Stern was born on Nov. 29, 1968. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1994. For years leading up to her death, Stern acted as Anna Nicole Smith’s attorney. Many thought it strange that she was his only client. During the run of the reality TV show “The Anna Nicole Show” (E! 2002-04) Stern could frequently be seen managing Smith’s daily affairs, coming off more like an eager assistant harboring unrequited love than legitimate legal counsel.
In September of 2006, several days after Smith gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern, Stern appeared on “Larry King Live” to announce that he was the father of the child. Entertainment photographer Larry Birkhead immediately went to the press with claims that he was the father of the child, having had a well tabloid-documented relationship with Smith. The birth certificate named Stern as the father, but the debate raged on until a U.S. judge ordered a paternity test to be performed.
Three days after what should have been a happy time, Stern and Smith made headlines again when Smith’s beloved 20-year-old son was found dead in the hospital room where he was visiting with Smith, the newborn, and Stern. Stern was questioned in the mysterious drug-induced death. On Sept. 28, Smith and Stern exchanged wedding vows on a catamaran off the coast of the Bahamas where they had decided to live and raise their daughter. Stern reportedly sold the wedding photos to People magazine for $1 million dollars. The ceremony was not legally binding, and many questioned the timing and validity of the ceremony, coming so quickly on the heels of Birkhead’s paternity claims and the death of Daniel.
To the sadness, but not shock, of many, Anna Nicole Smith died unexpectedly in a room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, FL just weeks before the paternity test that was now being demanded by L.A. judges. In light of her untimely demise, Stern’s conduct as an attorney was being called into question, as his alleged sexual relationship with Smith was a clear violation of legal ethics under any jurisdiction. The ensuing paternity suit, according to legal analysts, should have further disqualified him from being a competent representative for his client. And Smith’s own mother was not a fan of Stern, appearing on CNN after the death of Smith’s son Daniel, suggesting that Stern had his eyes on the inheritance Smith was to receive from her late husband, oil tycoon. J. Howard Marshall. Smith’s mother went so far as ominously warn, “If Howard Stern marries her and she ends up dead, then who does the money go to?"