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Judge Refuses Release of Anna Nicole Surgery Video
3-Oct-2008
Written by: Jessica McCumber
Judge says that Texas doctor cannot release a video of surgery performed on Smith.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled Friday that Texas doctor, Dr. Gerald Johnson, could not release footage of the late Anna Nicole Smith’s 1994 breast augmentation surgery, reports the Associated Press.
Howard K. Stern, the executor of Smith’s estate, filed suit against Dr. Johnson and his wife more than a year ago to prevent the release of the tape.
It was reported that Stern was upset because Smith never gave consent for the footage to be made or given to Thomas Riccio, a Los Angeles memorabilia dealer.
Johnson said his recordings are all done with permission and with the promise to be kept confidential “during the patient's lifetime.”
Since the former Playmate is now deceased, Johnson said he gave permission for Riccio to use the footage that was reportedly cut down to five minutes by Riccio’s daughter and set to music.
The whole ordeal is “truly disgusting,” according to Larry Birkhead, father of Smith’s daughter.
"It was clear that Anna Nicole was unconscious during the videotaping, and even more disturbing, the videotape focused on areas of her nude body that were unrelated to the location of the surgery," said Birkhead.
Bruce S. Ross, an attorney for Stern, said that even though they live in Texas, the Johnsons tried to disseminate the tapes in Los Angeles County where the Los Angeles Superior Court had jurisdiction.
The rest of the settlement may be confidential, but according to Stern’s other attorney, Vivian Thoreen, the judge’s previous orders against the tapes have them all accounted for.
May the tapes, like Smith, rest in peace.
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