LOS ANGELES, Calif. (September 4, 2007) – Investigative journalist and author Rita Cosby has gone on the record with startling new claims about Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern, in her new book about the death of former Playmate, Anna Nicole Smith.
Cosby’s book, “Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith’s Death,” claims Birkhead, the father of Smith’s only daughter Dannielynn, engaged in a homosexual tryst with her longtime companion Howard K. Stern.
“It’s crazy and of course it’s not true,” an angry Birkhead told Access Hollywood’s Executive Producer Rob Silverstein in a phone call Monday afternoon. “Rita Cosby is going to get sued for everything she’s got.”
In an interview with Cosby conducted by Access Hollywood’s Tony Potts Tuesday afternoon, the author responded to Birkhead’s statement.
“I’m sure he would deny everything,” she told Access. “I’m sure he’d tell you the sky is green and stars are falling from it if he could.”
Cosby said she spoke to a number of sources including private investigators who spoke to two nannies who allegedly say they saw Smith, watching a tape, of Birkhead and Stern engaged in a sexual act.
“What I’ve heard actually is that they saw Anna looking at a video tape . . . some sort of tape. They have seen this tape and they told private investigators,” Cosby said.
Birkhead told Access Hollywood’s Silverstein that the ex-MSNBC journalist “never bothered to call me about the book,” a claim Cosby acknowledged. He added that he attempted to reach Cosby himself, but she never got back to him.
“Not true,” Cosby refuted.
Birkhead suggested “Blonde Ambition,” be removed from the non-fiction section in stores.
“The book should be sitting on the fiction shelves in bookstores next to ‘Harry Potter,‘” Birkhead told Access.
Cosby responded strongly to his suggestion.
“My response is Larry Birkhead is in Harry Potter-land himself if he’s sitting back and believing the American public [believes] nothing happened between him and Howard K. Stern,” she retorted.
L. Lin Wood, a lawyer for Stern also lashed out at Cosby’s book in a statement obtained by Access Hollywood.
“The more information I have received over the weekend about Ms. Cosby’s book, the more convinced I am that she has, as a practical matter, authored a work of pure fiction,” Wood’s statement on behalf of Stern read. “It appears that Ms. Cosby has joined the ranks of tabloid journalists who are willing to publish the print equivalent of sewerage to engage in character assassination for profit.”
Stern and his legal team are currently attempting to obtain a copy of “Blonde Ambition,” which they plan to take action on.
“If the statements about Mr. Stern cited in weekend media reports are in fact published in her book, Mr. Stern will sue Ms. Cosby and her publisher for libel,” Wood’s statement read. “All of the accusations in the published reports are false and defamatory.”
If the men do pursue legal action, Cosby told Access, she won’t be surprised.
“Larry Birkhead was threatening to file suit before he even knew what was in this book and I think that should speak volumes . . . I’m not surprised they’re threatening to sue. They would sue a paperboy if they could,” she said.
As for Hatten, from whom the relationship allegations appear to stem, Wood called into question her credibility. In his statement he noted that on Friday August 31, he “reminded Ms. Cosby and her publisher of the obvious fact that Jackie Hatten is not a credible or reliable source for any accusation against Mr. Stern.”
Cosby however, stands by her source.“There are a number of things she has said and they have proven true,” Cosby noted.
Calls made to Jackie Hatten were not returned at press time.
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