Celebrity and former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith Autopsy Underway

This will be a battle of all battles in the fight for Anna Nicole Smith’s 5 month-old daughter Dannielynn.

This will be a battle of all battles in the fight for Anna Nicole Smith’s 5 month-old daughter Dannielynn. The former Playboy model and reality TV star has been autopsied this morning to determine what killed her after she was found not breathing on Thursday in her hotel room at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The celebrity model known for her blonde bombshell moments was stated to have been accompanied by her bodyguard, a private nurse and Howard K. Stern while visiting Florida.

During the time of her collapse her nurse first stated that she found her down on the floor and didn’t perform CPR on the star, but called the front desk. This later turned into that she was in the room and saw that she wasn’t breathing and called her bodyguard and then waited for Howard K. Stern to call her back in which she then called 911. Anna Nicole’s bodyguard who is a paramedic was stated to have performed CPR trying to resuscitate her. The star was then rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead. Investigators are stated have found illegal narcotics and prescription medications in her hotel room with Howard K. Stern’s name on it.

Currently the post-mortem examination is being performed at the Broward County Medical Examiners Office in southeastern Florida which will help in determining the cause of death for Anna Nicole Smith who idolized Marilyn Monroe.

The Battle
The baby’s paternity is currently being contested. An emergency hearing on DNA testing was scheduled today in Los Angeles after Anna Nicole’s attorney told Larry Birkhead and his attorney that he could wait and there’s no hurry. Birkhead ‘s attorney Debra Opri, who filed the paternity suit, said only that doctors told her to get a DNA sample. Currently the body is being held in preserve for the next 10 days until the full hearing for the paternity case on February 20, 2007.

Attorney Debra Opri stated Birkhead was devastated. “He is inconsolable, and we are taking steps now to protect the DNA testing of the child. The child is our No 1 priority,” she said.

Attorney Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith’s longtime Attorney and recent companion, is listed on the birth certificate of Dannielynn’s as being her father. If it turns out that he is the biological father and was legally married to Smith (unknown) Stern, will probably inherit Smith’s estate, according to experts.

Anna Nicole Smith’s former boyfriend, Celebrity Photographer Larry Birkhead, says he is the father of Dannielynn. If neither turns out to be the father of Dannielynn the baby may end up with Stern after all since he’s on the birth certificate, but the judge can decide otherwise.

According to Family lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan of Los Angeles, Howard K. Stern initially will receive custody of the child because he is listed on the birth certificate.

“The paternity test should be expedited,” Mark Vincent Kaplan said, “because if he is not the bio dad he has no rights to custody. But I predict there will be a will saying that Howard K. Stern is the father.”

Mark Vincent Kaplan also states that another complication could arise if Stern was the lawyer who drew up the will and may be listed as the executor.

“By law, he can’t be both the executor and the beneficiary,” Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

The Saga Continues…