STAR TOLD YOU FIRST! LARRY BIRKHEAD FILES PATERNITY PAPERS FOR ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S BABY! PLUS: STAR'S EXCLUSIVE DETAILS OF ANNA NICOLE'S WEDDING TO HOWARD K. STERN!
Larry Birkhead, the celebrity photographer who has steadfastly claimed to be the father of ex-girlfriend Anna Nicole Smith's 4-week-old daughter Dannilynn Hope, has served Smith with legal papers seeking a paternity test — but that's no surprise to Star readers since we exclusively reported on Sept. 27 that Birkhead would fight for paternity. A source close to Larry told Star, "Larry plans on filing paternity papers and a motion for a custody hearing later this week. He believes in his heart that he's the dad."
Birkhead's lawyer, Debra Opri, said the suit — which was filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court — requests the court order Anna Nicole to submit to paternity testing immediately, the child be returned to the State of California and that drug testing be conducted on mother and child. The documents also state that legal and physical custody be awarded to Birkhead pending the results of drug testing. "There are concerns about the health and safety of the child," Opri told The Associated Press.
In a statement, Opri says Birkhead is responding to Howard K. Stern's paternity claims. Anna Nicole has not publicly announced the identity of the baby's daddy, but Stern claimed he is the father on Larry King Live last week.
At posting time, Larry and his attorney are expected to file further papers in Los Angeles Supreme Court at 8:30 am on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Click here to read Star's exclusive details of Anna Nicole's wedding to attorney Howard K. Stern!
