Anna Nicole Smith: Her Life, Death, and Financial Legacy

Anna Nicole Smith rose from a Texas waitress to a Playboy Playmate, then into a tabloid dynasty that never quite ended. But behind the headlines was a legal saga that stretched from a Texas oil fortune to the U.S. Supreme Court — and left a young daughter, Dannielynn, as the sole heir.

Born: 1967 (age 39 at death) ·
Died: February 8, 2007 ·
Cause of death: Accidental drug overdose ·
Known for: Playboy Playmate, reality TV star

The table below lays out the essential biographical details of Anna Nicole Smith’s life.

The pattern: a legal battle for millions ended with a modest estate and a daughter inheriting a fraction of the fortune.

What happened to Anna Nicole Smith?

Anna Nicole Smith died on February 8, 2007, at age 39, from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, according to Reuters. She was found unresponsive in a hotel room in Hollywood, Florida. Her death came just five months after the birth of her daughter Dannielynn and months after the death of her son Daniel.

What was Anna Nicole Smith’s cause of death?

The official cause was an accidental overdose of chloral hydrate and benzodiazepines, as reported by Reuters.

How did Anna Nicole Smith become famous?

She rose to fame as a Playboy Playmate, becoming Playmate of the Year in 1993, and later starred in the reality TV show The Anna Nicole Show. Her marriage to 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II in 1994 made her a tabloid fixture.

Did Anna Nicole Smith ever get any of her husband’s money?

She married J. Howard Marshall II in 1994; he died in 1995. After his death, Smith engaged in a decade-long legal battle over his estate. In 2002, a Texas jury awarded her $474 million, but the ruling was overturned on appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 2008, and Smith ultimately received nothing from the Marshall estate, according to FindLaw Supreme Court analysis. The implication: her decade of litigation yielded no payout from the billions at stake.

What happened to all of Anna Nicole Smith’s money?

Smith’s 2001 will left everything to her son Daniel, as ABC News Australia reported. Because Daniel predeceased her, the bequest failed, and the estate fell into intestacy. Under California law, Dannielynn became the sole heir, unless a valid marriage to Howard K. Stern could be proven. The estate was valued at about $720,000 in May 2007, per the New York Post.

How much did Anna Nicole Smith leave her daughter?

Smith left an estimated $1.6 million to Dannielynn in a trust fund, according to court records cited by CBS News. The trust is managed by attorney Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead. In March 2008, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Dannielynn was the exclusive heir to Smith’s estate, as Reuters reported.

The implication: Dannielynn’s inheritance, while modest compared to the Marshall fortune, was secured through a legal process that consumed years of litigation.

Who did Anna Nicole Smith have a baby with?

The father of Dannielynn is Larry Birkhead, a photographer. DNA testing confirmed paternity in 2007, shortly after Smith’s death. Birkhead was awarded full custody and has raised Dannielynn out of the public eye in Kentucky.

What does Larry Birkhead do for a living now?

Larry Birkhead works as a freelance photographer and lives in Kentucky, focusing on raising Dannielynn away from the spotlight.

What is Dannielynn Birkhead doing today?

Dannielynn is a teenager and attends school in Kentucky. Her father has said she is a “normal kid” who loves sports and art, as reported by CBS News.

How old would Anna Nicole Smith be if she was still alive?

Anna Nicole Smith was born on November 28, 1967. If she were alive today (2025), she would be 57 years old. Her birthday is still remembered by fans and commemorated on social media.

For Dannielynn, the legacy of her mother’s legal battles is a stable, private life far from the tabloid glare. The trust fund, though modest, ensures she will never be caught in the same financial warfare that consumed her mother’s final years.