E! claims show wasn't Anna Nicole Smith's idea

The brilliant mind of Ashton Kutcher has brought us "Punk'd" and "Beauty and the Geek," so why would he have to resort to stealing ideas?

E!, which debuted the actor-producer's show "Pop Fiction" this past Sunday, is refuting the rumors that Kutcher stole the concept from none other than the late Anna Nicole Smith.

"'Pop Fiction' is a program independently created and developed by Ashton Kutcher's company, Katalyst," says the network in a statement released Wednesday. "'Pop Fiction' is not based on any idea or concept that may have been pitched to E! by any other party."

The comedic series turns the tables on the media and paparazzi, having celebrities create fake news items/events to see if they will be believed and reported.

The story goes that Smith and her crew, including her non-baby daddy/lawyer Howard K. Stern, pitched an identical idea to E! and even registered it with the Writer's Guild. At the time, E! allegedly decided the show wasn't doable. Rumors of a Stern lawsuit have been in the air, but so far, nothing has come to light.

In the meantime, we can just chalk it up to two great minds thinking alike.

Kutcher first gained fame as the goofy Michael Kelso on "That '70s Show" but later broke into film roles and then producing roles, creating the prank show "Punk'd," the reality social experiment "Beauty and the Geek," which debuted last night, "The Real Wedding Crashers," the Judy Greer-starring sitcom "Miss/Guided," which will premiere March 18, and the upcoming CBS series "Game Show in My Head." He and Tyra Banks will also combine forces to create an unscripted show for ABC.