A new Netflix documentary takes a deep dive into the life of late reality television star, Anna Nicole Smith. Her biography facts are explained below.
Although it has been over 15 years since the death of Anna Nicole Smith, her life and legacy continue to fascinate people.
Model and actress Anna Nicole Smith led a life that was undeniably marked by controversy and scrutiny. Born Vickie Lynn Hogan, she rose to fame as a Playboy Playmate and quickly became a Hollywood bombshell likened to Marilyn Monroe.
The former model is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me“. The Netflix documentary promises to show a new side of the late reality television star. Through stories told by friends and family, viewers will apparently get to know Anna Nicole more than the woman who allegedly married for money and then died a tragic death.
Amid her documentary, TheVibely has gathered 10 interesting generic facts about the late American model, including but not limited to her career, family, personal life, and finances. Below is everything you need to know about Anna Nicole Smith.
Profile Summary
| Celebrated Name: | Anna Nicole Smith |
| Net worth before death: | $1 million |
| Profession: | Model, reality star, actor |
| Full Real Name: | Vickie Lynn Hogan |
| Date of birth: | November 28, 1967 |
| Date of death: | February 8, 2007 |
| Birthplace: | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Spouse: | J. Howard Marshall (m. 1994–1995), Billy Wayne Smith (m. 1985–1993) |
| Children: | Dannielynn Birkhead (daughter), Daniel Wayne Smith (son) |
| Parents: | Virgie Mae Hogan (mother) Donald Eugene Hogan (father) |
| Siblings: | Donna Hogan, Donnie Hogan, Amy Hogan, David Tacker Jr., Donald Hart |
1. Who was Anna Nicole Smith?
Anna Nicole Smith (born Vickie Lynn Hogan) was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith started her career as a Playboy magazine centerfold in May 1992 and won the title of 1993 Playmate of the Year. She later modeled for fashion companies, including Guess, H&M, and Heatherette.
Smith dropped out of high school in 1984.
Smith was featured on the cover of the March 1992 issue of Playboy magazine as Vickie Smith. She appeared as the Playboy Playmate of the Month in a pictorial shot by Stephen Wayda for the May 1992 issue.
Smith secured a contract to replace supermodel Claudia Schiffer in a Guess jeans ad campaign featuring a series of sultry black-and-white photographs. During the Guess campaign, she took on the stage name “Anna Nicole”. Guess photographers noticed Smith bore a striking resemblance to bombshell Jayne Mansfield and showcased her in several Mansfield-inspired photo sessions.
In 1993, she modeled for the Swedish clothing company H&M, which led to her picture being displayed on large billboards in Sweden and Norway. Smith was featured on the cover of Marie Claire, shot by Peter Lindbergh in October 1993, and in GQ magazine earlier that year.
She married in 1985 and divorced in 1993. In 1994, her highly publicized second marriage to 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall resulted in speculation that she married him for his money, which she denied.
Smith passed away in February 2007 in Hollywood, Florida, of combined drug intoxication.
SOURCE: NETFLIX
2. Anna Nicole Smith was born in 1967.
Anna Nicole was born in Houston, Texas, United States on November 28, 1967. She died on February 8, 2007, at the Memorial Regional Hospital, in Hollywood, Florida, United States. She was 39 years when she passed away.
SOURCE: NETFLIX
3. Anna Nicole was raised by her mother, who was a police officer.
In February 2017, a little over a year before she died, Anna Nicole’s mother spoke with The Daily Mail for the 10th anniversary of her daughter’s death. In the interview, Virgie Mae Hogan talked about the person she called Vickie Lynn. “She was very young, very beautiful, and very funny when she was Vickie Lynn,” shared Virgie. “People won’t know her as Vickie Lynn as we do. Her family knows her because they were raised with her.”
Anna Nicole’s parents Virgie Mae and Donald Hogan got divorced before she turned two. Anna Nicole’s mother wasn’t in support of her working in the club. Virgie was a police officer who recalled a time she yanked her daughter out of a strip club where she was working. “Vickie Lynn, you’re not going to do that kind of work. You’re supposed to be working at Red Lobster,” she told her daughter.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight (via CBS News), Anna Nicole once said, “You want to hear all the things she did to me? All the beatings and whippings? That’s my mother. That’s my mom.” However, the Netflix documentary tells a different tale. A fellow dancer and friend, a woman called Missy, revealed that Anna Nicole borrowed details from Missy’s life to garner sympathy and gain attention.
In a previously unaired interview in the documentary, Virgie talks about a time she asked her daughter why she lies about her past. “I make more money telling sad stories than I make telling good stories,” said Virgie. She also claimed Anna Nicole didn’t care what people thought about her, as long as she got paid.
Virgie died on Nov. 18, 2018, “after a long and courageous battle with cancer,” per her obituary. She was described as someone who was “very sympathetic to women and children who were victims of domestic abuse,” and was even teaching self-defense classes to women.
SOURCE: NETFLIX
4. Anna Nicole Smith paid to see her father following his divorce from her mother.
In the documentary, we learn that Anna Nicole grew up convinced that her father left because of her mother. Once Anna Nicole was successful, she hired a private investigator who tracked down her father in 1993. This was also the year Playboy named her Playmate of the Year, so things were seemingly going well.
There’s footage of Anna Nicole meeting her father and half-brother at the airport. Donald Hogan and Donnie Hogan were then taken to the Playboy mansion for a party Hugh Hefner threw in the Playmate’s honor. They also went to Disneyland together. Sadly, things took a very dark turn. In the film, Donnie said, “My father is not the type of guy you want to be alone with. You’re not going to feel safe.” Missy claimed that later, Anna Nicole said her father tried to have sex with her.
What Anna Nicole didn’t know, was her father was kicked out of the house by Virgie after she discovered he raped her 10-year-old sister, reported The Guardian. “He pleaded guilty to that rape and to that of another underage girl and spent six months in jail,” then remarried and started an entirely new family. Donald also sexually assaulted his daughter from his second marriage. This is why Anna Nicole’s mother kept them apart. Donald died in September 2009.
5. Anna Nicole was her parents’ only child but had 5 half-siblings.
When the late model’s parents divorced in 1969, her mother Virgie remarried a man named Donald R. Hart in 1971 and Anna Nicole was suddenly surrounded by five half-siblings namely Donna Hogan, Donnie Hogan, Amy Hogan, David Tacker Jr., and Donald Hart, in the small town of Mexia, Texas.
Her sister Donna Hogan is a writer and the Vice President of Bounce Back Women, a non-profit organization made up of Celebrities, Olympians, and other strong successful women who lend their support and resources to empower and inspire women who have overcome adversity.
Donnie Hogan is also a famous author of “In the Shadows”.
SOURCE: ABC NEWS
6. Anna Nicole Smith was married to two men including a billionaire.
Anna Nicole Smith married her first husband, Billy Wayne Smith when she was 17.
Anna Nicole, born Vicky Lynn Hogan on Nov. 28, 1967, grew up in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, she worked at Jim’s Krispy Chicken in Mexia, where she met her first husband, Billy Wayne Smith. The pair dated for a while until they decided to get married in 1984. At the time, Billy was 16, and Anna was 17.
Anna Nicole gave birth to the couple’s son, Daniel Wayne Smith, one year into their marriage. However, soon after Daniel was born, Anna Nicole, and Billy began having issues with their marriage.
In 1987, Anna filed for divorce from her husband, and the divorce didn’t finalize until 1993 — though Anna had already set her sights on her husband No. 2 during the separation.
Anna Nicole moved on to her second husband, billionaire J. Howard Marshall, in 1991.
SOURCE: ABC NEWS
After leaving Billy, Anna Nicole worked at a Houston strip club in 1991. While there, she met J. Howard Marshall was a wealthy petroleum oil businessman who owned part of Koch Industries. Anna Nicole and Marshall dated for two years; they began their relationship when she was 24 and he was 86.
Due to J. Howard’s generosity, many naysayers called the 1993 Playmate of the Year a “gold-digger.” However, Anna Nicole maintained that she genuinely loved J. Howard, and proved as much when they married in 1994. Sadly, just one year later, J. Howard died at age 90.
Anna Nicole’s second husband’s death led to a lengthy court battle for the billionaire’s inheritance against his son, E. Pierce Marshall. The battle lasted for years, ending with the court ruling that Anna Nicole wasn’t entitled to her late husband’s money.
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
7. Anna Nicole dated a handful of other men.
Anna Nicole Smith’s relationship history was just as colorful as the fallen model and reality star was. We’re diving into her love life!
According to Distractify, former reality TV star, Anna Nicole briefly dated Ed Hardy CEO Christian Audigier and was in a long-term relationship with Peter Nygard, Prince Frederic Von Anhalt, and quietly dated her attorney, Howard K. Stern.
Anna Nicole Smith’s relationship with Larry Birkhead made headlines after her 2007 death.
As Anna Nicole’s fans mourned her untimely death, a new development came regarding the paternity of her daughter, Dannielynn. In 2003, Anna became involved with a photographer named Larry Birkhead. Anna and Larry met at the Barnstable Barnes Gala the night before the Kentucky Derby. However, they had a volatile relationship that ended with Anna becoming pregnant with Dannielynn.
According to an email thread from Anna Nicole describing her pregnancy, she admitted to being estranged from Larry when the baby was conceived. However, before she died, she and Howard claimed they were Dannielynn’s parents, and Anna put Howard’s name on the birth certificate.
Still, in October 2006, while Anna was still alive, Larry filed a paternity case against her and claimed he was Dannielynn’s birth father.
The case was resolved two months after Anna died in 2007. A paternity test confirmed Larry is Dannielynn’s father, and the court awarded him full custody. Dannielynn is also the sole heir to her mother’s estate.
Since the custody battle, Larry and Dannielynn have remained closer than ever. Larry also ensures his daughter never forgets her mother, especially since she now looks just like her!
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
8. Anna Nicole had two children before she died; one with her first husband and one from one of her relationships.
Anna Nicole Smith was a mother of two children; a late son and a daughter. The names of her kids are Daniel Wayne Smith and Dannielynn Birkhead.
Anna Nicole and her marriage with her first husband Billy Wayne Smith resulted in the birth of her first child; a son named Daniel Wayne Smith. He was born one year into their marriage and after his birth, his parents faced marital issues and eventually, they divorced.
Following Anna and Billy’s divorce, she left her son Daniel Smith in her mother’s care after the incident at the strip club. She moved in with a friend from the club and told her mother, “You keep him, you take care of him.” By most accounts, Virgie was a good person unless you asked Anna Nicole herself.
What happened to Anna Nicole Smith’s son? ‘Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me’ dives into what happened with Anna’s son. In 2007, Daniel Wayne Smith died from an accidental overdose. But his death was not so simple. At only 20 years old, his death was surrounded by mysterious circumstances.
9. What did Anna Nicole Smith die off?
Devastated by the death of her son, Anna Nicole Smith died just a few months later.
Anna died from “an accidental overdose with no other criminal element present” according to the Seminole Police Department in Florida. The coroner’s toxicology report found that she also had a bacterial infection and the flu at the time of her death.
Regardless, both Anna and Daniel’s stories are tragic looks into how fame can be a curse as much as a blessing. Daniel appeared on Anna’s reality series, The Anna Nicole Show, at just 16 years old. He decided in the second season he no longer wanted to be part of it. He was a straight-A student who attended Los Angeles Valley College, but by 20 years old, he was gone.
10. Anna Nicole Smith was a millionaire before she died.
During her lifetime, she was many things: a model for both Playboy and Guess, an actor, a sex symbol, and a prototype for our modern, famous-for-being-famous brand of celebrity.
So, how much was Anna Nicole Smith worth before she died? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Anna Nicole Smith’s net worth was $1 million at the time of her death.
Nicole faced off with her late billionaire husband Marshall’s son, E. Pierce Marshall in a legal battle over his wealth inheritance. Marshall wrote his will after he married Anna Nicole, cutting her out entirely, leaving her nothing other than the 8 million dollars worth of property and jewelry he had given her while he was alive.
