Pt. 6 - Complacency & Condemnation
Jun 5th, 2007 by Jane Devin
Complacency is an inherently human trait, falling somewhere between convenience, faith and habit. It’s the 90 mph breakneck speed on a barren stretch of highway, the child momentarily left in the tub while a phone is answered, and the unlocked bar in a home shared with a curious teenager. Most of the time, the speeder makes it home safely, the child splashes happily, and the teenager does not die of alcohol poisoning.
When tragic accidents occur, complacency comes under particularly heavy scrutiny. As individuals we may silently question our own, but in the public arena there’s a tendency to quickly judge others as unfit. Blame them. Even despise them. Assuring ourselves and others that this or that bad thing would never happen to us because we are more careful, more vigilant, and not as lazy or irresponsible.
It’s not exactly schaudenfrade, but its distant cousin condemnation. In condemning others for their complacency, we seek a definitive reason for tragedy, and usually one that makes our own seem less dangerous. In the case of Daniel and Anna Nicole Smith, much of the media and public condemned Howard K. Stern for a complacency he played only a minor role in.
The swig from the bottle of chloral hydrate was, by all accounts, not Anna’s first. For Anna, drugs had long been a staple and a crutch, documented as far back as her stripping days, but perhaps even longer. Surgeries brought physical pain, and there was a history of seizures, depression, and weight issues, but drugs appear to have been taken as much out of habit than for actual physical problems.
The complacency of doctors who either treated Anna for various ailments, or simply wrote her scrips on demand, contributed to Anna’s tragic end, but if it weren’t Kapoor and Ehrosovich, it very likely would have been others. Celebrity buys what it wants, and there’s always someone willing to take the money or the prestige of being aligned with the famous.
The complacency of those who surrounded Anna, including Howard K. Stern, is better understood in the context of who Anna was — an adult woman. Stubborn. Opinionated. The boss. She seems to have had a reflexive tendency to disconnect from those she viewed as being “against” her, and it looks like questioning her use of drugs may have put people in that category. Howard’s testimony that he and Daniel talked to Anna about her drug use seems credible. They talked, perhaps more than we know, but in the end found themselves unable to sway a woman who had her own strongly held convictions, no matter how wrong-minded.
There were prescriptions in Howard K Stern’s name, as well as fake names and purportedly in at least one of Anna’s employees names in the past. Celebrity, leaning on its want for security and privacy, allowed for the circumvention of normal standards. It allowed or demanded that those around Anna would be used as buffers; protective go-between’s from doctor to patient.
It’s going 90mph and never meeting real tragedy that allows one to justify their speed, and the speeder’s friends and families to be lulled into a false sense of security. It’s using drugs over a period of years with little consequence that allows the user and those around them to share a sense of complacency.
Complacency played a role in Anna Nicole Smith’s death, and most likely her son Daniel’s as well. There was a comfort level with drugs and their effects that helped bring about two tragic endings.
Condemnation of this complacency was thrown into the public’s lap. A particularly rabid tabloid media wanted a fall guy and pinned blame, as well as false charges, on Howard K. Stern. By way of his education, sobriety, and steady place in the family, Stern was assumed to have had the means and the power to exorcise Anna Nicole’s demons — to keep her safe not only from lawsuits, but from personal tragedy, the excesses of physicians, and her own negligence. Somehow, he was supposed to be a chemist, aware of drug interactions. A warden, a counselor, a controller, a psychic, and a healer. Somehow, the media told us, he should have known where all this was heading — he should have prevented it.
But he was just a man after all. Grief-stricken. Fallible. In love. Human. Perhaps it was right to question him, but to condemn him as the tabloid media did was not only unjust but many times extraordinarily cruel.
This is great!
Jane,
Great article. You write what exactly what I want to say but do not have the talent to put in words.
JANE, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK. JUST LIKE A CANVAS…YOU PAINT A PICTURE THROUGH WORDS..I BET YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT “WRITERS BLOCK” ? j
LOL, Jimi. My writer’s block is often a mile or five long, but eventually I make the trek. Thanks to you and the other contributors who are a wonderful source of inspiration and encouragement. - Jane
Once again, Jane,
Great work!
Jane,
This is my first time posting on your site and I must commend you. Eloquent and well put are the words that come to mind. Wonderful insight. Exactly the way I thought , however you are better with words.
Since the trial over the determining where to bury Anna ,I have been rivetted with the outcome. I watched the trial sitting at my computer at work with a headset glued to my ears. Yes, I still completed my job assignments:) However, I was screaming inside at the ignorant comments and disparaging remarks made to and about Howard. He placed himself in the public eye to defend what he knew would have made Anna happy and he was ridiculed mercilessly for it.
They spoke of Anna as she was nothing but an empty shell with no flesh and bone but stuffing and Howard pulled and maneuvered her wherever he wanted. Well not the Anna I saw . She was head strong , she was opinionated, she was stubborn, she WAS THE BOSS. In additon to that she was funny, she was caring and easy to see why she was likeable. Easy to see also that deep beyond the surface that there were greater things being fought. I loved her and I did not personally know her. Her personality and likeliness was infectious and I wished she had conquered those giants. She surpassed them but, she needed to conquer and eliminate them.
Jane,
You’re such a great writer. It’s always something thought provoking, heart touching and soul searching to be found on your site. I think everyone that’s posted on this board has gotten something positive out of your words, that can be applied to their own lives. Your words seem to really sound out loud. They make you think about everything in life, and raise many questions about oneself. I truly think it is a blessed talent from God.
great article
Wonderful, Jane! I believe you hit the nail on the head.
Jane-
Words never come very easy for me…I am so glad they do for you. You are an awesome writer. Thank you for sharing your writing with me. I enjoy and appreciate it.
Vanessa
So true Jane. The layperson would expect Howard as an attorney to have the handle of control on everything that Anna Nicole was involved in.
As time goes by, I see not a controller but a pacifist. Someone that could manage a career, and even revive a career and at the same time perform the legal duties that would keep busy a person taking care of Anna Nicole Smith.
But when it came to advising Anna Nicole about her personal life and drug usage, no one was telling ANS what to do and would have hit the curb airborne attempting to do so.
And that is probably why she lives on, only in our minds today.
Jane,
This is the one I had been waiting for and it was certainly worth it. Your words evoke passion and compassion. They compel the reader to think real hard. I am an avid reader of your pieces of work.
Jane, I don’t know how you do it, but am sure glad you do. Thank you for another great article. I am so glad you wrote about Howard.
Linda
PA
That was a fantastic read, Thank you.
Jane I love reading your Articles…you make the picture so clear…a great piece of work…Thank you for all you do…
Dear Jane:
Your series of articles have been thought provoking and have brought a lot of soul searching in our own lives. Your writing has inspired us to re-examine the truth in this very sad saga. Another great piece.
Jane, I would like to thank you for your wonderful writing and hard work you are truly a classy lady. I look forward to many more interesting articles about the journey of life.
F A N T A S T I C ! ! ! !
Very well said… BRAVO.
Lyndal
Thank you for the insightful article. What I think many people may not know is that Anna’s problems may have begun when she started taking “benzos”–a group of commonly prescribed drugs including valium, ativan and klonopin (usually for anxiety.)
These drugs are highly addictive after even short-term use and cause seizures if stopped abruptly. It seems likely that’s how she developed a seizure problem.
Benzos are almost impossible for people to withdraw from after they have been on them for a while, and the drugs put people in a state of tolerance withdrawal which usually results in more drugs prescribed and missed diagnosed medical problems. As well as emotional instability. They are harder to stop than heroin, according to medical literature.
Some people can’t function well even as they taper down the dose of drugs. For example, 3mg of ativan is equal to 60mg of valium and takes 2 years or so to taper off safely without central nervous system damage.
The way Anna behaved on her show was indicative of long-term benzo use, especially when compared to tapes of the younger Anna. She slurred her words, moved slowly, put on weight. This was the class of drugs Stevie Nicks was on and speaks about so often. There is a youtube video where she discusses these difficulties and mentions Anna Nicole, as she believes that could have been her…
If I had million dollars to bet, I would say the “benign” minor tranquilizers altered Anna’s personality, changed the course of her life and were the root cause of her death. I think she was determined to have a good life and would have, but the drugs determined a different course. Sadly, most patients are never informed of the problems associated with these drugs until an unwitting dependency has already developed. More education about prescriptions drugs is needed for all.
Laurel, you seem to understand a lot about these drugs, I heard Stevie Nix talk some about them as well
I have a question for you, do these drugs alter your personality, make you some one you really are not? I am trying to understand why Anna was not always honest to the public. It is not in disrespect, it is to understand.
these drugs sound very scary
Do they alter your personality? Do they make you a different person?
I hope whomever is monitoring your site on Howard’s behalf is aware of all the excellent knowledge each person is contributing, and most of all you, and your tireless insight, Jane.
I’m curious if anyone feels that Howard was culpabe for anything more than complacency and benign accommodation? Does it matter to anyone that he was an active participant in the decision to abscond to the Bahamas to deprive a natural father of his paternity rights? Does a respectable lawyer whose client has been threatened with a custody battle because of rampant drug use act in his client’s best interest or her baby’s best interest when his advice is to leave the country and declare himself the father, thereby ensuring that the mother can continue her drug use and her maternal rights won’t be challenged? Forget that he’s a LAWYER and ask if a respectable man would take part in such a scam. Is the morality bar so low that we can cut slack because it makes for such an appealing fairy tale love story, despite the fact that there was little evidence that a romantic relationship even existed. Ten years into a friendship/business/housemate arrangement is not when you’d suddenly develop a romantic and sexual attraction. Not to mention that few women are turned on by a subservient, fawning male who is financially dependent on the woman for all his needs, even a pair of shoes, as Howard pointed out in court. Anna wasn’t sooo famous that she needed 24/7 legal assistance. Many A-listers don’t even need their own private lawyer and Anna wasn’t in such huge demand that Howard couldn’t have been more self-sufficient with the law degree he’d earned. (And if you say she was always getting sued, perhaps she wasn’t getting very good advice to begin with) I still wonder if after years of loyal servitude there might not have been some undercurrent of resentment, a common psychological side effect of total dependency on another. I think the inquest into Daniel will shed more light on what is still a very murky psychodrama. Was I the only one who found selling the rights to Daniel’s funeral a show of poor character on both their parts? Yes, we’re all guilty of complacency and we all condemn at times unfairly, but I really think that Howard was to Anna what Alberto Gonzalez is to Bush. Someone whose friendship and lust for a particular lifestyle and stature causes them to forsake honesty and integrity to appease the friendship and justify their existence. Because if you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be there for long. So he might be a great guy who occasionally sold out for personal gain or friendship, or he might be an angry, devious person who was tired of being taken for granted and thus enacted a plan which would enrich him and liberate himself at the same time. Either scenario is possible, isn’t it?
Alison, your post it was really good
It does concern me and it was about the fairy tale, the love story…it was not real.
love the part about the advise, seems like Larry is going to fall into the same trap
anything is possible with this group, but most probable it was a drug overdose
Alison, I think you ask some very valid questions, and some that are on my short list to address soon. The question of enacting a plan, though, is one I find off the mark. There’s simply no evidence, circumstantial or otherwise.
When I said “fallible”, “human” — I meant there were things that occured that were mistakes. I want to talk about some of those, and about the “fairy tale” versus the reality.
As for Anna’s drug use? I think that tragic habit was hers to bear, and her doctors only made it worse.
Howard didn’t come up with the idea of ‘absconding’ to the Bahamas. FS or GBT did. They said so at the Florida trial. Anna went there first, Howard followed.
Anna was the one who wanted Larry out of her life, not Howard.
Howard is pretty much guilty of one thing and that is being too good of a friend, if that is possible!
Clare, is that possible to be to good of a friend? I suppose the question is how to define a friend
I also ask how to define what is a mothers love
please these are just questions and in no way are intended to sound agressive
I wish to voice my opinion and here it is: Howard is not a greedy person. It is like he fell in molasses and was unable to disentangle himself. Many people can clearly see what Howard should have done, while in their own private life, they may be stuck in a similar, torturous relationship. I believe Anna led him on and he stuck around waiting for her to finish sowing her oats and accept him. That explains the reason he “barged” in on Larry and Anna when they were being intimate. By doing that, Howard was making it clear to Anna that since she obviously let him know she wanted him, it was time to stop the games and boot out other men, namely Larry. Instead of making demands, he was saying loud and clear: “Larry, get out!” It was Anna’s house and if she really did not want one or the other there, she would have kicked the person out. Anna was not shy.
After all Howard went through, Anna finally decided to choose him, and once that choice was made, it must have been a tremendous relief, though short lived. Some men will do anything FOR a woman while other men will do anything TO a woman. Anna had both.
Concerning her mother, holding up Anna’s funeral, filling up Anna’s grave and walking on it sent a powerful message to Howard, for whom the show was created. I see Anna’s mother as a piranha feeding on Howard because while Anna was alive, she did not allow her mother to feed on her. Howard has suffered degradation, humiliation, he has been beaten to a pulp, and has had his baby torn from him. I say HIS baby because Anna wanted it that way, he accepted it, loved the baby dearly and he protected that baby. All that protection went out of the windown once that baby left Howard’s care. Now it is the baby who has the responsibility to provide a comfortable life for her new family.
It is a woman who always takes care of her reproductive system and most women take that responsibility seriously. Unless a man has a vasectomy, reproduction is not his problem; therefore, a man should not have ANY say unless he is already married to the woman who conceives. Once conception takes place, an unmarried woman has the right to make any decision whatsoever concerning her future.
I don’t understand why so many are now having doubts about Howard. He and Anna were together, they were a team. Others came and went but Howard was always there. Anna wanted him there and he wanted to be there for her. He did not stay just for the good times -he stayed (good and bad)
until the end. Maybe we complicate matters and have question when we should just leave it alone and accept the fact that these two people seem to need each other and the relationship lasted longer, and seemed stronger, than a lot of marriages. Anna did seem to have major problems and I continue to believe that Howard did his very best. Anna was lucky to have him in her life. I have always supported him and I sincerely hope that nothing I might learn about him will change my mind. I love this site and try to read all the posts but I am lost and can’t understand what has happened - what has changed - what is going on?
Before I am reminded that it is not fair for a man to be required to provide for his child while the mother “absconds” with the baby, be assured I know what I am saying. My ex-husband went out of the picture when my babies were one and two years old. He did not provide for them nor did he keep in touch with them; however, when my daughter became a flight attendant, my ex who lives in another country, suddenly felt the need to write to my daughter. She was not interested in reading that letter. It was “filed” away.
Anne:
I am taking it upon myself to put in my two cents.
From what I understand, it seems that perhaps Jane was reprimanded for trying so hard to unearth the goodness that is buried in this Anna mess. So instead of us learning what we were hoping to learn, we will just have to wait for Jane to tell us in short parts what has gone on and we will just have to wait to read it once Jane posts it. We will have to wring our hands while waiting for the next chapter.
THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING JANE AND FOR SPEAKING YOUR TRUTH. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. HOWARD WAS NO SAINT, BUT A GOOD MAN. HE WAS IN LOVE WITH ANS. HE WAS VERY LOYAL TO HER. I AM SICK TO DEATH OF THE VERBAL ABUSE HE HAS ENDURED. DO I AGREE WITH EVERY THING HE DID? NO! BUT COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHERS WHO SAID THEY CARED…. WELL, IT LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED. THE SITUATION WAS DISFUNCTIONAL, NO DOUBT. BE IT IS TO LATE FOR SHOULD HAVE. THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE JANE. SHE IS TRYING HARD TO SORT THIS OUT.J
Anne I’m with you..it seems that people are turning on a dime… Howard and Anna didn’t just become initament
since they went to the Bahamas… Howard stated on the stand that this was going on since 2000 and they decided to keep it a secret because of him being her Lawyer and not telling to many people about the relationship…
Can we all imagine what would have been said if it had got out to the MEDIA PUBLIC…that they were in a relationship…IMHO Howard loved her with everything in him and she loved him to…
as far as these questions that keep coming up..we all
have a right to an opinion…but.. to change a real honest Opinion.. that someone you adore one day… and then completly change the next is something I’m not quite understanding… even though we all have that right I guess…
HKS went into that Flordia Court Room to fight for the woman he loved and to protect her wishes…and some of the questions that was posed to him by the Judge was down right rude …but yet Howard had to answer no matter how much he tried to get out of answering the Judge forced him to, he was only there because he had to fight to get her buried in a plot that Anna bought and paid for which should have never been an issue to start with.
I think HKS has held himself up under the presure of the Media and kept himself honorable…Anna would be so proud of him he protected her in life…. and now he is protecting her in death…
If only people would let him do his job…Again this is MOO
This is my response to anyone who resents or feels it unfair to say that too little is known about Howard to draw conclusions,one way or the other,at this stage. Being that none of us has the ability to read all that is in the heart or mind of another, we are limited to very little actual knowledge of what Howard and Anna were like behind closed doors.There have been very conflicting accounts by people within the inner circle, some very favorable to Howard and some highly unfavorable. The Anna and Howard romance seems to be very questionable, both by close friends and associates (ones not affiliated with the paternity suit), and it really only surfaced when Howard and Anna needed to defend his name on the birth certificate. That’s why I can’t accept the phrase “in love” to describe Howard’s relationship with Anna, a term usually used in love’s earliest stage of romantic infatuation and emotional intensity. I can accept the likeliness that they both felt love for each other and were mutually dependent on what the other provided. From most accounts Howard probably wished it could have been more. I don’t know if Howard’s seeming jealousy for Larry was rooted in his own feelings for Anna or if he felt his position in her life was being threatened by someone who might marry her and render him out of the picture. Again, who knows what went on his heart or mind? People can feel love and hatred and anything in-between for the same person in different situations and dependency can surely breed anger and resentment.
As for “is he greedy”? It would help if he left a house he has no right to be in. As for Howard “protecting Anna in life and in death”, that’s a wonderful Harlequin sounding phrase but without knowing fully whether he simply facilitated her drug use at her request and acted as the compliant bagman, I’m not sure that qualifies as protection. Did he purposely over-medicate her in the hotel room and leave to purchase a boat? I would hope not, but I don’t know. My last thought to those who refuse to consider all possibilities is this: If YOUR daughter and grandson had both died suddenly and within months of each other, with only one person common in each instance, would you be so quick to settle for the “oh, what a tragic love story” theme, or would you demand a lot more information than has so far been provided? I would have a thousand questions left.
Alison, interesting
I don’t think it is so much turning on a dime as much as looking at all prospectives. I was totally consumed with defending him against the media I dismissed to many behaviors and gut feelings
Pollyne,
I agree with you. There are so many so called shrinks posting here until it’s unbelievable.
Jane
I think there is more truth to this story then some people want to believe. Anybody that watched the Anna Nicole Show could see what a strong opinionated woman she was. Bravo on another well written article.
MARY IN YOUR POST #18 WHEN YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT ANNA DRUGS AND THE USE OF THEM YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY SHE WAS NOT HONEST ABOUT THEM JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS IN THE PUBLIC EYE DOESNT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW EVERY PILL SHE TAKE OR FOR WHAT IT IS FOR . THAT WOULD BE LIKE THE LAW COMMING INTO YOUR HOUSE AND TELLING YOU LETS ME SEE YOUR MED FOR NO REASON AT ALL , ANNA MED WERE HER OWN NOT OUR TO LOOK AT WHEN EVER ER FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO THAT IS NOT FOR US IT SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITHIN HER FAMILY OR MOST INNER CIRCLE WHICH MEANS HOWARD ,DOCTORS AND ANNA , NOT US WE SHOULD NOT BE IN HER MEDICINE CHEST TO ME THAT IS MINE AND MINE ONLY
No I meant why she told us larry birkhead was dilusional about being the dad
I was wondering if the medications you were talking about made a person not honest
Most certainly her meds were her business, I was just wondering about these meds you brought up
did she believe that herself or was she tricking us
if she was tricking and if hks knew the truth how can i believe any thing they say? I would like to know how to do that can you give me an answer
PS I don’t need caps
I agree with Allison and Maryst. Also,it will be very reveling to know ,first, under whose name is the boat,who was the previous owner and how much was paid for it? Second,under whose name are the corporations that Anna had? {They are suppose to be on her name only}.Third, where is Daniel’s trust? How much is in it? Where does it goes to? Where is his and Anna’s money from the movie they produced? Where is Dannielin trust and how much is there? Where are her jewels? When is her daughter going to receive her personal things?
IMHO, I don’t think anyone tells everything about themselves to the world. We can call it lying or whatever. Only two people actually knows what went on behind closed doors with Anna and Howard. One is gone on and the other one does not feel the need to broadcast his personal life to the world. Why are some of us so interested in sleezy intimate details of other people’s lives? One poster mentioned that when Larry and Anna were being intimate or whatever, Howard would burst in. That is Larry’s version of things. How do we know that actually happened? There have been many different things said, but do we know if they’re true? He said, she said, they said, what is the real truth? Different people have said Howard knew Dannielynn wasn’t his, How do they know. You know, no one has brought up the fact that perhaps Dannielynn wasn’t a full term baby. Think about it.
Alison and Maryst,
I am a neutral party here since I was never a fan of Anna Nicole’s and I have no allegiance to any party in this saga. Your posts are interesting but there is a flip side.
Why is it not possible for Anna and Howard to have been intimate? You mention the inner circle not being aware . Kim Walther witnessed their intimacy ( I can try to find the link where I read this). Besides people don’t have sex with friends and associates watching or in the bedroom with them. Why would Howard perjure himself just to cover a hoax only to hand the baby over a few months later? As a lawyer (who knew he no longer had financial assistance from Anna because of her death) why would he risk losing his liicense for ethical violations? As a lawyer he knew the courts were going to rule handing over the baby’s DNA. An e-mail from Larry to Anna was presented in court. In this e-mail he mentions the names of several people Anna was unfaithful with. Is it not possible that Anna did not know for sure who the father was? During Larry’s and Anna’s break-up in December it has been alleged she was intimate with G. Ben Thompson. Is it not possible she was also intimate with Howard? Was he to line them up and hand the baby’s DNA sample to anyone claiming to be the father?
The accusations that Howard purposely over-medicared Anna and gave pills to Daniel doesn’t make sense to me. There were medically licensed friends and personnel at both scenes. It’s absurd to think that he would try to kill them with the possibility they would be revived and reveal the truth. Do you really think Anna would have stayed with Howard if she believed he was involved in his death?
I do believe Howard loved Anna and I also believe in innocent until proven guilty. Don’t you?
EJ,
How do we know Howard knew he wasn’t the father? Very simple. He did everything he could to avoid supplying the baby’s DNA to be checked against Larry’s. Even if Howard might have conceived Dannielynn, he could have privately and anonymously had her DNA tested with his. If he did, he knew from that point he wasn’t the father, and if he didn’t it was because he knew he wasn’t the father to begin with. I’m not interested in the sleazy, intimate details of anyone’s life, and I’m not a shrink for sure, but I do believe in looking beyond the surface and just accepting someone’s word at face value. I’m a methodical Capricorn which is why all of the gauzy romantic take just wasn’t sufficient for me. I like analyzing known facts and behavior patterns as a basis for rooting out the truth.
well it is hard to be understood that is for sure, most of my comments are questions and not set in stone
I ask were these meds the cause of lies
Anna clearly said on et Larry Birkhead was diluisional
I asked if indeed they told us lies how does one believe any thing that they say
IMO Howard knew the baby was not his, it seem quite obvious at the body hearing
I have asked other questions but no one seems to care that at the body hearing he interjected the marshall case and his eye never seemed to loose the ball
I did not even bring the meds up I am just trying to understand the effects of these meds
Just because Howard didn’t dance to everybody’s music, doesn’t mean he knew he wasn’t the father. Sometimes, the harder you push a person, the harder they push back. Remember, Howard was with Anna in SC in December, which since the baby was born on Sept.7, he probably thouught it was his since he had made love to her. Larry was with her in January. So do the calculation.
okay what ever you want to believe
Actions speak louder than words in my book
A.P.
I don’t think I said it was impossible, I said it was questionable that they developed a romantic relationship. I don’t think Howard perjured himself by declaring himself as the baby’s father, because legally, by Bahamian standards he was considered the legitimate father. With Anna dead who could ever disprove his claim of a sexual relationship anyway? Yes, there might have been other people who could have fathered the baby but Howard could have tested his biological paternity from the beginning, and in the end it was who Anna thought it was after all. If Anna thought Howard was the father she would never have had to move to the Bahamas. It was because she knew he wasn’t that they chose that specific country with its lenient interpretation of Father that protected her from being hounded by Larry in the US. I said I don’t know if Howard might have had a hand in Anna’s or Daniel’s death, and no, I don’t think Anna would have stayed with Howard if she suspected he did have a hand in it. But there was that quote by the nurse of Anna shouting “you did this” at Howard. The trauma and large amounts of medication she was on afterward could have also made her thoughts and memories more malleable. Perhaps if her mind were clearer she would have thought Entertainment Tonight wasn’t the best marketing idea for an occasion as somber as your child’s funeral.
I don’t accuse Howard of wrongdoing but I do consider it an ongoing mystery with a number of possible explanations.
Jane , my apologies first and foremost for the long post, but I felt the need to express my opinion.
Alison and whomever it concerns, I have been thinking of how to respond to the overbearing comments directed to disuade and cast a negative shadow to a MAN we all do not know. From reading the comments, I don’t think they cared to know or want to understand “Who Howard really is”.
Everyone here has opinions and that is OK. I have processed the informations as well and do not take things at face value either. I see it entirely different than the way you do. Why is it so hard to believe that they could have ever been intimate ? The so called inner circle was not apart of Anna’s inner circle at all. The 3 closest people to her were Daniel, Howard and Kimmie. She had other acquaintances. I just find it hard that people can be so negative and insensitive and then wonder why the headlines in the news repeats itself. Anna IS still famous that is why we still discuss her today. The fact that you knew her name and felt the need to comment keeps her in the light. She was unselfish, likeable, caring, head strong, hurt and taken advantage of. Quit trying to expand the negative things and try focusing on the positive things in her life. She found a friend in Howard. I’m sure the relationship did not begin that way. People come into our lives for a time and for a season. The time that they shared is and was a lesson to them both. We can take those lessons and learn to grow from it. It is sad that Anna was not able to fully conquer the inner hurts , and it sure does not help anyone famous or not so well known that is currently struggling with issues that is too much for them and have insensitive, uncaring ,quick to pass judgement people throwing there comments carelessly around and not knowing what the added hurt this brings. I feel sorry for you that you cannot step away from the situation for a minute realize that 2 people loss their lives. There is a child that will one day look at this and have to grow and excel pass this in order to not repeat or be swallowed up by the very thing that her mom and brother fought so hard to overcome. Howard is still a MAN that has stood in the face of adversity ,still fighting today in this sea of hatred directed to create a rip tide that they hope he will to be able to outswim. He knows and lived it . Just because he will not give in the public scrutiny and sell tickets to see inside his world does not make him guilty or any less capable of the affection and love of another. I pray above all things that God will encamp his ANGELS round about Howard and be his COMFORT and GUIDE . He needs it and I pray that you will find peace and unconditional love and hope in your life and thoughts. Aim to raise hope and a will to live and love. Why is it so hard to commend him for the good he did.
The fairy tale comparison is so far from it as this was not a happy ending.
He stood by a woman that was abused , taken advantage of, misunderstood, loved her son unconditionally. She asked the person she trusted the most to watch over her child/children and entrusted their LIVES well being and care to. And you question her judgments ? I’m sure she made that choice because of what Howard meant to her . Not because Of the money because he already proved to her that money was not paramount.
So she bought him shoes and paid his bills. He worked for her although you may not think so. When you love someone, that is not important. Love is joy, it’s not selfish, it does not hurt, it’s unselfish. We are all responsible as adults for ourselves and we will be judged by God based on our actions not the actions of others.
Thanks Lee, I couldn’t have said it better.
and here we go round and round
I personally think it is good to ask questions and not to believe with blinders on
especially when the ones you have stood up for have told you lies
#50, I don’t know what actions you’re talking about. I hope you know these things for a fact. But, no one can say what Howard knew or didn’t know unless he tells them himself. I will say that I believe he was in a position to think that he was the father due to the timing, but the time doesn’t pan out for a full term baby.
I remember an interview with Kimmie after Anna died she was asked about Howard and Anna having a sexual relationship. Kimmie replied yes, that they did. She also chuckled why I dont know for sure. I chalk it up as perhaps because their relationship was that of a kinky one.
I am not going to debate about this subject, I have put to much into it, I once stood firm in my support for HKS, it is time to reflect
I was so focused on what the media did I pushed to much of my instincts and moral aside
Also, I don’t even know who I am debating any more, there is a media machine at work and it wants to improve HKS imagine. I am sure Larry is on board and won’t even listen to Larry King when he comes on, it is all media spin.
I will never push my morals aside for anything or anyone. My morals are fully in tact. I may not agree with how some one else lives his or her life, they may not agree with how I live mine. If we only liked perfect people,we wouldn’t like anyone, because there is no man under the SON that is perfect. We all have faults. There is no little or big sin. SIN is SIN. We may think our llife is on tract because we don’t have drugs, alcohol, etc. in it. But what else is happening in it that we don’t want others to know about? Mistakes are inevitable, everyone makes them at some time or another.Sometimes the consequences of these mistakes are far-reaching, even irrevrsible.But I am so grateful to the God of second chances.
DEAR FRIENDS, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE CAPS, I HAVE POOR EYESIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHT PROVOKING INSIGHT. I HAVE ENJOYED READING ALL OF YOU LETTERS . THERE ARE MANY THINGS ABOUT THIS SITUATION THAT JUST DON’T ADD UP… I TRUST MY GUT FEELINGS MORE. WHEN ANS WAS HOSPITALIZED DURING HER PREGNANY FOR DRUG DETOX…. AM I WRONG OR DID HKS [?] BRING A DUFFLE BAG FULL OF DRUGS TO HER ROOM???[ACCORDING TO LB] . WHEN A PATIENT IS IN DETOX… THE PERSON AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS ARE SEARCHED, RECORDED AND PLACED ON THEIR CHART. THIS IS A LEGAL MEDICAL DOCUMENT. WHEN A PATIENT UNDER GOES DETOX ,THEY ARE UNDER CLOSE MEDICAL SUPERVISION. ANY PERSON VISITING A PATIENT WITH ANY TYPE OF BAGS, PACKAGES, PERSONAL BELONGIINGS AND ECT.ARE SEARCHED AND RECORDED UNTIL THAT PATINT IS DISCHARGED… THIS IS TO ENSURE THE PATIENTS SAFETY AND TO PREVENT LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR THE TREATMENT FACULITY. NOW, THE POINT I AM MAKING IS THIS… IF HKS BROUGHT IN A “DUFFLE BAG FULL OF DRUGS” ,THEN THEN MEDICAL TREATMENT CENTER WAS NEGLIGENT FOR NOT SEARCHING HIM. LB WAS NEGLIGENT FOR NOT REPORTING IT, AND HKS WAS IRRESPONSIBLE AND NEGLIGENT FOR DOING IT. THEN , THERE IS FS AND HIS WIFE CLAIMING THAT ANS NEVER TOOK DRUGS WHILE SHE STAYED W/THEM..EXCEPT SOMETHING FOR SEIZURES AND ANTIANXIETY .A FEW WEEKS LATER, I SAW ANOTHER INTERVIEW W/THE FS’S AND THEIR HOUSE KEEPERS.. AND THEY SHOWED THE WORLD ALL THESE PILLS ANS SUPPOSELY LEFT IN HER ROOM. THEY ALSO STATED SHE WAS SO DRUGGED HER EYES WERE ROLLED BACK. I HAVE MANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS BOTTOM LESS PIT OF DIRT SLINGING… I AM VERY TIRED AND I HAVE WRITTEN WAY TO MUCH. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT MR. LB.. SOMETHINGS JUST DON’T ADD UP.J
Jimi,
you’re right. Some things don’t add up.
Alison,
In your comments it seems as if you have an ax to grind with Howard. I believe some of your statements and questions are well warranted.
But I do take issue with this statement.
1. Alison said,
June 6th, 2007 at 4:06 pm …”Does it matter to anyone that he was an active participant in the decision to abscond to the Bahamas to deprive a natural father of his paternity rights? Does a respectable lawyer whose client has been threatened with a custody battle because of rampant drug use act in his client’s best interest or her baby’s best interest when his advice is to leave the country and declare himself the father, thereby ensuring that the mother can continue her drug use and her maternal rights won’t be challenged? Forget that he’s a LAWYER and ask if a respectable man would take part in such a scam.”
I would have to agree with Clara on this:
1. Clare said,
June 6th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Howard didn’t come up with the idea of ‘absconding’ to the Bahamas. FS or GBT did. They said so at the Florida trial. Anna went there first, Howard followed.
You may want to look at the Florida trail transcript.
Howard was no saint but we have had Presidents who acted without morals or ethcis also. Why does being, as you say “a LAWYER” make that much difference.
The baby was delivered before her due date because ,it was said,that it was too big.That was a lie.We saw how much she suffered because the anesthetic did not work.I will like to see those ultrasounds and any test that was used to reach that conclusion Any way I think it was only about a week before her due date.
maryst, sorry if i have offend you i truly didnt mean to do that by any means
please accept my apolozie that was not my intent. i do caps for someone else i am sorry.
Jane , this is for you i truly didnt mean to cause any trouble ar hurt feeling here,i have posted twice today and both time i have i have hurt someone feeling . Let me say again I am truly sorry,because i didnt mean to do that .gagi
SORRY JIMI, I JUMPED TO ANOTHER ASSUMPTION, BEEN DOING THAT A LOT LATELY
JIMI, I WASN’T EVEN TALKING TO YOU ANY WAY IT WAS TO SOME ONE ELSE I AGREE WITH YOUR POST
ABOUT THE CAPS
SORRY GIGI, THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO USE TO ASSAULT ME WITH HER CAPS
THIS CASE HAS JUST ABOUT DROVE ME OUT OF MY MIND…REALLY…WAY TO MUCH THINKING ABOUT IT
HAS TO DO WITH MY OWN LIFE
MARYST, I DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE BEING MEAN..ONLY HUMAN. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED US. TAKE CARE FRIEND,J
Thanks
EJ, I am glad you morals are in tact. I was simply excusing to many behaviors I do not endorse and would counsel my own children and friends against.
Jane, I’ve read your insights for some time and wanted to post my gratitude for your ability to put some compassion into this story without erasing the realities. I admit to following ANS since her reality show on E! in the earlier days of my youth. If I’m to be honest I don’t know that I could refer to myself as a fan, as Anna’s lifestyle differed so much from mine, but more an admirer. Not because I wanted her life or any aspect of it, simply because I admired the outright “testicular fortitude” it took to live her life by her rules and her standards, outsiders and spectators be damned. Many of us walk through life afraid to tempt the fates or trouble the waters and miss out on what are life altering changes and joys. That wasn’t an issue for Anna, in fact she tempted the fates too much at times, and it ultimately lead to her demise.
I’m under no delusions that Anna and Howard part took in a fairytale. What I see are two very real, very fallible people doing what we all do. Trying to make the best out of the situation they’d been placed in. Whether that placement was of their own workings or the universe just had them stumble into it is moot, they were there and it was their’s to navigate. Anna was a deeply flawed woman, her upbring was deficient in many ways, which was apparently part of the sad cycle of abuse from generations before hers. While I don’t condone her lifstyle, nor would I willingly join it, I recognize that she was a product of her nature and her nurturing environment. As an adult she found crutches that made it easier to escape down the rabbit hole from reality. I don’t think she wanted to deal, I don’t think she wanted to truly ever grow up. I think she needed attention and love so desperately that she clung to it with a ferocity that ended up hurting her and those that loved her as much as it helped in the long run. For whatever reason she felt love could not be shared, nor could loyalty. Because of that I believe she demanded everything from those who did love her and it ended up inadvertently robbing them of who they were and were destined to become as they became “Anna”. Not in a literal sense but in the sense that their lives weren’t their own and an all consuming loyalty was a necessity. She demanded alot, which was probably a bi-product of not getting alot early on in development. At her core I do believe she was a good and decent human being, just misled and scared at the same time. I think at the time of her death she had been afforded some clarity. The woman who was emerging was riddled with guilt and grief, but much more aware of life and it’s fragileness. Given time she may have continued to evolve into what was a complete woman, then again maybe not. Daniel’s death could have been a momentary pause. I do believe that God makes no mistakes, and Anna did whatever she was placed here to do. As unfair as it seems to us, and as much as we can’t find the logic in it, we’re not supposed to. With all the drama and intentional lies spewed in the aftermath of her death, it’s still important to look at the good that has been done. People around the world are learning to legally protect themselves with up to date wills, people who’d been casual about prescription drug use are seeing the effects and either deciding to quit all together or at the very least re-examining it, mothers who hadn’t given the thought of prematurely leaving their children much consideration are securing the future of those children in writing. There is some good coming out of it, and even if it isn’t recognized by the media it’s more important and long standing than any new coverage could be.
As for Howard, I’ve come to the comclusion that Anna was the best and worst thing that could have happened to him. What I see is a man deeply mired in a bone deep sense of loyalty, to the exclusion of common sense and self -respect at times. I’m sure some of the fondest and most personal moments of pure bliss in his life were shared with Anna, like wise some of the most humiliating and frustating came from her as well. He conceded to things that, from what I have seen of him and his family, he would normally discourage. I think he fell into a co-dependent state of being with her. She had a predilection for the prescriptions and he had a predilection for saving her. It seems to me his value (in his mind) ceased to come from normal personal places and instead came from the amount of times he delivered Anna from whatever evil was plaguing her. He became Anna’s knight, and unfortunately it came at the expense of his sense of self and independence. I do think she loved him, and in the end I do think part of that sobriety about life was her taking stock and deciding she was done playing the games. So much had passed though, I wonder if those months were meant to be nothing more than a small fulfilling reward for Howard and his patience. In the end he did get the girl, at least what was left of the girl, but in my mind the girl didn’t really deserve him. She needed him, but she didn’t deserve him. That’s not a slam at Anna, as I said I admire her, but she came with one huge price tag. His job now, is to re-evaluate his life, and his values, and who he is and who he wants to be. I hope he stays the fiercely loyal man he is, but I hope he chooses who and what he’s loyal to more carefully. I hope he reconsiders what love makes acceptable and moves accordingly. Inspite of all the moves that maybe weren’t the smartest or the best, I have to commend him for his sense of integrity. That and that alone has set him apart from everyone else in this drama. DO, VA, LB, and the hordes of lawyers and journalist could all stand to rip that one page out of his book. Out of his many flaws, that is a far more important and redeeming quality that many in this world could stand to acquire.
I apologize for the length Jane, I just saw the platform and took the opportunity to use it.
No need for apologies at all — it was a beautifully written and brilliant post. Welcome! - Jane
AZLLISION, why do you and others keep talking about that house? howard is in there lawfully. shelly broke into the house took dannielynns paintings her mother painted for her. i read in one article, they could sell for at least a million. fair trade would’nt you say? and that house would not go to howard. that house would be dannielynns house. she deserves that house , for all the tall tales and euendos, he and g ben thompson have been spreading around. and hen recanting some. they deserve to get a kick in tthe pants. the Best one shely told .was they went in the house to secure things, not snop, but shelly says when they went in the refridgerator door was open, thats when he sau and took a pic of the meth,, sure it was open shelly sure
maryst,
Good post. It’s never good to excuse bad behaviors under any circumstances. But, just because someone doesn’t live by our standards, doesn’t make them bad people. There could have been things going on in lives that we’re not privy to and some people don’t know how to deal with certain things the way we would like them to. We always feel like if that was us, we would’nt do this or we wouldn’t do that, but we really don’t know what we would do wearing those same shoes. We only know what we haven’t done. I don’t believe I would do certain things because of my faith in God, but I can’t be absolutely certain. That’s why I constantly pray. This post is not to lecture you, but I feel very passionate about not condemning people. I feel that we need to all keep them in our prayers and ask God to fix what is broken.
I read in one of your posts where you said this case has just about driven you out of your mind. Please don’t let it get that personal. If you have, pull back a bit. we live with a daily onslaught of tragic news from around the world and close to home, sad images from the television, heartbreaking stories from dear friends. These hard realities can rob you of your joy and replace it with fear. What I do in a situation like this is bolster my hope in the eternal love and protection of God, who guides me always. His power touches my heart, mind and soul. I hope I haven’t gone too far with this, but hopefully, this helps.
EJ,
I am happy to know you through your post. I feel your words. God’s ways are not our ways and try as we may we cannot explain it away. Only God knows what is the come and the final outcome. I feel it was Anna’s time. He never gives us more than we can bear. The lost of her son regardless of the circumstances was too much. We are here for a time and for a season, she fulfilled her purpose. She also gave birth to a daughter that she gave the name HOPE to. Hope to start anew, refreshed, break the cycle , a better outcome. All HOPE is not lost. My desire is to help, to give HOPE to uplift and enrich someone to cling to HOPE and keep trying.
#73,
Good post. You’re right , God doesn’t make mistakes. Sometimes hes does things using the ones we love to get us to see the error of our ways.
You can say that again. Please do not lose touch.
Maryst, post 54…. What lies? - who has lied? Just trying to understand.
Isabel and Pollyne - thanks for your comments and reply to my previous post.
In life we choose people to be our friends that we trust, have faith in and believe in their basic goodness. I chose to trust, have faith and believe in Howard. My gut feelings strongly told me to have doubts about all others involved in this situation but I did not have those questions in my mind about Howard. I do not know Him, or any of them. I do not know who is worthy of trust so I am left with what my heart tells me and observations made during this ordeal. Frankly, I did not believe any of them - except Howard. At the Florida court he was in such pain being forced to answer questions that was harmful to Anna image. He was the same Howard that he had always been - the one Anna trusted - the protector. I remember his words the day of the long awaited service. I believed him - his sincerity and his pain was there for all of us to see. I felt no sympathy for the others there. I simply do not believe that Howard had a “duffle bag of drugs”. I do not believe he would ever do anything to harm Anna or Daniel BUT I DO NOT KNOW THE REAL TRUTH one way or another so I am only left with what my heart tells me, the few facts that I do know and my better judgement. Blind faith is nothing new to me and I have rarely been sorry for decisions I made in life based on that blind faith. I wish I understood why so many have seemed to turn their back on Howard at this point.
This site had quieted down until I posted my thoughts and then it exploded! Good for Jane, she is keeping us out of trouble. She is working hard at another chapter while our wheels turn. And we are minding our manners, unlike at other sites, such as TMZ. Let’s pat ourselves on the back while waiting for chapter 7.
Regarding the Shelles, indeed, no one seems to remember that even when a house is rented, the landlord is not permitted by law to enter when he feels like it and remove tenants’ belongings. For Shelley to say that Anna had asked him to safeguard her belongings and then turn around and distribute it to the media is extremely difficult to understand. Is he mentally defficient? He cannot possibly expect people to believe that unless there is a serious defficiency with his thought process.
It may be unfortunate that there is guilt by association, but Larry’s association with the Thompson/Shelley and some of his behavior makes him look not at all an honest person, in MY opinion.
We all sometimes say cruel and hurtful things to people who are closest to us. It makes sense to us but it does not make sense when it is overheard or seen by others. In MY opinion, Larry’s behavior toward Anna, made her believe he was not the best person to be involved in her baby’s life. She DID want a child. In MY opinion, she had nothing to lose by going to a country such as the Bahamas to start her life anew and knowing well how Howard felt about her, it made perfect sense to entrust Howard with her baby’s life. If Larry loved her, why did they not get married before or even after pregnancy? It is so touching how Larry accompanied her to her doctor’s appointments. While feeling so touched, why did he not marry her? Simply because he wanted someone else in his life and not Anna. Anna was OK for bedtime stories, only.
People should expect privacy in their lives and when there is intrusion, they will do whatever it takes to save face, rather than tell strangers to mind their own business, especially since it is the strangers who make it possible for celebrities to become celebrities.
What would any one of us tell a stranger who, for example, strikes up a conversation and start asking personal questions such as whether the person standing next to us has had sex with us? That is unthinkable, yet we want to know all that about celebrities.
The court hearing in Florida should have been stopped by somebody with authority over that judge. Judge Seidlin allowed and participated in questions that had absolutely nothing to do with where Anna should have been buried. I feel sorry for that judge for not execising better judgment. He probably was inacapable of better judgment; however, I feel even worse for the way Howard has been tranppled and clobbered. I simply wonder how I would have handled so much pain.
Anne, I understand. I try to look far beyond the surface. Anna is very likeable to me and I can see why Howard would feel way he did. I just feel that she struggled with a lot. It is just sad but God knows best. I feel proud though that she did make something of herself. She showed strength because she tried. The greatest failure is never getting started at all. You cannot say that about here. She took the blows and kept on ticking until her time was up Bravo to you ANS.
Alison,
Alison, your posts are very absorbing and you have addressed the most pertinent questions in all of this. I also find the fairy tale love story to be incredulous. As much as I hate to admit it, we will probably be forever doomed to wonder about these things because there will be no proof of any kind forthcoming. IMO
Lee,
Thank you. I’m happy to know you through your posts also. I have been truly touched by these last few posts today. I feel it! I think a change is going to come out of all of this. I believe it’s all good. In our everyday walk, we must remember that only what we do for Christ will last. With that, I will sign off until tomorrow. Good night everyone.
Lee, I liked Anna too. Never knew anything much about any of them before this situation. Maybe she did make bad choices (so have I - as most of us have during our life) but she made a good choices too. She chose to take all the good in her life to the Bahamas and start over. It seemed she wanted to leave all the bad behind - trouble was, there were a lot of really bad people who would not let her go. She and Howard tried and now Howard continues alone - quietly and privately because that seems to be his style. That style in itself speaks volumns about his character in my opinion. It speaks well of Anna that she never let him go and trusted ONLY HIM with her finances and her children.
CHEERS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT… THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT!! I KNOW IN MY HEART HKS DID NOT HARM ANS OR HER SON. HE WILL GO FREE. THERE WERE A LOT OF DECIETFUL PEOPLE IN ANS LIFE. I AM SORRY SHE WAS PUSHED INTO A CORNER THE LAST MONTHS OF HER LIFE. SHE DEARLY PAYED AND SUFFERED TREDMENDOUS LOSS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HER PAIN AND DISILLUSIONMENT. THANK GOD SHE HAD ONE PERSON STANDING WITH HER. I AM GLAD SHE WAS NOT ALONE. GOD BLESS HER.J
Anne I enjoyed your post
The lie on et LB was delusional…there are others and I was wondering if these meds altered personality
E PLURAL??? i get goose bumps when i read janes articles. and i did the same when i read this one. this is the best truth i have heard , its honest and it attacks no one. it is true life, and what we make of it. god makes no mistakes is right, so what ever she was suposed to bring to this world, she did it. and when her journey was over she went to a better place. with daniel. and this whole saga may have been to place one tiny baby girl here on earth.
Jane-Great article. i could read anything and eveything you write and absolutely enjoy it all. I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts and it’s nice everyone has their own opinions.
I totally agree with LEE # 53, POST # 73 AND ANNE’S POST. Thanks Jane, looking foward to your nxt article.
Anne I was referring to # 84
Maryst, thank you.
I know that Anna and Howard denied that LB was the father. In my heart I pray that both really did think that Howard was the real father. We do not know Larry but Anna and Howard did and whatever knowledge that might have been - she was serious in her decision to escape him and I feel she felt she needed to protect her baby from him. Just because the DNA matched Larry’s did not automatically mean that he was, or will be, the best parent for Dannielynn. I would like to think that Anna and Howard had everyone’s best interest at heart and if there were untruth’s I would like to think that in their hearts they felt it was for the greater good. Maybe there were so many evil people coming at them (we have learned just how evil some of them really are) that they were doing what they thaught was best to escape all the evil. I have also been, and continue to be, too emotionally involved. I pray there is a happy ending for Howard because he is the person who I feel deserves a happy ending. Anna and Daniel are gone. Dannielynn is gone too ( with her real father) but will he be the best father for her? I have too many doubts about Larry at this point - doubts that I never felt about Howard.
at first i wanted howard to be the daddy, because that would have been the happily ever after. but i knew he was’nt as the flordia court,was delving into everything. howard said there that he wanted to talk to larry, and i won’t use the word deal, but he wanted to still be in dannies life and care for the estate, anna had left. he said he would do so, without pay. and i knew howard truly loved dannie anna and daniel, his whole life had been anna and daniel , then dannie lynn. and if he had really thought he was the father , he would not have said that. now what i read about larry, he is being a daddy, and caring for his baby, that he wanted so bad. and i look at his family wiyh the children playing and having fun , a real happy american family affair. and i think dannie is where she belongs. so because larry is the father of annas child, i have to wish him the very best, to not do that would wish harm to dannie
Anne, your point is valid, once thought the same think; however, I have come to different conclusion
Vivian, I wish Larry the best too. The baby and Larry just seem to fit
Maryst…
I also wish Larry the best - it would make no sense otherwise because he does have Dannielynn in his custody. I am just not sure that he is what is best for her. I would like to ask him if the fight for custody was based more on his love for Dannielynn or his love of money, control and fame. I wish I did not have doubts about him because I desperately want Dannielynn to have a wonderful, safe, happy life with someone who is totally devoted to her. I totally believe that Howard would have protected and loved her forever. I just don’t have that faith in Larry. I hope I am wrong.
Anne,
I feel the same way. No matter how hard I try, it’s something about that dude that mystifies me.
E Pluribus Unum:
What a wonderful and insightful post!
Last night there was a sound bite on Greta, she asked Larry About his relationship with Howard. He gave a big smile and chuckled. He said they didn”t care for each other. However he had to try and get into Anna”s inner circle, because if you were in, YOU WERE IN,and if you were out,YOU WERE OUT. This is not a quote. The judge in Florida asked Larry about marriage, He said they discussed it. Anna wanted to go to Tiffany’s for a ring, he laughed, and said AH NO. Not one of us knows why Anna left LA, all we can do is speculate. Anna was on methadone while she was pregnant ( I checked that is acceptable) that is safer than what she may have been on. that says to me she was trying to have a healthy baby. Saying that Danielyan will probably have learning difficulties, is premature and unfair. If Anna looked like she was out off it, as in clown movie, she may well have been , I am on 9 prescriptions, and various over the counter, migraine for 56 months. Several are the same as Anna was on , if I don”t eat I walk down the hall, bouncing off the walls.Did anyone take anything like that into consideration, she was playing with a child maybe she forgot lunch. Did anyone consider Howard may have been filming Anna because she looked hilarious, I listened to his tone of voice he sounded like a long time friend playing around, and he was laughing when he said that it would be worth money. Of course he would be aware of what the paparazzi would give for that film. Has no one heard of sarcasm. My husband would say almost word for word except say friends/ money. Does anyone think I am a drug addict, I will be one form of drugs or another for life. The last hospital stay was four months, take me off some, try a new one. Some medications are used for several things,take one, take another for side effect, take another, to boost the next one, and on,and on. some are addictive, what choice do I have,also causes brain to malfunction when I am tired, and i am. Do I believe things happened that way, I don”t know I wasn”t there, I don’t know these people. There are many ways to interpret many things. Some people would not speak to me or allow there children any where near me , because my meds don’t sound like migraine meds,and I take them after a lot of research as DR. prescribes. You see what I mean about confusion sorry.
Anna and Howard sold the rights of Daniels funeral to ET. sounds very callous. It was also away to keep the multitude of paparazzi at bay. I think Anna didn’t bury Daniel right away, because she knew that made it real, no matter how she tried, no matter how she wished it she couldn”t bring him home, the ground is a very difficult place to lay your whole world, to Anna I think Daniel was her everything.
As much as I want to see Dannielynn, I do not know whether I can stomach watching Larry with Greta on Monday. I kind of wish Larry were a snowman so he could melt away. I used to have high regard for Greta. Once she flipped out on this Anna Nicole story, it was like losing a friend to death.
When that clown video was shown in the Florida court, I immediately understood the reference to the money as a gentle sarcasm. The tone of Howard’s voice was very clear to me that he was playing around. It definitely did not sound like he was being cruel to Anna and more people would have reached that conclusion if we were allowed to watch the entire movie, rather than a little snippet. How can Ford Shelley admit in court to having stolen Anna’s property and then use that same property to mesmerize the court with his antics. Ford Shelley must have smoked one too many cigars! Not one person asked Shelley where that tape came from. I found Judge Seidlin to be worse than Judge Ito was in CA. Judge Ito was star struck, while Seidlin was just plain stupid. He was probably a good taxi driver; too bad he left the job.
Dannielynn’s filmed caesarean was proof of how strongly Anna felt about filming. After Howard took Anna to the hospital, she asked him to go home to get the camera. When she was in so much pain, Howard stroked her forehead and asked her whether she was sure she wanted him to continue to film.
Having been so in love with the camera, the act of photographing her dead son did not have the same ugly connotation to Anna as it does to others.
Isabel and Lynda,
Your take on the clown video is a possibility. She had just finished filming “Illegal Aliens”. John James executive producer of that film said “I think Anna created a role almost doing a parody of how people perceive Anna Nicole Smith” In that role she is essentially mocking herself. We don’t know the context of this video. She has makeup on and they could have been playing around or reenacting her role. Her voice sounds very similar to the one in the movie. Isabel, I agree, we were not shown the whole video so there is no way to know if her behavior was normal immediately after the snippet we were shown.
Lynda: That soundbite on Greta’s show was a TEASER. Larry was essentially saying that BEFORE he and Howard were NOT buddies. But WATCH on Monday! He is going to say that he and Howard are NOW close friends.
The two men have a bond as a result of this shared experience.