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Anna Nicole Smith's mother says daughter wanted burial near Marilyn Monroe

February 22, 2007
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Anna Nicole Smith's estranged mother and her ex-boyfriend both testified that the starlet said she wanted to be buried in California, not the plots in the Bahamas or Texas that have been the focus of the fierce weeklong legal debate.

Virgie Arthur, 55, said her last conversation with her daughter about her burial came more than 10 years ago, when Smith said she wanted to be interred near her idol Marilyn Monroe. Larry Birkhead testified he had a similar conversation with his ex-girlfriend in recent years, and longtime Smith companion Howard K. Stern has acknowledged the Playboy model had hoped to be buried near Monroe before settling on a Bahamian site.

"Wherever the stars are buried," an emotional Arthur said, "that's where she wanted to be buried."

Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin indicated earlier Wednesday that he wanted to broker a compromise between Arthur and Stern.

"When you walked into the court, you hope to get everything," Seidlin said. "We will try to fashion a remedy where not everyone gets everything they want."

The Florida hearing is just one part of the legal battle surrounding Smith. At issue in a California court is who fathered her 5-month-old daughter Dannielynn, who could inherit millions of dollars depending on how Smith's estate is broken up. Stern is listed as the father on the birth certificate, but Birkhead says the girl is his.

The day was filled with all the drama spectators in Seidlin's courtroom have come to expect. There was intense discussion on Smith's use of drugs and accusations of profiting off her losses.

Arthur was hammered with questions about any compensation she has or would receive from news organizations for access to interviews or footage after the deaths of her daughter and grandson.

Since taking the stand Tuesday afternoon, Arthur had answered most questions directly, but when attorneys targeted her alleged profiteering, her demeanor changed. She frequently said no to questions about arrangements with specific media outlets, but also often said she did not understand or sidestepped inquiries altogether.

"Have you in any fashion profited at all from the death of your daughter?" asked Krista Barth, an attorney for Stern.

Arthur stared for a moment. "I'm trying to process that question," she said.

Then Arthur attempted to deflect the attention, pointing at Stern.

"He has," she said. // Pravda.ru

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