Guide Note: Publicist David Hans Schmidt sold and distributed scandalous videos, photos and audio tapes, including celebrity sex tapes, via his website, HansNews.com. He committed suicide on September 28, 2007 while under house arrest, having plead guilty to extorting money from actor Tom Cruise. Fast Facts:

Born May 27, 1960 in Rochester, Minnesota
Had planned to extort $1 million from Cruise in exchange for stolen wedding photos
Nickname: "The Sultan of Sleaze"
Had attempted to sell Paris Hilton's diary
Released the Tonya Harding wedding night video

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Tabloids | Celebrity Gossip | Deaths | Suicides | Crime | Criminals

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David Hans Schmidt

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: HansNews.com
National Ledger: David Hans Schmidt Commits Suicide: Tom Cruise Extortionist Dead (September 29, 2007)
AZ Central: "Controversial publicist dead after apparent suicide" (September 28, 2007)
Associated Press: Guilty Plea Expected in Cruise Extortion (August 30, 2007)
Jossip: David Hans Schmidt category
TMZ.com: Screech Sex Tape Preview (2006)
NNDb: David Hans Schmidt profile

David Hans Schmidt News and Gossip

TMZ.com: Controversial Publicist Found Dead (September 29, 2007)
Dlisted: I'm Sorry For Every Bad Thing I Said About You, Scientology (September 29, 2007)
Associated Press: Man in Cruise Extortion Plot Found Dead (September 29, 2007)
BBC News: Guilty plea in Cruise photo case (August 31, 2007)
Phoenix New Times: Feathered Bastard: David Hans Schmidt, uh, I mean Schmuck (July 26, 2007)
The Blemish: Dear God no! (2006)
Rochester Magazine: TomKat, the Feds, and David Hans Schmidt
Defamer: David Hans Schmidt category
USAToday.com: Articles about David Hans Schmidt
Google Blog Search: David Hans Schmidt

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