ANNA NICOLE SMITH - BIRKHEAD DEFENDS ONE-TIME LOVE RIVAL STERN

BIRKHEAD DEFENDS ONE-TIME LOVE RIVAL STERN

ANNA NICOLE SMITH's former lover and the father of her daughter DANNIELYNN has come to the defence of his one-time love rival, who is facing charges of supplying the actress/model with the drugs that killed her.
Larry Birkhead has been subpoenaed to testify in court by prosecutors seeking more answers about Smith's 2007 death. Her lawyer and companion Howard K. Stern, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor are being charged on counts of conspiracy to furnish the late Smith with drugs. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Birkhead admits he's happy to help the investigation come to a natural close but he won't be testifying against Stern, who once fought him for custody of Dannielynn and has now become a friend.
The photojournalist tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood he does not think Stern is culpable in Smith's death.
He says, "Never once did I see Howard inject Anna with any medication. As far as hurting Anna Nicole... and things of that nature, I would be totally shocked to hear that something would come down or he would be shown to be guilty of that.
"Howard, of all people, has actually been kinder to me than some of Anna’s own family members. And he’s actually helped me through a lot of things that I wouldn’t have known whether it was something estate related or whatever. It’s actually become an odd type of friendship but it is there."
Birkhead thinks the prosecutors are wasting time and money trying to pin the blame of Smith's death on Stern or the doctors - because she died of a broken heart following the death of her son Daniel in 2006.
He explains, "On her death certificate, it says accidental overdose but I think it was a combination of a broken heart and she just couldn’t go on after Daniel.
"She was so rundown. She had all these battles in front of her and she just didn’t know…She didn’t have the guidance or the energy to face them or get everything over with.
"She just wasn’t herself. She never was herself again."