Jane Devin

Bonnie Stern was thrown into the glare of the public spotlight following the death of her brother Howard’s long-time companion, Anna Nicole Smith. Speaking not only in her brother’s defense, but also in Anna’s, Stern has proven to be a formidable opponent of those who would sensationalize tragedy for ratings or personal gain.

In speaking with her, I heard a woman who is still reeling with the pain of two unexpected deaths in one year, and the aftershocks caused by a whirlwind of tragedy, allegations and lawsuits. Strangers and distant acquaintances, crawling out of the most remote places, appeared on the scene almost immediately after Anna’s death and turned what should have been a time for grief and mourning for Howard K. Stern and family into a desperate struggle to stay afloat. With phones that never stopped ringing, and everyone from passerby’s to paparazzi ringing at the gate, the Stern family did what they could to batten the hatches and keep Dannielynn and Howard safe from intrusion. Newspapers covered the windows, three people covered the phones, and Bonnie guarded the gate, which photographers had attempted to mount cameras upon.

The only time Howard could properly mourn, Bonnie tells me, is when he visited the gravesights of Anna and Daniel. It was only there he could fully let out his grief and be alone with his pain.

As for the grief of the Stern family, it is deep and edged in bitterness. Like the rest of the world, they watched as television merged with tabloids, and wild speculations became leading stories. They knew what was being aired was not the truth, not even close to it, but the swell of ratings overcame any attempts at reason.

Bonnie, in particular, was pained by what was being said, not only about her brother but about Anna, whom she had grown close to during the two years the Anna Nicole Show was being filmed. It was during that time that Anna opened up to Bonnie and revealed some of her darkest and most hidden secrets, including the abuse she suffered as a child.
Bonnie felt protective of Anna even then, but perhaps more so now that Anna is gone, and not able to defend herself. When faced with a tell-all book of rehashed tabloid stories and unbridled guesswork, promoted by an estranged half-sister who knew next to nothing about Anna, it is understandable that Bonnie’s big sister side would come out swinging, to defend the Anna she knew and loved. I got to know a little of that big sister when interviewing Bonnie regarding her experience with Donna Hogan on the Dr. Phil show.

JANE: Bonnie, are you aware that Phoenix, the publisher of Train Wreck, asked the producers not to air the pre-recorded show? What are your thoughts on that?

BONNIE: Yes, I am aware of that…they threatened to sue me. They accused me of reading the book prior to release which was not true.

JANE: Did you and Donna Hogan have an opportunity to speak off-air? If so, what was your impression?

BONNIE: No, her producers were fuming after the interview and screaming at her in the lot while we were 10 feet away waiting for our car… My name came up in conversation while we were there. I think they were talking about how I supposedly got a hold of the book and what to do about it.

JANE: My understanding is that Hogan was working on the book with Stacy Brown prior to Daniel’s death, and that Brown did not have a publisher and was shopping the manuscript. After Anna’s death, Phoenix Books expressed an interest and brought Harriet Tiefenthlaer (a respected talent) on as writer. Presently, “Train Wreck” is #62 on Amazon’s bestseller list. Do you believe this book would have been published at all if it weren’t for the tragedies of the past year?

BONNIE: No, it probably would not have been picked up by a publisher if not for the tragedies. It is a book based on tabloid info with no first hand knowledge, and I think that a publisher would be afraid of a lawsuit if Anna were alive. This book is trash based on tabloid stories that have never been verified and have no credible basis. Anna knew when Donna was writing the book, and she said to me in May that she never met her half-sister. (She was never aware of who she was when she signed her calendar at a calendar signing event - the only picture of the two together in her book). She told me that someone she didn’t know at all was writing a book when she didn’t even know her.

JANE: Train Wreck includes pictures of Anna’s old drivers’ licenses and excerpts from diaries — the same items that went up for Ebay auction in March from Universal Rarities. The cosignors, according to UR, were a former bodyguard and business manager. Claims are that these items were taken from Anna’s trash. Do you, or does Howard, believe those claims? Would Anna have thrown away her diaries?

BONNIE: Anna had a ranch in Texas that was broken into and Howard told me those diaries were taken from that ranch. She would never have thrown away her diaries-anyone who knew her knew that they were sacred to her.

JANE: Cindy Adams, gossip columnist, said that she was interviewing Hogan’s Phoenix Books editor when he got a call about these items. She said she was present when the items were shown to the editor. Do you find it odd that the auctioneers would have known about “Train Wreck”? What are your thoughts about the inclusion of these items in the book?

BONNIE: I would find this totally odd under straight circumstances … There is so much corruption behind everything that nothing is really as we see it. There is so much money going around . . . nothing surprises me.

JANE: Regarding the Texas family, Hogan claims that the father she shared with Anna was a child molester. It has also been reported that Hogan’s sister Amy was homeless for a time, and that Anna’s half brother Donald Hart, Jr. spent six years in prison for kidnaping and terrorizing a paraplegic woman. This, along with Virgie Arthur’s own history (first child at 15, mother of three by 20, grandmother by 34, and five marriages), would seem to indicate a highly dysfunctional family pattern. Hogan claims that she does not fit that pattern. Do you believe the book she wrote is indicative of being out of, or in, that dysfunctional mold?

BONNIE: I believe that this book was written out of jealousy. All of her family was jealous of her money . . . I was around when her cousin was constantly asking away after Anna had just paid for several things, including dental work to fix her teeth.. Virgie’s history is accurate for sure (based on research and records). I don’t know about the others. I can’t imagine with all that is showing up on this family that there could be anyone who’s not dysfunctional.

JANE: Lastly, Hogan has said that Virgie Arthur “protected Anna” from abuse. What does Hogan claim to know of Donald Hart, Anna’s stepfather? And does it seem likely that a stepbrother as violent as Donald Hart, Jr. would not have also been violent at home?

BONNIE: Anna told me about the horrible things her brother and stepfather had done to her. It started when she was pretty young and went on until she left the house. She also told me that Virgie knew about it all, and went into great detail about her relationship with her mother and what she did to her also. I don’t know much about Hogan except he left when Anna was two and Anna tried to reconcile with him during her Playboy era however it didn’t work out.

Presently, Virgie Arthur is in “talks” with Larry Birkhead to ensure she has a role in the life of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, Dannielynn. Hogan seems to have temporarily left the speaking circuit, but her book remains #62 on Amazon’s top seller list. My article on “Train Wreck” follows.