Anna Nicole paternity claim hits court

Anna Nicole Smith

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more dramatic, another twist has emerged in the ongoing saga of Anna Nicole Smith.

Photojournalist Larry Birkhead has filed papers in a Californian court to establish paternity of Smith's newborn girl Dannielynn Hope, in a bid to gain legal custody of the child, reported People magazine.

Earlier this year, Birkhead announced he was father of Smith's unborn child.

In a statement released on Monday, Birkhead's publicist confirmed the photographer had retained the services of celebrity attorney Debra Opri and that papers had been served to Smith in the Bahamas.

However, Smith's attorney Michael Scott told People the lawsuit would have no effect as long as Smith remained in the Bahamas.

"Jurisdiction of any court is territorial," Scott said. "They can't compel her to go back."

Smith, who avoided the media spotlight throughout her pregnancy by retreating to the Bahamas, never commented on Birkhead's claims. However, days after her daughter's birth, Smith's lawyer and long-time confidant Howard K. Stern announced on national television he was in fact the baby's father.

During an interview on Larry King Live last Tuesday, Stern confessed the couple's secret love saying: "We love each other and it's been going on for a very long time."

Two days later, Smith's attorney revealed the pair and cemented their bond during a commitment ceremony aboard a luxury boat.

Smith's life has become the subject of intense public interest and intrigue after her son Daniel's sudden death last month, just three days after the birth of her daughter on September 7.

- NZHERALD STAFF