Anna Nicole Smith is the owner of the last photos of her son
Update: What do YOU think? Take our poll!
Update: Larry Birkhead was given the DNA results comparing Hannah Rose and himself, and he is not the father.
Also, In Touch reports that Daniel’s death is now believed to have been caused by a lethal combination of anti-depressant and sleeping pills – not a suicide, but two drugs that should have not been taken simultaneously for both problems. Over the course of 8 weeks, the buildup of the medication in the pills being mixed was fatal, according to the tabloid. We caution that this is simply rumor at this time – the toxicology reports with the official cause of death will be out in a few weeks.
Say it ain’t so! It appears that the last photos of Anna Nicole Smith’s son Daniel Smith at her hospital bedside that have been sold via Getty Images actually belonged to Anna herself! This means that she is the party receiving the proceeds of sales of the images. According to the New York Daily News, Anna will be making $600,000 from the photos of herself, son Daniel and daughter Hannah Rose. Beating out People who only offered $350,000, In Touch magazine received the print exclusive in exchange for $400,000 while "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" bought their television exclusive for $250,000.
Word is that some of the proceeds will be used for a memorial for Daniel. That’s a heck of a memorial. It has also been rumored that Anna wanted the photos released to show people that her son did not seem depressed or suicidal, since assumptions have been made as such.
A spokeswoman for In Touch told the Daily News, "There is an incredible amount of emotion attached to this story and the photos, and our story will be a tribute to Daniel’s life as a well as a celebration of it." Anna also profited from her pregnancy.
Even the alleged baby daddy, Larry Birkhead, is profiting from this tragedy. According to the Daily News, he is making a two-part appearance on Entertainment Tonight.
Source: New York Daily News via Gawker
Thanks to CBB reader Anna Maria.
What do you think? Chat with other Celebrity Baby Blog Readers about it.
- Posted on Sep 19, 06 at 4:39PM
- Permalink
- 50 Comments
September 19th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
That’s awful!! Just un-imaginable!
September 19th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
That just is plain old sad. How can you even THINK of making money out of your CHILD’s death.
September 19th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Unbelievable!
September 19th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
This whole situation is just sad. I don’t even have the words.
September 19th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
The whole situation is so sad. I worry for Anna and how she will deal with Daniel’s loss since she has a propensity for abusing herself (with food, drugs, alcohol, etc.).
And, I have no doubt that her lawyer/friend Howard K. Stern advised her on how to handle the photos.
Please let’s not criticize Anna during such a horrible time for her. No one knows how cognizant of outside events she even is right now.
September 19th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
I lost my husband unexpectedly when my daughter was 5 months old, my husband had very little life insurance. I would have sold just about anything to ensure I had future stability for my daughter. I know this situation is a bit different from Anna’s, but everyone grieves differently and for some (as Anna states) it is important to her to show the world that her son wasn’t depressed. A very sad mind does not always work in the most logical way, it is very important to keep that in mind. Also, until you have been in a situation it is impossible to assume how you will act, I know this first hand. I guess I may have done the same thing if the proceeds can go to a memorial fund to benefit others and keep my son’s memory alive.
September 19th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
well, if this is all true, it is a very sad situation. I feel so bad for her losing her son, but if she really sold those pics for money, that is terrible.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
I saw on one of the entertainment shows this afternoon that Larry Birkhead was given the results of the DNA test and that baby Hannah isnt his child at all.
Its getting more confusing all the time.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
I agree with you – say it isn’t so!
September 19th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
I realize that a lot of this is rumor right now, just speculation, but if it’s true that Anna Nicole made money from these photos, and so soon after Daniel’s death, then shame on her.
This is exactly the type of behavior that has left me never being a big fan of hers.
Until we learn otherwise, I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt and believe that she has not benefited from the sale of these photos…
Regardless, my heart goes out to her for her loss.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
I think it is horrible if she sold those photos! if it were me I would want those last moments to remain private.
I wonder if she is doing this because she now knows that Birkhead isn’t the father and she isn’t going to get any money out of him? It would be sad if that is what she is thinking of at a time like this. Shame on her.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
I saw the ET thing…the whole story just seems bizarre to me.
I don’t know I feel for her yet I agree what is the purpose of publicizing these photos?
September 19th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
I say the pictures would have gotten out sooner or later. And everyone was speculating about her son so she probably wanted to show that he was happy the night before he died and not drugged up like people have been saying. And the Larry Birkhead guy needs to just shut the hell up. He has said some things that are just not right. He should have waited for a paternity test. I wouldn’t be surprised if Howard turns out to be the dad. He has stood by Anna through a lot. In those photos he looks like a happy dad not just a friend.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
isn’t it nice that we’re not judging how somebody else chooses to grieve (a very, very personal decision). Maybe the memorial and obtaining the funding for it is all she feels she can do for him right now. Of course, we’re not in her shoes, so we don’t know.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
Personally, if my son’s death was all over the news, and the pictures were being sought after the way Daniel’s were, then why not profit from it? They are beautiful final family photos. It doesn’t matter how or why he died, the fact is that this woman just lost her son. Who cares how she’s reacting, everyone is different. I feel sad for her and this whole situation.
PS-my $5 is on Howard K. Stern as the father.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
This is pure speculation on my part, but I think the answer to Hannah’s paternity lies in her name itself…the ‘anna’ for her mom and the Hs for Howard K. Stern, maybe??
September 19th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
Ouch! Larry Birkhead isn’t the father of Anna Nicole’s baby?! That must hurt a lot since he was so keen on the baby being his. I feel bad for Anna Nicole losing her son. If she wants to sell the pictures, that is really her choice. Who am I to judge that?
September 19th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Wow, pretty harsh words about someone who just lost her son.
Personally, I worry for Anna because she shows a propensity for destructive behaviour and this could very well send her over the edge. I hope that her friends and Howard are watching her closely.
I don’t think what she did was wrong or tacky at all. I’m sure Howard K. Stern is making the decision on this and what business is it of ours anyway?
I have not seen any of the pictures but I think it would be great if Howard were indeed the father since he has stuck with her for so long, obviously cares a great deal for her, and takes good care of her.
September 19th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
I totally agree janice.
Howard & Anna = Hannah. Hmmmmm….
September 19th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
good for anna for selling the photo’s at least she got a say on what was released instead of people stealing them ex… Its a great final tribute to her son.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
Wow! I guess Hannah could be Howard K. Stern’s baby. If not him, then who else? I can’t wait to see Larry Birkhead’s reaction to the fact that he is not Hannah’s daddy. I feel bad for Birkhead.This is very tricky.
September 19th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
She sold the pics to PROVE that Daniel was a happy person and happy at his sister and mom.
Cause the tabs kept going on with their vile BS.
AND HAHAHAHAHA@Larry Birkhead!!!!
KARMA DUDE KARMA!
BTW ET alluded to heart problems in the weeks prior to his death, and had spent time in the ER.
He was nursing a broken heart from a break up with a GF and had gone on Antidepressants.
Anna’s family has heart issues
I myself could not take SSRIs/Antidepressants due to them making my heart race and giving me chest pains..
I think it was a horrible reaction to the meds, making it very very sad..
September 19th, 2006 at 11:19 pm
“We do not allow any nasty comments” — but you have no problem with calling a grieving woman tacky?
September 20th, 2006 at 12:26 am
I may be coming across as judgmental, and perhaps I’m guilty of being so, but Anna Nicole has always struck me as someone that is very motivated by money.
While it’s true that her intentions behind selling these photos may be good, I can’t help but wonder if it’s just about fattening her bank account? Perhaps she sold them to help pay for Daniel’s memorial service, or to help quash rumors about Daniel’s state of mind before his death, but in my humble opinion, it seems tacky to share such private and intimate photos, particularly so soon after the tragedy.
I know other celebs sell photos of their kids, but I can’t recall any that have released private photos of their children that were taken in the hospital, right after the birth.
I don’t like it. I know it’s just my opinion and it basically means squat, but I’m not going to say something different just because of what has happened.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:06 am
It’s good to see a celebrity turn the media’s greed into something good. The Jolie-Pitts did that with the first pictures of Shiloh. Rather than letting the most aggressive photographer get a windfall they were able to turn the pictures into money for poor villages (which at the same time dramatically decreased the incentive for the press to try to get a photo of her). Anna Nicole has turned her few happy photos of her whole family into something that will benefit others. Good for her. Would we have preferred that the money go to whatever sleazeball photographer/employee/hacker stole the photos first?
September 20th, 2006 at 3:45 am
“That’s a very nice thought but the whole thing just smacks of tackiness to me. Anna also profited from her pregnancy, so why am I surprised?”
What happened to the whole ‘no bashing of celebrity babies or their parents’-thing? I think that post is a bit judgmental. These photos were going to get out anyway – the woman is grieving, who are we to say how we would react in such a case – she probably did want to prove that her son was happy – and finally, if anyone should profit from them it’s Anna herself.
September 20th, 2006 at 4:32 am
So what if Anna was paid for the photos?! I would rather she got paid than some paparazzi lurking in the bushes. What’s the difference between Anna selling photos and any other celeb getting paid for pix?
I would like to thank Anna for sharing her beautiful photos with her fans.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:35 am
I really don’t think it’s very nice or appropriate to criticize any decision that she makes at this time. I also don’t think that this is the time to label her “tacky” for any previous decisions that she might have made. I think that falls under “nasty comments,” don’t you?
September 20th, 2006 at 8:53 am
My guess is that Howard’s the father. No surprise there if he is.
September 20th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Everytime a family wins a wrongful death lawsuit, they are getting money from a tragedy.
Everytime someone gets the proceeds of a life insurance policy, they are benefiting from someone’s death.
I don’t see anyone complaining then…..
September 20th, 2006 at 10:36 am
no one should really judge nicole at this time. even suggesting that selling the pictures is “tacky” is really wrong. we have no idea why she sold the pictures, we can only speculate. i’m sure she had her reasons, and i’m sure she loved her son very much.
why doesn’t everyone just give her a break during this time?
September 20th, 2006 at 10:49 am
I went to the Perez website to view the pics and they had been taken off. I’m sorry but I would never sell pictures of my dead son. That’s sick to me. By the way, I’m pretty sure the father of baby Hannah is Howard K. Stern “her attorney”. I guess time will tell.
You can view the pics here:
http://www.gawker.com/news/anna-nicole-smith/final-dollarfetching-moments-between-anna-nicole-smith-and-her-son-201294.php
September 20th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
When a grief stricken mother, who happens to be Anna Nicole Smith, sells her deceased childs photos for whatever reason some people call her sick.
When Tom Cruise or Britney sells photos to prove their child actually exists or that their marriage is “awesome” it’s a wonderful new feature on the site. No poll asking everyone if they think its okay. No one ever asks if these PR shoots are okay, except Moby and then people jump all over him.
OK to use the baby to further your star power with fans and/or sagging career, but god forbid you release photos of your son who just passed (for whatever personal reason she chose). I just don’t get the double standard/favoritism with some people on this site.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
I was actually hoping that Anna as the one to give the photos to Getty instead of someone else. It’s one thing for her to do it, but it’s something else entirely if someone did it behind her back.
I don’t find it tasteless at all. I think I’d find it really tasteless if she sold photos of her and Howard with the baby and not included Daniel at all. I can only imagine what people would say if that happened!
I applaud Anna for going through with the sale and showing us her son’s last happy moments on earth. To me, that shows she loved her son immensely.
September 20th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
I’ve heard she’s donating the money she makes to charity….. if she does that, then i dont think there’s anything wrong with it.
September 20th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Tacky? What I find tacky is that any of you would judge a grieving mother so harshly. The sanctimonious tone of most of these comments is why I rarely read the comments on this site anymore. I think I’ll stop all together now.
September 20th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
If she gives the money to an appropriate charity, I think it’s altogether fitting and proper. But she’d better make an announcement to that effect, soon, or the press is going to make her grief much worse.
September 20th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Those pictures were so sought after, someone could break into her stuff and sell them or if they were developed who says the people who developed them wouldn’t leak them. I commend her and when you are a celebrity and so sought after it’s better when you can control these pictures, at least she owns the pics and I feel like Anna probably wanted people to see her son was happy and I’m sure with the new frenzy surrounding her people would want to see a picture of the baby so just give them the pics sooner, I think she did the right thing. I don’t think it was about the dollar amount as much as she knew there was an interest and things cost money you guys. I’m not saying she is broke but i’m sure she had to pay money for that top pathlogist to come and investigate her son’s death, so people should be careful judging her.
I don’t know if I’m starting a new rumor but some site said that Trimspa was footing the bill for her to be holed up in the Bahama’s to keep her out of the spotlight ..Im assuming so people wouldn’t see her gaining weight so Trim Spa could still use their older photos..
September 20th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
why should we tell you what we think danielle, when you NEVER post comments that differ from how YOU feel? please, enlighten me on why you ask your readers to comment when you never post the comments that contradict how cbb feels? because we all know that you can’t stand britney spears or anna nicole, so anyone rooting for them doesn’t get to comment with their opinion. now i see why you’re losing more and more readers by the day.
September 20th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
Maybe she decided to release the pictures because then people will not hound her so much. We have seen how magazines will do anything to get pictures of anything so maybe she just figured that if she gives the press what they want then they will leave her alone to grieve.
And second I am actually happy that guy is not the dad, he has not been around at all for the last 9 months and I am sure that if Anna Nicole was not in the news right now that he would not care at all about this little girl, but he is just using her and this tragedy to get his name in the press.
I also think the daddy is the attorney…he is so in love with her anyways.
September 20th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
I’m not in a position to judge Anna Nicole at all. I have never been in her spot and God willing never will. Nobody knows the real reason that she sold these photos. I think everyone should be supporting her instead of gossiping about her. She will have a rough next few months and years. Hopefully baby Hannah makes it easier for her.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
The court decision from her last husband’s death, upon appeal, was overturned and she was awarded $0. She needs the money. People want to see the pictures. It does nothing to defame her son, or insult his passing. I’m sure the pictures are beautiful, and if she can use the money for her daughter’s benefit, she should. Even if she can use the money for her own benefit, she should. She raised her son alone, and essentially was a single mother. This money won’t make her feel better, it will just put something in the bank.
Really, does anyone think she should turn the money down and keep the pictures to herself? That doesn’t make sense at all in her life.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
i like that you neglected to mention that the proceeds are going towards daniel’s funeral…nice one.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
Hmm… what show claims that Larry Birkhead is not the father?! I am looking at the preview for Entertainment Tonight show and it still shows Birkhead claiming to be Hannah’s dad. Birkhead is crying because this is the first time he is seeing the baby’s picture. Weird!
September 20th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
I don’t know what to think about it but I guess she thought someone is going to profit from it via leaks etc. so she should be able to use the money to honor Daniel. I’m not going to judge someone who just went through this kind of hell. I’m totally convinced Hannah is Stearn’s child.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
Birkhead was thought to be daddy until ultrasound determined the due date. ooops, couldn’t be birkhead; hmmmmm, who else could it be? Howard; who is also head of Anna Nicole, Inc. He is orchestrating everything.
September 21st, 2006 at 3:21 am
I really don’t see what’s wrong with it. These pictures are going to get out anyway – people, like us, really want to see them. And if she’s the owner of the pics she’s allowed to make all the money she can out of them. As to the ‘profiting from her pregnancy’: almost all of the celebs on this blog have profited from their pregnancies in some way or other. Just like the owner of this blog, who makes her living out of these celebrities’ pregnancies (at least indirectly). I don’t see anything wrong with that, after all, we are the ones who are constantly on the net to see if there are new pictures.
On another note: I do regret the new ‘review’-policy. Some of my previous posts have been deleted and they were neither nasty, nor inflammatory or insulting – just critical of the way a this post was worded initially by CBB-staff. I am glad to see, though, that the wording has changed.
September 21st, 2006 at 6:36 am
Who cares what she does. In the end it is her choice.
September 21st, 2006 at 9:30 am
I read she sold them to pay for his funeral but I don’t know if that’s true or not.
September 21st, 2006 at 11:43 am
The fact that Anna has decided to sell her photos is neither wrong nor trashy. However, judging people for making extremely difficult decisions after the loss of a loved one is.