Battle ignites for Smith's baby's custody

Anna Nicole’s tumultuous life doesn’t seem to get on track, providing regular fodder to yellow journalism. The ex-playboy model has been making headlines now and then.

Just when Anna tied the knot with long term attorney Howard K. Stern on September 28, 2006 and everything seemed smooth for the supermodel, things took a new turn. Photographer Larry Birkhead, who claims to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, has filed papers in a California court to establish paternity and obtain legal custody of the child.

Birkhead's publicist said on Monday that celebrity attorney Debra Opri will be fighting for his legal rights of the child. Debra’s past clients include many well know personalities, James Brown and Joseph and Katherine Jackson to name a few.

The Beverly Hills lawyer effectively represented James Brown in a sexual-harassment suit back in 2003. In recent times, she represented Joseph and Katherine Jackson during son Michael Jackson’s criminal court proceedings.

Debra filed for a lawsuit on behalf of Birkhead in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

Anna was presented with the court papers on Monday in the Bahamas.

Anna’s unofficial husband Howard K Stern also claims to be the father of the baby. On September 26th, 2006, he said in an interview from the Bahamas with Larry King on CNN that he is the father of Dannie Lynn Hope, contrary to identical claims by entertainment journalist Larry Birkhead.

On September 28th, 2006, Anna and Howard exchanged vows on a boat near Nassau; however the vows were not legally binding.

Birkhead "seeks truth in paternity as he believes beyond any doubt that he is the father and seeks a presence in this child's life," Debra said on Monday. "He is concerned for the health and safety of the child based upon drug issues and manipulation by a third party for purposes contrary to the interests of the child."

She also said that Howard is playing the ring leader in the ‘circus like’ atmosphere and there have been serious and false allegations that he is the father.

On June 1, 2006, Smith announced on her official website that she was 5 months pregnant. Smith gave birth to the baby at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas on September 7, 2006.

On September 10, her son Daniel Smith died suddenly while visiting his mother and new born sister. Initial autopsy reports did not reveal anything. It was only when Anna appointed her family pathologist to perform the second autopsy; it was revealed that Daniel died due to lethal combination of three drugs.

Anna’s love life has been no less than a roller coaster ride. She married Billy Smith when she was just 17. She married her second husband, oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall in 1994. She has even had flings with bodybuilder Clay Spires, Scott Baio, John Travolta's nephew Rikki, and real estate mogul Jonathan McManus.

Anna’s mother Virgie Arthur believes that Birkhead has sired the baby and snubs away Howard’s claims of being the father. "I don't know, I kind of believe him; I would like to," she says. "I would like for him to do the paternity test to see. I would like to see whose baby it is.", said Arthur.

She still doubts Howard being Dannie Lynn biological father and said he needs to prove it by undergoing the paternity test.