DNA Tests Imminent In Anna Nicole Case?
Larry Birkhead was upbeat on Friday following a court hearing in the Bahamas over custody of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.
The hearing was closed, so it's not clear why he was so cheerful. But without revealing details, Birkhead said he was in "a happy mood" after the hearing — and, he said others were not as pleased.
Smith's mother, who also wants the baby, said nothing outside the court building on Friday. Virgie Arthur wants to take Dannielynn from Howard K. Stern, Smith's companion, who's had the baby all along. She has said she could provide a more stable home.
"Entertainment Tonight" reports that two DNA experts are expected to testify when the paternity hearing resumes in the Bahamas on Tuesday.
Stern was not at Friday's hearing. Smith's infant daughter Dannielynn could potentially inherit millions of dollars from her mother's estate.
Birkhead's attorney Debra Opri announced on Friday that she is no longer representing the photographer.Timeline: Anna Nicole Smith
"Larry Birkhead and I have terminated our attorney-client relationship effective immediately. I wish Larry the very best of luck in his continuing efforts to prove that he is Dannielynn's biological father. My prayers will be with Larry and Dannielynn always," a statement said.
In an interview with MSNBC's Rita Cosby, Opri said that she terminated the relationship because of the growing unhealthy influence of Stern.
"I just couldn't handle it anymore," she said. "I made my decision to end the relationship last night."
Addressing reports that Birkhead fired her, Opri said, "He has been firing me and hiring me regularly every other day since Howard K. Stern came into the mix."
Opri's announcement came as a court hearing was under way in the continuing saga over the late star-crossed celebrity.
On Tuesday, Opri asked a judge in Los Angeles to order Stern to come to California and provide a DNA sample. She said a paternity ruling from that state would strengthen her client's case for claiming paternity of the child in the Bahamas.
Photos: Anna Nicole Smith — Tragedy Strikes
Regardless of what happens in California, Birkhead is arguing in the Bahamas that Dannielynn's birth certificate was filed incorrectly and that if paternity is in question, custody should also be in question.
Meanwhile, Bahamian authorities have also been meeting with Florida police to take a closer look at the circumstances surrounding Smith's sudden death, though officials insist it is not a homicide investigation.
The medical examiner's autopsy report was delayed last week after he was given new classified evidence. The full report is expected next week