The name Anna Nicole Smith is synonymous with a larger-than-life bubbly blonde bombshell. Best known for her short-lived marriage to 89-year-old billionaire J Howard Marshall, which resulted in a lengthy legal battle over his estate, her life was marred by tragedy, before it was cut short just prior to her 40th birthday.
But there’s so much more to the former Playboy model than meets the eye. Indeed, it’s no wonder so many films are being made about Anna Nicole’s life, with big names including Margot Robbie rumoured to be playing her.
Humble beginnings
Born Vickie Lynn Hogan on 28 November 1967, in Houston, Texas, Anna Nicole had a very working-class upbringing in small town Mexia, Texas, with single mother and deputy sheriff Virgie Tabers Arthur.
Dropping out of school, she got a job at a fried chicken shop. At 17, she married co-worker Billy Wayne Smith. But their relationship was reportedly abusive and after giving birth to son Daniel in 1986, Anna Nicole left with the six-month-old to pursue her dreams of fame and fortune.
A star is born
In 1992, the aspiring model adopted the stage name “Anna Nicole” and posed for Playboy twice, putting her in contention for 1993’s Playmate of the Year. She caught the attention of Guess president Paul Marciano and in 1993, she replaced supermodel Claudia Schiffer as the face of Guess jeans.
With her substantial contract, she was able to buy a four-bedroom home in Houston, three horses and two cars, plus hire a nanny.
Film roles began rolling in too, most notably 1994’s Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.
The stripper and the billionaire
It was while working at Houston strip club Executive Suite in 1991 that the 23-year-old first met billionaire oil tycoon J Howard Marshall, then 86, who’s said to have helped fund her modelling ambitions.
In June 1994, Anna Nicole married J Howard, who was 63 years her senior. But less than 14 months later, he passed away, aged 90.
Despite not being in her husband’s will, Anna Nicole claimed she was verbally promised half his estate. It was worth $2.5 billion at the time.
J Howard’s stepson Pierce contested the claim. The case played out in the courts for years, eventually ruling in Pierce’s favour.
The circle of life
In June 2006, Anna Nicole announced she was expecting her second child. Three months later, she gave birth to a daughter in the Bahamas.
In a tragic turn of events, Daniel died from an accidental drug overdose three days later. He was visiting his mum and baby sister in hospital at the time.
In a sweet tribute, Anna Nicole named her daughter Dannielynn after her late son.
While attorney Howard K Stern always insisted he was Dannielynn’s father, entertainment photographer Larry Birkhead quickly filed a paternity lawsuit.
A DNA test revealed that Larry was indeed Dannielynn’s father. The birth certificate was amended and he returned to the US with the baby in April 2007.
Sadly, Anna Nicole never recovered from her son’s death. Five months after losing Daniel, she also died from an accidental drug overdose. The model was found unresponsive in her room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Florida on 8 February 2007. She was 39 years old.
Her legacy
Dannielynn turned 18 in September 2024. Despite her rough start to life, by all accounts, the high school graduate is a well-adjusted, humble, kind young woman.
While Dannielynn may not have known her mother growing up, her dad Larry has made every effort to keep Anna Nicole’s memory alive. The pair mark the anniversary of her passing every year with cake and stories, while she’s an ever-present topic in their household.
“In our house, every day is Anna Day,” Larry said in 2019. “We talk about her and remember her all the time.”
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