Howard K. Stern

Howard K. Stern is the former attorney and lover of Anna Nicole Smith. He was initially noted as the father on the birth certificate of Dannielynn Smith, until Larry Birkhead was proved to be the father. Anna Nicole died of a prescription drug overdose in 2007.

Stern entered a not guilty plea on May 13, 2009, for charges that he and two doctors, Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich, provided Smith with thousands of illegal prescription medications. Attorney General Jerry Brown claims Stern was her "enabler" and the drugs Stern provided led to her fatal overdose.Los Angeles Times: Howard K. Stern Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charges

On Thursday, March 12, 2009, Stern and two of Anna Nicole's doctors were charged with felony conspiracy to provide a controlled drug to an addict.E! Online: Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Docs Charged...Drugs... (March 12, 2009) Stern, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich allegedly "excessively furnished thousands of prescription pills to Anna Nicole Smith, often for no legitimate medical purpose."E! Online: Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Docs Charged...Drugs... (March 12, 2009)

Attorney Krista Barth is representing Stern. Barth appeared on Larry King Live (which featured guest host Joy Behar) to discuss the case on March 13, 2009. During the interview, she insisted Stern will plead not guilty, and leveled criticism at the way District Attorney Jerry Brown was handling the case, which she felt was too open and public.CNN: Stern's lawyer: Attorney general is talking too much (March 14, 2009) Barth compared the case against Stern to the rape accusations against Duke lacrosse players made by D.A. Mike Nifong. Those charges were eventually discredited and led to Nifong's disbarment.CNN: Stern's lawyer: Attorney general is talking too much (March 14, 2009)

Stern first appeared in Smiths life when the firm he worked for handled her modeling contracts in the 1990's. Stern led her direct examination at the trial when she fought for the fortune of her late husband J. Howard Marshall. He then appeared alongside Smith in her reality show, seeming to provide support and guidance. The two announced that Smith was expecting their child in 2006 and on September 28, 2006, the two exchanged vows in an informal wedding ceremony on a boat in the Bahamas.ABC News: Anna Nicole Smith Left Tangled Legal Web (February 10, 2007)

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• 1968: Born November 29

• 2002: The Anna Nicole Show

• 2003: Wasabi Tuna