Anna Nicole Smith was a highly controversial and widely discussed celebrity of the 90s. Her claim to fame came through her appearance in Playboy magazine, ultimately earning her the prestigious title of Playmate of the Year. Smith further solidified her presence in the modeling world by collaborating with renowned fashion brands like Guess and H&M.
Regrettably, as is often the case, Smith’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune eventually led to her downfall.
Anna Nicole Smith, originally born as Vickie Lynn Hogan in 1967, spent her formative years in Houston, Texas. Raised primarily by her mother and aunt, she faced a challenging upbringing, marked by financial difficulties. Anna’s father had reportedly left when she was just a baby.
Friends and acquaintances have recounted the tough conditions of Anna’s childhood, describing her mother, Virgie, as stern and their family life as demanding. Longtime friend Jo McLemore shared insights with ABC News, highlighting the difficulties of Anna’s early years.
Despite these challenges, Anna embarked on a path that included dropping out of high school and entering into a quick marriage with Billy Smith, who, like her, was a high school dropout. Their union led to the birth of Anna’s first child, her son Daniel, when she was just 18 years old.
Following the dissolution of her marriage with Billy, Anna Nicole Smith found herself navigating single motherhood without the support of education or employment. Faced with the challenges of raising her son alone, she eventually turned to dancing at a bar as a means of making a living. However, her life took a surprising turn when she captured the attention of the influential Playboy Magazine.
After several successful photoshoots with Playboy, Anna Nicole quickly rose to prominence in the modeling industry. Her talent and appeal led to a contract with William Morris, a highly esteemed talent agency in the United States. Subsequently, modeling opportunities poured in, and Anna Nicole became a global sensation, participating in advertising campaigns around the world. One of her notable ventures was a lingerie photoshoot for the Swedish clothing company H&M, which generated significant headlines and controversy.
People regarded Nicole Smith as a potential traffic hazard – drivers would simply lose focus when they saw her pictures on billboards along the highways.
At the peak of her career, Anna Nicole Smith was one of the most recognized individuals globally, and newspapers couldn’t get enough of her. For her part, Anna seemed to relish the attention.
“I love the paparazzi. They take pictures, and I just smile away. I’ve always liked the attention. I didn’t get very much growing up, and I always wanted to be, you know, noticed,” she once told the Washington Post.
But, of course, the life of a mega-celebrity had its dark sides.
Her high-profile relationship with petroleum tycoon J. Howard Marshall was the beginning of her downfall. The 63-year-old age difference between Anna and her elderly husband raised many eyebrows – a lot of people believed that Anna was only interested in Marshall because of his fortune.
The couple married in 1994, but just six months after the ceremony, Marshall became ill. He died in 1995 at the age of 90. The loss took a heavy toll on Anna.
”After my husband passed, it was really, really hard on me,” Smith told “20/20” in 2000.
”He knew me when I was nobody, and that’s what people don’t understand, and I don’t wanna be called a gold digger because I’m not. I could’ve married him a week after we met, or two weeks after we met. I could’ve married him years before, and I didn’t. I didn’t. I went out and I made something of myself.”
In the following years, Anna spent a lot of her time in the courtroom. She fought with Marshall’s family over her husband’s will. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006.
Anna Nicole died of an overdose in 2007, but just a few months before that, she had given birth to her daughter, Dannielynn. Dannielynn was born in New Providence, the Bahamas, and Anna announced her pregnancy in a video on her website.
In the wake of her famous mother’s death, Dannielynn quickly became one of the most talked-about children in the world. Her upbringing was surrounded by drama and speculation.
“Initially, several men claimed to be the girl’s dad, and a court eventually ordered a paternity test that revealed that Anna Nicole’s boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, was, in fact, Dannielynn’s dad.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I told you so. I’m the father. My baby’s going to be coming home pretty soon,” Larry told reporters outside the courthouse in Nassau, the Bahamas, in 2007.
Many worried about the future of the little girl, as there are far too many examples of celebrity children who go down the wrong track, having to put up with a life they didn’t ask for.
Thankfully, dad Larry seems to have a healthier idea of how to raise a child. She’s been enrolled in a regular school, been in the scouts, and gone to church every Sunday. Currently, Dannielynn resides with her father in Kentucky.
“Anna Nicole was seduced by the showbiz lifestyle, and Larry wants to make sure Dannielynn doesn’t end up like her,” a source told National Enquirer a few years ago. “[Anna Nicole was] chasing stardom and surrounded by greedy hangers-on.”
Today, 14 years after her mother’s death, you can really see Anna Nicole when looking at the little girl’s face — according to many over the years, Dannielynn is the spitting image of her beautiful mother.
Now that she’s a bit older, you can really see her personality shine through and look how similar she is to her father!
According to what Larry told Us Weekly, Dannielynn wants to “be a YouTuber and make videos.” However, he has told her, “‘That’s a lot of work, and you’re only 11 years old. If it’s something you want to do when you get older, you can, but right now let’s sell some Girl Scout cookies.
And it’s clear that Anna Nicole’s daughter thinks of her mother -– often.
Last year, during Kentucky Derby, Dannielynn paid tribute to her late mother by wearing a pink dress, similar to the one Anna wore in 2004.
Please share if you think Anna Nicole Smith would have been very proud of her daughter!