anna nicole smith

Her highly publicized marriage to oil business executive and billionaire J. Howard Marshall, who was 63 years her senior, resulted in tumultuous speculation that she married the octogenarian merely for his money, which she denied. Following his death, she began a lengthy and ongoing legal battle over a share of his estate. Her case, Marshall v. Marshall, reached the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2006 on a technical question of federal jurisdiction.

Smith's career and public image subsequently suffered as her weight gain and antics were reported in supermarket tabloids and in her reality television series, The Anna Nicole Show (2002-2004).

More recently, Smith slimmed down to her former shape and became the spokeswoman for the weight loss product TrimSpa.

Early life

She was born Vickie Lynn Hogan in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Donald Eugene Hogan (born July 12, 1947) and Virgie Mae Tabers (born July 12, 1951). Her half-sisters are Donna Hogan and Amy Hogan.

When she was very young, Smith's family moved to Mexia, a small town 79 miles (127 km) south of Dallas. Her father then left the family; he and Virgie were divorced November 4, 1969. Smith was raised by her mother and maternal aunt, Elaine. Virgie, who was married previously to Mr. Tacker, was subsequently married to Mr. Hart and to Mr. Arthur. She worked as a law enforcement officer for 28 years.

While growing up, Vickie told others she wanted to be the next Marilyn Monroe. While working as a waitress at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken in Mexia, she met Billy Wayne Smith, who was the cook at the restaurant. They were married April 4, 1985. She was then age 17 and he was 16. The next year, she gave birth to their son, Daniel Wayne Smith (January 22, 1986-September 10, 2006). She and Billy separated in 1987 and she moved back to Houston with one year old Daniel. They were officially divorced February 3, 1993, in Houston.

Initially, she found employment at Wal-Mart and later as a waitress at Red Lobster, but could not make enough money to support herself and Daniel. She then became an exotic dancer.

In 1991, Smith began taking modeling and voice lessons. In October of that year, she saw an ad in the newspaper to audition for Playboy magazine. She then went on to careers in modeling and acting.

Playboy and modeling career

Smith's career took off after she was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March 1992 issue of Playboy wearing a low-cut evening gown.

She was subsequently called "the next Marilyn Monroe" in press reports, a comparison she encouraged by wearing a hair style reminiscent of Monroe's, as well as her trademark white dress.

Becoming one of Playboy's most popular models, Smith began a trend for a more voluptuous look. She next posed nude for the May 1992 centerfold (under the name Vickie Smith).

Smith was chosen to be the 1993 Playmate of the Year. By the time of her PMOY pictorial, she finally settled on the name Anna Nicole Smith.

She secured a contract to replace supermodel Claudia Schiffer in the Guess? jeans ad campaign in a series of sultry black and white photographs. Guess? capitalized on Smith's strong resemblance to sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and even put her in Jayne-inspired photo sessions.

Smith once did a nude Playboy layout in Mansfield's famous Beverly Hills mansion, the "Pink Palace."

A photograph of the voluptuous model was used by New York magazine on the cover of its August 22, 1994 issue for an article titled White Hot Trash. In the photo, she appears squatting in a short skirt and cowboy boots as she eats chips.

In October 1994, her lawyer initiated a $5,000,000 lawsuit against the magazine claiming unauthorized use of her photo and that the article had damaged her reputation. Her lawyer said that Smith was told she was being photographed to embody the "All-American-woman look" and that they wanted glamour shots. He further stated that the picture used was taken for fun during a break. The editor of New York said that the photo was one of dozens taken for the cover and that he guessed they just found the picture that was chosen unflattering.

Marriage to Marshall

While performing at Gigi's, a Houston strip club, in October 1991, Smith met elderly oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall and they began a relationship. During their two year relationship, he reportedly lavished gifts on her and asked her to marry him several times.

On June 27, 1994, Smith, age 26, and Marshall, age 89, were married in Houston. This resulted in a great deal of gossip about her marrying him for his money. Though she reportedly never lived with him ^[1], Smith maintained she loved her husband and that age did not matter to her.

After being married 14 months, Marshall died on August 4, 1995, in Houston.

Inheritance court cases

Within weeks of J. Howard Marshall's death, Smith squared off against his son, E. Pierce Marshall, for half of her late husband's $1.6 billion estate. She joined forces with J. Howard's other son, James Howard Marshall III, whom the elder Howard had disowned. Howard III claimed J. Howard orally promised him a portion of his estate; like Smith, Howard III was also left out of J. Howard's will, which he updated weeks after their marriage. ^[2] The case has gone on for more than a decade, producing a highly publicized court battle in Texas and several judicial decisions that have gone both for and against Smith in that time.

In 1996, Smith filed for bankruptcy in California as a result of a $850,000 judgment against her in a legal action unrelated to the Marshall estate. As any money potentially due her from the Marshall estate was part of her potential assets, the bankruptcy court involved itself in the matter. ^{dubious — see talk page]}

Smith claimed J. Howard orally promised her half of his estate if she married him. In September 2000, a Los Angeles bankruptcy judge awarded her $449,754,134. In July 2001, Houston judge Mike Wood affirmed the jury findings in the probate case by ruling that Smith was entitled to nothing and ordered Smith to pay over $1 million in fees and expenses to Pierce's legal team. The conflict between the Texas probate court and California bankruptcy court judgments forced the matter into federal court. ^{dubious — see talk page]}

In March 2002, a federal judge vacated the California bankruptcy court's ruling and issued a new ruling but reduced the award to $88 million. In December 2004, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the March 2002 decision, affirming the Texas Probate jury findings that no misconduct had occurred, Smith was not one of J. Howard Marshall's heirs and that the federal courts lacked jurisdiction to overrule the probate decisions of a Texas state court. ^{[3] dubious — see talk page]}

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in September 2005 to hear the appeal of that decision. The Bush Administration subsequently directed the Solicitor General to intercede on Smith's behalf out of an interest to expand federal court jurisdiction over state probate disputes. ^{[4] dubious — see talk page]}

After months of waiting, Smith and her stepson Pierce learned of the Supreme Court's decision on May 1, 2006. The justices unanimously decided in favor of Smith. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion, stating that Smith should get a chance to pursue her claims in federal court. (See Marshall v. Marshall)

This decision does not give Smith a portion of her husband's estate; it merely affirms her right to pursue a share of it in federal court. The long-running legal drama is unlikely to end any time soon, because many remaining issues need to be decided upon remand. The most important issue is which judgment deciding the issues is first in time, Texas Probate or Federal District Court. ^{dubious — see talk page]}

On June 20, 2006, E. Pierce Marshall died at age 67 after an infection. His widow, Elaine T. Marshall, now represents his estate. ^[5]

The case has been remanded to the 9th Circuit to adjudicate the remaining appellate issues not previously reached.

Film and television career

Though her film appearances in The Hudsucker Proxy and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult were highly publicized in 1994, little was done to further Smith's acting career. Her first starring role was as Colette Dubois, a retired spy seeking revenge for the murder of her husband, in the action/thriller To the Limit (1995).

Smith next starred in the action/thriller Skyscraper (1997), which she also produced, as a woman helicopter pilot, Carrie Wisk, who lands on a high rise building and, upon learning it has been taken over by terrorists, becomes engaged in a deadly fight to save hostages.

Both films, and Smith's performances in them, were usually critically panned. During the course of the litigation over her late husband's estate, her career stalled. Her legal battle, her increasing weight, and her reportedly bizarre behavior made her regular fodder for late night television comedians.

In 2002, she debuted in her own reality TV series on the E! cable network, The Anna Nicole Show. The series focused on her personal and private life in the manner of other "reality" shows, such as the ratings hit The Osbournes.

The debut of the The Anna Nicole Show was the highest rated series on the network, but critics blasted it and ratings dropped with each successive week. However, it achieved a cult status as many fans found humor in Smith's absurd antics. The show was canceled in February 2004 due to "creative differences," but has retained some life in reruns and on DVD releases.

Smith's next appearance on the big screen was as herself in Wasabi Tuna (2003), which is about a group of friends who kidnap her dog, Sugar-Pie, on Halloween. She appeared as herself again in Be Cool (2005), a crime/comedy about the film and music industries that stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman.

In 2006, she starred as Lucy in Illegal Aliens, which she also produced, a sci-fi/comedy about beautiful space aliens saving the earth from evil.

Smith as spokesperson

In an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, she was asked what her "Playmate diet" consisted of. She instantly replied, "fried chicken." In October 2003, she became a spokesperson for TrimSpa, which helped her lose a reported 69 lbs. (31 kg).

In November 2004, she appeared at the American Music Awards to introduce a musical performance and attracted attention because of her slurred speech and behavior. During her live appearance, she threw her arms up and boisterously exclaimed, "Like my BODY?!"

Smith murmured other comments and alluded to TrimSpa. The incident became comic material for presenters throughout the rest of the program. ^[6]

The following day, her appearance was featured in the news. Tabloids speculated that Smith was under the influence of pills or some other controlled substance. Her representatives explained that she was in pain due to a series of grueling workouts. They further asserted that she had difficulty reading the prompter because she was not wearing her contact lenses.

After reportedly losing some 80 lbs. (36 kg), Smith returned to her trim shape from the early 1990s.

In March 2005, at the first MTV Australia Video Music Awards in Sydney's Luna Park, she spoofed Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction by pulling down her dress to reveal both breasts, each covered with the MTV logo.

Smith has also been featured in advertisements for the animal rights group PETA. Spoofing Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" segment in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, a 2004 ad states "Fur-free blondes are best." In another ad the following year, Smith posed with her dogs in a campaign against Iams dog food for their alleged cruelty to animals.

As of 2006, Smith gave up modeling. She does, however, remain a spokesperson for TrimSpa.

Family

Birth of her daughter

On June 1, 2006, Smith announced on her official website that she was 1 to 2 months pregnant. On September 7, 2006, Smith gave birth to a baby girl at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas. Anna Nicole's longtime personal attorney, Howard K. Stern, claimed in an interview with Larry King, on CNN's Larry King Live, that he has loved Anna for a long time and that they are confident that he fathered the baby because of the timing of the pregnancy.^[7] The Bahamian birth certificate lists her daughter's name as Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern with Howard as the father.^[8] Entertainment photojournalist Larry Birkhead is maintaining his contention that he is the baby's father and has filed a lawsuit to challenge paternity.^[9] On September 28, Anna Nicole and Howard exchanged vows in an informal wedding ceremony in the Bahamas, though it was not a legally binding marriage.^[10] Their wedding photos were sold through Getty Images to People Magazine for around US$1 million.^[11]

Death of her son

Main article: Daniel Wayne Smith

On September 10, 2006, Anna Nicole's 20-year-old son, Daniel Wayne Smith, died suddenly while visiting his mother in her hospital room after the birth of her daughter.^[12] After the coroner labeled the death "reserved", Anna Nicole Smith hired forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht to perform a second autopsy on Daniel.^[13] Wecht announced on Larry King Live that Daniel died from a lethal combination of Zoloft, Lexapro, and methadone. Although he explained that methadone is used in the treatment of heroin and morphine addiction, he said he has no information to make any conclusion about the reason Daniel was using the drug.

On September 18, 2006 Getty Images sold the last photos taken of Daniel alive at Anna Nicole's bedside to In Touch Weekly and Entertainment Tonight for at least US$650,000.^[14] On September 21, 2006 a death certificate was issued for Daniel Wayne Smith so that he could be buried.^[15] On October 7, friends and family, including Daniel's father Billy Smith, gathered in Mexia for a memorial service while Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern remained in the Bahamas. Daniel was buried at Lake View Cemetery on Nassau Island, Bahamas on October 19, 2006, almost 6 weeks after his death. It has been reported that Anna Nicole intends to live on the island, with no plans to return to the United States.^[16]

Filmography

• The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) (comedy/fantasy) ... Za-Za
• Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) (comedy/crime) ... Tanya Peters
• To the Limit (1995) (action/thriller) ... Colette Dubois/Vickie Linn
• Skyscraper (1997) (action/thriller) ... Carrie Wisk
• Wasabi Tuna (2003) (comedy/action) ... Herself
• Be Cool (2005) (comedy/crime) ... Herself
• Illegal Aliens (2006) (comedy/sci-fi) ... Lucy

TV series appearances

• Sin City Spectacular (1998) (FX Network)
• Veronica's Closet (1999) (Warner Bros. Television) episode: Veronica's Wedding Bell Blues ... Donna
• Ally McBeal (1999) (20th Century Fox Television) episode: Pyramids on the Nile ... Myra Jacobs
• N.Y.U.K. (2000) ... (AMC) Dr. Anita Hugg

Appearances in Playboy special editions

• Playboy's More to Love Playmate Vol. 9 June 1993 - cover.
• Playboy's Nudes December 1993 - page 4.
• Playboy's Bathing Beauties March 1994 - Stephen Wayda, page 5.
• Playboy's Wet & Wild Playmates September 1994 - pages 6-7.
• Playboy's Nudes November 1994.
• Playboy's Supermodels February 1995.
• Playboy's Nude Celebrities June 1995.
• Playboy's Playmate Tests November 1998.
• Playboy's Celebrating Centerfolds Vol. 1 December 1998 - pages 48-49.
• Playboy's Sexy 100 February 2003 - cover.

Trivia

• In 1993, Smith appeared in the promotional video for Bryan Ferry's single "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."
• In 1997, she recorded a cover version of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy," originally made famous by Marilyn Monroe. The song was released in France & a video featuring Smith was made to promote it.
• In 1997, Swedish punk band KKPA recorded a song called "Anna Nicole Smith."
• On the NBC soap opera Passions, a character based on Smith by the name Hanna Nicola Smythe made an appearance.
• Sum 41 wrote a song about her called "A.N.I.C." ("Anna Nicole Is A Cunt")
• In the Drawn Together episode Freaks & Greeks, she is parodied via the Toot Braunstein character.