Who was Anna Nicole Smith and what was her cause of death?
FORMER model and pop culture sensation Anna Nicole Smith gained fame for her Playboy covers and relationships in the 1990s and early 2000s.
But who was she, and what caused her untimely death at the age of 39?
Who was Anna Nicole Smith?
Born Vickie Lynn Hogan in 1967 in Houston, Anna Nicole Smith had humble beginnings.
She worked in several low-paying jobs before finding fame, including stints in Walmart, Red Lobster, and a fried chicken restaurant.
She eventually became a stripper in a Houston club to support her young son.
Likened to Marilyn Monroe, Anna appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992 and was awarded Playmate of the Year in 1993.
She scored lucrative modelling contracts with Guess Jeans and clothing giant H&M while also appearing in the comedy sequel Naked Gun 33 & A Third.
Anna also appeared in her own reality show, The Anna Nicole Show, on E!.
The program was controversial as Anna continually appeared to be intoxicated during filming, often slurring her words.
She was mocked for slurring her words while introducing Kanye West during the 2004 American Music Awards.
What was Anna Nicole Smith’s cause of death?
The model died of an accidental drug overdose at a Hollywood, Florida hotel in 2007.
Her death was believed to be a result of “combined drug intoxication.”
“She was my best friend, my lover, the mother of my daughter. She was everything to me, literally everything. My whole world,” long time companion Daniel K. Stern told PEOPLE.
How many children did Anna Nicole Smith have?
Anna Nicole Smith had two children – Daniel Wayne Smith and Dannielynn Birkhead.
Her oldest child Daniel died of an accidental overdose at age 20 on September 10, 2006.
Stern said that Anna never recovered from the death of her son.
“Anna saw herself as both mother and father to Daniel,” he told People after her death.
“From the time I met her, everything was for Daniel.
“I would say that physically, she died last week, but in a lot of ways, emotionally, she died when Daniel died.”
Dannielynn, who is 16, is often compared to her mother, but the teenager prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
Was Anna Nicole Smith married and who were her ex-husbands?
The blonde bombshell was married two times in her life, first to Billy Wayne Smith when she was just 17.
After giving birth to her son Daniel, she separated from Billy the following year.
In 1994, Anna married 89-year-old multi-millionaire J. Howard Marshall when she was 26.
Oil baron Marshall died 13 months later, and Anna became embroiled in a legal battle over his fortune with his family.
What was Anna Nicole Smith’s net worth?
At the time of her death, Anna Nicole Smith had a net worth of roughly $1million.
Anna was not named in her former millionaire husband’s will, and she would continue to fight unsuccessfully for a portion of his estate for the rest of her life.