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Saturday, 30 September 2006

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Anna Nicole Smith and lawyer hold commitment ceremony

New mum exchanges vows with Howard K. Stern

Anna Nicole Smith and her longtime lawyer and confidant, Howard K. Stern, held a commitment ceremony in the Bahamas Thursday, her attorney, Michael Scott, tells the Associated Press.

"It was low-key, on a boat," a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE. "It was a simple ceremony, exchanging vows."

According to a press release issued by TrimSpa, the diet-product company for which Smith is spokesperson, the couple "made a commitment before God to be there for one another, to be each other's strength during this difficult time. Although the ceremony was officiated, it was not a wedding and no marriage certificate was issued."

On Tuesday Stern said on Larry King Live that he is the father of Smith's baby daughter Dannielynn Hope, born Sept. 7 – just three days before Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died while visiting his mother in the hospital.

Stern told King of his relationship with Smith, "We love each other and it's been going on for a very long time and because of my relationship as her lawyer, we felt it was best to keep everything hidden. And we've done a pretty good job of that."

Dr. Cyril Wecht, a private pathologist hired by the Smith family to investigate Daniel's death, told PEOPLE Daniel had been killed by cardiac dysrhythmia caused by a lethal combination of methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro.

Wecht tells PEOPLE he reviewed tissue samples from Daniel on Thursday has now ruled out any natural cause of death. "There was nothing to suggest a subtle, cryptic, clinically asymptomatic condition, such as an inflammation of the heart," he said.

The death is still under investigation in the Bahamas.