Judge OKs $60M Lawsuit against Anna Nicole Smith Book Author

A New York judge says a jury can decide whether an author who wrote a best-selling book about Anna Nicole Smith’s death defamed her lawyer and companion.

Federal Judge Denny Chin found plenty of reasons on Wednesday to let a jury hear the facts behind a $60 million libel lawsuit brought by lawyer Howard K. Stern against “Blonde Ambition” author Rita Cosby.

Chin wrote that Cosby had made allegations in her book that may be too explosive to be true.

He says the jury may conclude that Cosby ignored the improbable nature of some of her statements in her zeal to write a blockbuster book.

He also dropped publisher Hachette Book Group USA Inc. as a defendant.

A lawyer for Cosby did not immediately return a telephone message for comment.