Howard K Stern, Larry Birkhead and Anna Nicole Smith’s mother Virgie Arthur were all taken to view Anna Nicole’s body yesterday.

The trio took a break from the ongoing court proceedings to visit Anna Nicole at the Medical Examiners office. According to Extra, a local funeral parlour had been brought in to dress the room and apply make-up to Anna Nicole’s body - the first time that the medical examiners had allowed such a procedure.

Earlier in court, Howard had spoken about Anna Nicole’s use of medication, saying: “Anna Nicole took prescription medication, mostly for depression. It’s not like Anna was medicated all the time.”

He admitted that Anna Nicole regularly took Topamax (for migraines or epilepsy) and Dilaudid (a powerful painkiller) but while she had taken methadone in the past, she hadn’t taken it “in my presence over the last five months.”

Presiding judge Larry Seidlin then asked if Anna Nicole was abusing drugs but Howard refused to comment, saying: “Look, I’m not a doctor.”

However Larry Birkhead, who is challenging Howard over the paternity of Anna Nicole’s daughter Dannielynn, has recalled that Howard and Anna Nicole had “a duffel bag” full of drugs. Speaking on the witness stand, Larry described time Anna Nicole spent in hospital in April last year - when she was four months pregnant - and how Howard and Anna Nicole supplement the hospital’s medication from their own supply.

Larry added that during her hospital stay, he helped Anna Nicole make “a baby book” in which she identified him as the father of the baby and Howard as “Uncle Howard”.

Larry will return to the witness stand today with Judge Seidlin expected to make a judgement on the case tomorrow morning.

In related news, Virgie Arthur has accused Howard of profiting from the deaths of both Anna Nicole and her son Daniel Smith.

While on the witness stand, Virgie said: “I have not profited from the death of Daniel and Anna Nicole - but [Howard] has. He sold video of her death. That’s why he wants her body.”

She added: I heard that Entertainment Tonight is buying her funeral … for a million bucks. He’s the one who’s getting the money - I’m not.”

Howard admitted that he currently has no income of his own and that he is “borrowing money from my parents” to support himself but if Anna Nicole’s estate wins the ongoing dispute with the Marshall family, as Anna Nicole’s lawyer, he stands to collect 6% of the total amount: if the estate wins the reported $500million, Howard will receive around $30million.