Overview
- Larry Birkhead told the Dumb Blonde podcast that time with Anna Nicole Smith sometimes felt like a cult, citing a tight entourage and strict boundaries inside her home.
- He said attorney Howard K. Stern often inserted himself into interactions and into what Birkhead called relationship territory, though he also credited Stern for negotiating Smith’s deals and supporting her son, Daniel.
- Birkhead explained that the pair dated for about two years in secret because Smith cultivated a public image of being single to feed fan interest.
- He recalled Daniel as a shy, kind young man who was often overlooked in the public focus on Smith’s death and the paternity fight over Dannielynn.
- Coverage emphasized different angles, with Page Six highlighting Stern’s day-to-day presence, Us Weekly noting Birkhead’s mixed view of Stern’s role, and HELLO! stressing the secrecy and Birkhead’s low-profile life raising Dannielynn after DNA confirmed his paternity in 2007.