Prosecutors presented the tape in a preliminary hearing last week as evidence that Stern and two doctors conspired to keep Smith in a drug stupor in the two years before her death.

In what has become known as the “clown video,” a 9-year-old girl seems uncertain whether Smith is pretending or is really having “brain trouble.”

Acting or not, Smith’s face — painted like a clown’s — is a disturbing sight in light of her death from “acute combined drug intoxication” six months later.

Stern shot the 45-minute-long video at Smith’s Bahamas home on August 12, 2006, at a ninth birthday party for Riley Shelley, the daughter of a friend, according to court testimony.

Real or pretend?

The video begins with Stern — behind the camera — talking to “Mark.” Other remarks suggested Mark was a video editor who he expected would get the tape.

“Riley, paint, paint Anna’s face,” Stern said to the child.

As the child draws the clown face on Smith, Stern is heard saying, “By the way, Mark, the post is white.”

“Huh?” Smith said.

“I’m just giving somebody notes,” Stern said. “Telling him that what color is white.”

Stern is also heard directing the child.

“Riley, let me get just one tight one of you like you’re doing her makeup,” Stern said.

‘Brain trouble’

One segment involved Riley telling Smith she could not go with her to a water park because of her pregnancy. Smith was responsive when Stern asked her to repeat a line.

Smith: “I want to go.”

Riley: “You can’t.”

Smith: “Why not?”

Stern: “Cause of your baby.”

Smith: “My baby’s over there sleeping.”

Stern: “Your other baby, your baby down there.”

Riley: “Your baby down there.”

Stern: “That one.”

Smith: (Pointing to her pregnant abdomen) “I think I just have a little gas.”

Stern: “Say it again. Say it again.”

Smith: “I think I just, I think I’m just some gas trouble.”

When Riley walks to the side of a swimming pool to get the doll — which was a birthday gift to her from Smith — Stern directs the child to do it again for the camera.

Stern: “Let me get a shot of the baby. Let me just get a shot of the baby. No. Yeah. Put it down, OK.”

Riley: “Look. She’s having brain trouble, brain trouble.”

‘Footage is worth money’

Another segment raises questions about whether Smith knew Stern’s intentions with the video.

Stern: “Your boob just showed. Anna, watch your boob. Your right one. It just keeps popping out.”

Riley: “I’ll fix it.”

Stern: “Don’t show that Mark. If you even get this tape. This footage is worth money.”

Smith: “Huh?”

Stern: “I said this footage is worth money.”

Smith: “Why? What footage?”

Stern: “This thing you’re looking into.”

Smith: “That’s the camera.”

‘Howard, seriously help’

At one point, Riley appeared to be confused and worried about Smith’s condition.

Riley: “Anna? Hey, Bunny, Bunny.”

Smith: “Uh, huh.”

Riley: “Are you doing this all for the video?”

Smith: “Doing what?

Riley: “Caring for the baby.”

Smith: “Huh? No, this is my baby.”

Riley: “Howard, help. Howard, seriously help. Cut off the tape.”

Key witnesses

Riley and her parents have become key witnesses in the criminal case against Stern and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor.

An investigator testified that Riley told him she saw Stern pour a liquid “medicine” for Smith before the video was recorded.

Riley’s mother, Gina Shelley, also described seeing Stern feed pills to Smith, the investigator said.

Their testimony and the use of the “clown video” at trial, however, is complicated by the hostile relationship between the family and Stern.

Smith’s estate, which Stern controls, is involved in a lawsuit against Riley’s father, Ford Shelley. Stern says Shelley stole the tape from Smith’s home the day after she died.

Segments of the video were broadcast in the weeks after Smith’s death on February 8, 2007.

Shelley was already involved in a legal dispute with Smith before her death over ownership of the Bahamas house where she lived. She said the house in the Bahamas was a gift to her from Shelley’s father-in-law, G. Ben Thompson.

Defense lawyers said the tape should not be admitted as evidence because, they said, a section that would have shown Smith was acting was edited out.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry said the video did not make a difference in his decision to send the case to trial.

“I assumed [producers] would not want a reality show about my life as it really is, because my life is drama-free now,” said the Grammy Award-winning artist. “If they wanted drama, they would have had to have caught me 10 years ago.”

The singer, whose full name is Monica Denise Arnold, has overcome some terrible experiences.

She witnessed the suicide of a despondent boyfriend and was involved with rapper C-Murder (whose real name is Corey Miller and who is the brother of rapper Master P) when he was arrested for the shooting death of a fan.

But those times are now behind the mother of two young sons. She’s happily settled in a committed relationship with her children’s father, rapper Rocko, and currently starring in the BET show “Monica: Still Standing.” A new album is set to be released in the new year.

While she’s had success with singles like “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days),” “Angel of Mine” and her duet, “The Boy Is Mine,” with singer Brandy, the 29-year-old is looking to break through to superstar status.

“I think this is her moment,” said her cousin and longtime manager, Melinda Dancil. “People have seen ‘the artist Monica,’ but they have never really seen ‘the person Monica,’ and the person Monica is really what creates her engaging personality.”

The singer is quick to point out that “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor,” and said she wants her legacy to extend beyond just her reputation as a singer, songwriter and occasional actress.

She spoke to CNN about her career, why you won’t see her in a catfight with another female singer and what makes her emotional.

CNN: What do you hope fans take away from your new reality show?

Monica: My main objective is to show some form of strength.

I think people experience a lot, especially in this day and age, and especially young people, and people don’t normally speak directly to them.

I think they will take the idea of strength, the idea of faith and the idea of family away from it. The latter two are things that people don’t like to talk a lot about or deal a lot with, in my experience.

CNN: At what point are you in your career?

Monica: I’m at the point in my career where it’s time for me to start defining who I am as an artist.

I would love for people to look at me as a great singer, but also know exactly who I am, the way that we have loved and respected people like Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle having gone through the different stages of their lives with them. That’s the type of history I want to have.

This is the defining moment where I separate myself from others by whatever it is I do and the way that I do it.

There was a moment at the 2009 BET Awards where you and Keyshia Cole performed [the duet "Trust"]. You came out singing, and the camera went to Beyonce in the front row where she was grooving.

What is it like to perform for your peers, some of whom may not have been in the business as long as you have, but who may have greater recognition?

Monica: You know, I don’t think about it a lot. I look at it like this: They work hard, so I know they want to see great entertainment as well. Any time I perform in front of my peers, I think about it that way.

I think about it the same way I do as when I am out on stage in front of a lot of people I don’t know. You give 120 percent, make sure you do your absolute best and try to make sure each performance is memorable.

CNN: What don’t your fans know about you?

Monica: I talk a lot about strength, faith and love, but I don’t ever talk about the fact that I am one of the most sensitive people in my family.

That might be the most shocking, because you always see me fighting the good fight, with the strong face on, but I am the most emotional.

CNN: What makes you emotional?

Monica: (Chuckles) Anything. I don’t like to see children hurt or in need. I don’t like to see people troubled or without, I don’t like to see death.

Some things make me emotional in a good way. When my son does well in school, I get real emotional because that’s a testament to what I’m feeding him at home on a daily basis as far as knowledge goes.

I wasn’t so emotional until I had my first son.

CNN: You gave up your teenage years to your career. Any regrets?

Monica: None. I still love it.

I always tell people that the music industry may be frustrating sometimes, but the singing never gets old. It’s something I grew up doing, and I take the bitter with the sweet.

CNN: What’s frustrating to you about the industry?

Monica: It’s frustrating to me to see how much they force people to compete. It’s not a competition. What is for me is for me, what’s for you is for you.

You can’t constantly make these artists feel like they can’t like each other or enjoy each other or do songs together because one is from this place and the other is from another. I think it’s foolish.