NOT MADE ANY COMMENT REGARDING AN ATTORNEY'S BILL. I HAVE REMAINED SILENT ON THIS ISSUE AND RELATED ISSUES IN THE PAST AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE SO IN THE FUTURE.

Of course, that statement has been up on his website for quite sometime, so I guess he's sticking to his guns and not talking to Opri about it either!.

I can't really believe that Opri is suing Birkhead over this. I understand that she wants her money, but she could come to some sort of agreement with him, after all, Opri has received incredible publicity from this case, and she couldn't buy that kind of publicity if she wanted to.

UPDATE: Larry Birkhead released an official statement to TMZ:

Despite their filings, both Ms. Opri and her attorney received notification making them aware that I would be out of the state of California taking care of my daughter until the conclusion of an upcoming June custody hearing in the Bahamas. Although at this time, the public is not aware of the unbelievable circumstances which led to me firing Ms. Opri, the only question at the end of the day is, how much money will Debra Opri be paying me? Thanks to the efforts of my Bahamas attorney, Emerick Knowles, I am fortunate enough now to be spending time with my daughter, Dannielynn.

A)Larry is going to come out of this smelling like a rose - I can just tell

B) How come everyone is now releasing their official statements directly to TMZ? Lohan just did that and now Larry?

Larry Birkhead Takes The Stand

Larry Birkhead finally took the stand in the Anna Nicole Smith burial case yesterday afternoon. Birkhead came across as very sincere in his intentions and love for Anna Nicole.

Birkhead outlined his relationship with Anna Nicole, and said he was "nervous and excited" when she told him of her pregnancy, in February 2006. Anna Nicole had told Birkhead that he was the father and they had shopped together for the baby, and started a baby book. Birkhead also stated that Anna Nicole had miscarried their baby in 2005, so he was very excited for this baby.

Birkhead also said that he never actually physically saw Anna Nicole after a May 2006 argument, when she wouldn't go home with him and he had phoned Howard K Stern to come and get Anna. He did say they had kept in touch by phone and email until her death.

At one stage during the proceedings Birkhead was visibly upset. Birkhead takes the stand again at 10:30am today.

Judge Seidlin Impressed with Larry Birkhead
Stern Gave Drugs to sick Anna

Larry Birkhead Arrives in Florida

Larry Birkhead has arrived in Florida, ready to address the court tomorrow in the matter of Anna Nicole Smith's burial. Howard K Stern has also been ordered to appear at the hearing. I wonder if he'll show up? Birkhead and Stern are both claiming that they are the father of Dannielynn, but only Birkhead has filed a paternity suit.

Maybe Birkhead will challenge Stern to a duel to settle the matter once and for all? Can't wait to see them both in the same courtroom.

(source)

Larry Birkhead tried to save Anna Nicole
Larry Birkhead: Anna was the love of my life

Birkhead Gets the Bill!!

Incredibly, Debra Opri is charging Larry Birkhead $620,492.84. Opri billed Larry $475 an hour for legal services and a slew of other miscellaneous charges including two dinners that Birkhead didn't even attend and some laundry charges for Opri's husband. TMZ has a longer list here.

I can't really believe she billed the poor guy that much. Look at the international exposure the Debra Opri has received by representing Larry Birkhead! The least she could have done is cut her normal rate in half and not billed him the bogus expenses. My favorite one is this:

On February 24, 2007, while Opri and Birkhead stayed at a private residence in Ft. Lauderdale during the Florida hearing, Opri billed $600 for Seafood World. We're told she brought four trays of lobster to the house. The bill says, "Dinner gift/Ft. Lauderdale house stay." But it was no gift to Larry. That same day, she billed $211 for items at Publix grocery store.

In other Larry news, last week we reported that Larry Birkhead had filed a trademark on the phrase "Goodnight My Sweet Anna Baby". Apparently this is not the case. Larry has written this on his own website LarryBirkhead.net

TRADEMARKS: I have never requested a trademark, signed or filled out any paperwork on a trademark relating to Anna Nicole Smith, and the saying "Goodnight My Sweet Anna Baby." The form was filled out by another individual on my behalf. The form was not reviewed or approved by me. The media is reporting that they have seen a copy of the form, please send me one as I have asked for a copy and never have received it. It does not have my signature or authorization, I am far too busy working on my fight for my daughter Dannielynn, to worry about things like trademarking sayings for use in movies, etc. **In other words, I will seek to have this trademark withdrawn or cancelled on the grounds it was not approved by me.**

The rest of his last post also makes for some interesting reading!! Click here

And in even more news, TMZ is reporting that most of the drugs that were given to Anna Nicole were prescribed to Howard K Stern!!!!!!!

The paternity hearing in the Bahamas is due to resume tomorrow - pending of course all the appeals that Mr Howard K Stern has filed. And I can only presume that he is filing these appeals as he doesn't want the truth to set him free!!

Dannielynn's Daddy Will Be Announced Tomorrow

Dannielynn's paternity hearing is definitely going ahead tomorrow in the Bahamas and TMZ has confirmed that the DNA expert Dr Michael Baird, has booked his ticket to the Bahamas and is on the way. Larry Birkhead and Howard K Stern will both be present in the court room for the reading of the results.

In an exclusive statement to TMZ Howard K Stern has come forward and said that he will not fight for custody if Larry Birkhead is Dannielynn's biological father, and in fact will do anything in his power to stop Vergie Arthur, Anna Nicole's mother, from having custody of Dannielynn.

"If Larry Birkhead is confirmed to be Dannielynn's biological father, Howard will not challenge custody. His love for her will not change, irrespective of the results............Howard will do whatever is necessary to assist Larry Birkhead to defeat any effort by Virgie Arthur to obtain custody of Dannielynn".

Mia and I CANNOT WAIT for the results to be revealed tomorrow. It's a relief that Howard K Stern is not going to drag this out for months by challenging Birkhead in a custody battle. Good Luck Larry, we can't imagine how anxious you are for the results!

Larry Birkhead Tried to Save Anna Nicole

Larry Birkhead, who is embroiled in the paternity suit for Dannielynn Hope has come forward and told the Daily News that he desperately tried to stop Anna Nicole spiraling out of control and when he asked to change her lifestyle and look after their baby, she left him.

"I am sorry that I couldn't save them, I tried," Birkhead told The News yesterday. "I watched over her to make sure she was safe, and once I was basically pushed to the side ... I had no control over what she did or anyone else around her did."

Birkhead goes on to recount the first time he went to the doctor with Smith and saw the baby on the ultrasound, which was the happiest day of his life. He also tells how he looked after Smith, cooked for her and tried to make sure that she was looking after herself and the baby.

"She always made me sing to the baby at night. I am a terrible singer, but I tried! I would cook her pancakes and rub her back. Then we would get the ultrasound pictures out and just look at them in amazement"

Birkhead was in the Bahamas and submitted a DNA test, but Smith would not bring Dannielynn forward for testing and Stern has repeatedly refused to be tested.

A full hearing into the matter of paternity is scheduled for 20 February.

Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Howard K Stern was paid $1 million dollars for his exclusive tearful interview Entertainment Tonight.

Vergie Arthur, Anna Nicole's mother, came out strongly against Stern yesterday.

If it's true what Birkhead is saying, I feel really sorry for the poor guy. He seems genuine, compared to Stern. Here at Through Our Eyes, we can't wait for the DNA results!


Larry Birkhead: Anna was the love of my life

Larry Birkhead: BREAKING NEWS

Larry Birkhead is Dannielynn Hope's biological father. The results are 99.99% certain - confirmed by Dr Michael Baird. They will be back in court on Friday for custody issues. Larry Birkhead came out of the Bahamania courtroom at 3:45pm and made the announcement and the crowd cheered. Howard Stern followed and said he was very disappointed, and would make sure that Larry Birkhead gets sole custody of Dannielynn. He also said the Larry was welcome to come over to the house at anytime and spend as much time with Dannielynn has he wished!!!

Congratulations Larry!!!! Mia and I wish you the best!!

Debra Opri Fired!!!!

Breaking News: Larry Birkhead has fired his attorney, Debra Opri. Birkhead will be represented by a Bahamian attorney in today's paternity hearing in the Bahamas.

Debra Opri issued a statement this morning, saying "Larry Birkhead and I have terminated our attorney-client relationship effective immediately."

I hope this is going to work out for Larry and he has someone good representing him today!! Good Luck Larry!!


(source: TMZ)

UPDATE: Debra Opri has said that she terminated the relationship with Larry Birkhead because she was asked to do things that she ethically cannot do. She did not eleborate on this.

UPDATE on the UPDATE: TMZ is reporting that Birkhead sent Opri an email on Tuesday firing her.

Larry Birkhead On His Way To Bahamas.

Here's a few snippets I learned this morning from MSNBC's Rita Cosby.

Larry Birkhead is on his way to the Bahamas.
Larry Birkhead and Howard K Stern agree that Anna Nicole should be buried in the Bahamas in the next few days - so I guess neither of them are supporting Vergie Arthur in her appeal against Judge Seidlins ruling that Dannielynn's appointed lawyer will decided.
Cosby says that she heard that Stern is going to allow Birkhead to see Dannielynn while he's in the Bahamas!!!!
Debra Opri, Birkheads attorney, is talking about maybe bringing charges of kidnapping against Stern!!!!
There will be paternity hearings in the Bahamas tomorrow!

Wow - that's a lot to take in and very conflicting if Opri is going to press charges of Kidnapping, and yet Stern is going to let Birkhead see Dannielynn.

We are still on Team Larry - hope you get to see your little girl!!

Larry Birkhead: "Anna was the love of my life"

Larry Birkhead will not be attending today's DNA hearing as he is "beyond distraught" over the death of Anna Nicole Smith, says Larry Birkhead's attorney Debra Opri.

Opri is on her way to the hearing, where she will ask a judge to order that Anna Nicole Smith's DNA be tested. Opri says "there is no known biological father at this point in time. Larry has been prevented from giving a DNA sample, Howard K. Stern has refused to give a DNA sample."

Anna Nicole's mother, Virgie Arthur is the only known biological living next of kin, and legal next of kin, and Opri says that Dannielynn should be handed over to Virgie Arthur until the whole issue of Dannielynn's paternity is decided.

Birkhead is exteremly upset over the sudden death yesterday of Anna Nicole Smith and has spoken out on his blog Larrybirkhead.net with a poem:

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

Birkhead has tirelessly maintained that he is Dannielynn's father and wishes to take custody of his daughter.

Many questions are surrounding the death of Anna Nicole:

Where there illegal drugs in the hotel room?
Will this turn into a murder investigation?
How much money does she really have?
Where exactly is Dannielynn right now?
Does Howard K Stern have any paternity rights in the Bahamas as he is named the father on Dannielynn's birth certificate?

Hopefully some of these questions will be answered later today when the coroner in Broward County, FL, releases his autopsy report.

Birkhead and Stern : Custody Agreement?

Sources are saying that Howard K Stern and Larry Birkhead could possibly be negotiating a settlement in the custody battle over Dannielynn. Birkhead has always maintained that Dannielynn is his biological daughter, and Stern has said that she's his daughter and his name appears on her Bahamian birth certificate.

"Sources say Stern could be amenable to giving Birkhead what he needs to establish custody. We're told that in return, Stern wants ongoing control of Anna's estate and, once the estate is probated, continued involvement by becoming trustee for Dannielynn. "TMZ.com

Obviously, Birkhead would still have to establish paternity through a DNA test. This is very exciting news. Mia and I think that Stern must know he's not the father, because if he wasn't sure if it was him or Birkhead, he probably wouldn't be willing to take these steps.

Paternity hearing are set to starting in the Bahamas this morning.

Good luck Larry!!

Anna Nicole Won't be Buried before Tuesday
Larry Birkhead on his way to the Bahamas

Birkhead Breaks Down in Courtroom

Larry Birkhead took to the stand again today in the Anna Nicole Smith burial case. Birkhead came across again as very sympathetic, and at one stage breaking down and crying when discussing Anna Nicole's drug use while she was pregnant. Birkhead told how he tried to hide the drugs from Anna Nicole, and how Stern and Anna told him she needed them to live.

Krista Bath introduced an email that Birkhead allegedly sent to Anna Nicole, saying that he couldn't believe how she had cheated on him, and all the shit she put him through. Bath made Birkhead read out the rest of the email, and it was clear that Birkhead was very upset that Anna Nicole had taken his child away from him.

Birkhead went on to describe how Stern had harassed him, to try and get him to say that he was not the father of Dannielynn.

Birkhead also said he had been approached by the media, and offered millions, to go to the Bahamas and knock on Anna Nicole's door and confront her. Birkhead stated that he has never accepted any offers that were made to him.

Birkhead continues to come across as a genuinely nice guy, and he truly believes that he is the father of Dannielynn. Stern looking more like an enabler, drug pusher and all around snake. Stern's relationship with Anna was basically "kept man".

In other news, CourtTV put up a poll that said that 72% of respondents did not believe Vergie Arthur's testimony yesterday. Right on - CourtTV watchers. Mia and I didn't believe her either!

Opri: Larry is the good guy

Dannielynn Paternity Battle Rages

Last night on Larry King Live, attorneys for Larry Birkhead and Howard K Stern, forcefully told Larry King the same old thing that they've been saying for weeks. Nothing much new came to light, but it was interesting to see how dogged Stern's attorney's are that the Bahamian birth certificate means everything. Click here for a full transcript of the interview

Here's a few excerpts:

KING: Ron Rale, I'll make a statement. Is it true? No one knows who the father is. No one can really know who the father is until DNAs are taken...

RALE: I think that's a fair statement.

KING: You can say you're the father.

RALE: I think that's a fair statement.

Then Debra Opri, Larry Birkhead's attorney got her say:

OPRI: I want them to do a DNA test. I want that baby produced. I took Howard K. Stern into the Los Angeles jurisdiction and our judge said, under a new case, that man is coming in, because he's held himself out as the father. Neavitt sits here and has the audacity to tell you he's the presumed father under Bahamian law? Bahamian law needs a piece of paper. It doesn't need anything else. I filed in the California jurisdiction so Larry would have standing to go there. That birth certificate isn't worth the paper it's written on.

KING: The same statement for you I gave to them. No one knows who the father is, correct?

OPRI: Larry Birkhead is the father.

So, there you have it. Nothing has been resolved, and nothing is going to be resolved until Stern produces Dannielynn for a DNA test. Sigh.

Dr Perper even showed up at one stage, and no, I have no idea what that lump on his head is.

Larry Birkhead Meets Dannielynn

Over the weekend Larry Birkhead got to meet Dannielynn for the first time, reports TMZ.com

Howard K Stern has really backed down on his former position of keeping Dannielynn away from Birkhead and this is a huge breakthrough for Birkhead, being allowed to see Dannielynn, who he believes is his daughter.

That meeting must have been so emotional for Birkhead!

I hope you managed to get some DNA while you were there Larry!!

In other news Anna Nicole's body will not be transported to the Bahamas for a funeral this week as the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear Vergie Arthur's appeal to gain custody of Anna Nicole's body and bury her in Texas.

Did Anna Nicole Have Lupus?

Everyone is wondering right now, did Anna Nicole have Lupus? Access Hollywood asked the question last night during the Larry Birkhead segment, saying the lupus combined with pregnancy could have put Anna Nicole in severe pain, which might hae been one of the reasons she was taking so many prescription drugs. The exact cause of Anna Niocle's death has not been determined yet as the Medical Examiner, Dr Perper, is still waiting on all the toxicology reports to come back.

It was also revealed to Access Hollywood's Tony Potts, through a source, that Larry Birkhead's visit with Dannielynn went really well, he got to feed her, hold her, change her and then she spat up on him. Probably the only time Larry was happy to be spewed on!!

Larry Birkhead gave a very emotional interview to Tony Potts. The rest of the interview will be aired tonight on Access Hollywood.

The 4th Circuit Court is hearing arguments about Anna Nicole's body as I type this! Nothing has been decided yet, but from what kind of questions the Judges were asking, it's not looking good for Vergie Arthur.

Judge Seidlin Makes A Decision

Judge Larry Seidlin just handed down his decision in the Anna Nicole Smith burial trial. After making a short speech where he teared up, and telling the room how much he cared about the case, the decision came down.

He gave the final decision to Richard Milstein, who is the court appointed guardian of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern. Milstein is to confer with Howard K Stern, Larry Birkhead and Vergie Arthur on where Anna Nicole should be buried and to keep the best interest of Dannielynn in mind at all times.

Seidlin went on to say that he hopes they agree to bury Anna Nicole next to her son Daniel in the Bahamas, because that is what she would have wanted.

At the reading of this judgement, the courtroom broke into sobs, with Vergie Arthur, Howard K Stern, Krista Bath and Judge Seidlin all crying. Larry Birkhead seemed composed.

Wow - so the Judge gave the final decision to the court appointed guarding of Dannielynn. Mia and I both hope that Milstein goes with the Judges wishes and Anna Nicole will be buried soon next to her son.

The saga will continue with the Larry Birkhead's paternity case.

Stern to Birkhead: Sign For Dannielynn

Howard K Stern has been trying to make a backdoor deal with Larry Birkhead for custody of Dannielynn! reports Fox News. Stern is trying to make it look like everyone is going to be on the receiving end of money made from exclusive agreements with TV shows!!

"Howard wanted Larry to sign so that it looked like everyone was in agreement, and that it wasn't just Howard benefiting from these deals," my source said. "Larry said the baby's guardian should sign the papers for him and the baby, but he wouldn't. So then Larry wouldn't."

Birkhead it seems is sticking to his guns and and maintaining his integrity by refusing to sign anything. Debra Opri, Birkheads lawyer is clear that Birkhead will gain custody of Dannielynn without making any deals with Stern and by proving that he is the father with a DNA test.

TMZ is reporting something slightly different, that Birkhead wouldn't sign even though the money is going to a trust for Dannielynn. Hmmm. I really doubt that Howard!. Who is he trying to kid? We know you are in it for the money, Stern!!

Howard K Stern Lets Loose at Anna Nicole's Funeral
Anna Nicole's Funeral
Anna Nicole's Red Carpet Arrival

Anna Nicole's Mother Takes The Stand, Can't Seem to Answer the Question

Vergie Arthur was on the stand all morning in the Anna Nicole Smith burial trial.Vergie seemed to have A LOT of memory issues. Here are some highlights from this mornings proceedings:
Click here to go to TMZ to see video

• Vergie couldn't remember when she first came into contact with Larry Birkhead, she finally said it was after Anna Nicole died.
• Vergie stated that she lost touch with Anna Nicole after Anna Nicole started to use drugs and stated that Howard K Stern drove them apart.
• Vergie said that she couldn't remember any conversations in the last 10 years with Anna Nicole about where Anna Nicole wanted to be buried. Richard Milstein (court appointed for Dannielynn), in cross examination finally got Vergie to admit that the last she knew, Anna Nicole wanted to be buried with the "Stars" in Hollywood. This is in direct contradiction to the reason Vergie is in court. She says that Anna Nicole wanted to be buried in Texas with her family.
• Vergie brought the courtroom to tears with her recounting of going to the Bahamas for Daniels birthday and being unable to find the grave and finally someone in the cemetery took pity on her and pointed to a grave with flowers on it. Vergie discovered that the flowers and the note were from Larry Birkhead!!
• Under cross examination from Krista Bath, Stern's Attorney, Vergie Arthur kept avoiding answering the question about wether she was paid $12,000 by Splash News for a video that Vergie made of a ceremony she held at the graveside of Daniel, Anna Nicole's son. Vergie kept deflecting the question by pointing at Stern and saying that Stern was the only one making any money from Anna Nicole's death. Judge Seidlin than asked that Bath produce some people from Splash News to testify as to wether Vergie Arthur was paid for the video.

Howard K. Stern takes the stand after the lunch break and then hopefully Larry Birkhead will have his chance to testify in this matter.

Mia and I have been sitting around with our mouths hanging open at Vergie Arthur's testimony. We think she is not telling the truth at all about not being paid for the video she took at Daniels graveside. This is just our opinion from what we have seen today. Time will tell, especially if the Splash News people can provide some evidence that contradicts Vergie.

UPDATE: Vergie Arthur admitted in court that her trip to the Bahamas was paid for by a third party. She went to the Bahamas with her sister in law and a friend of the family who works for Splash News. TMZ