Anna Nicole Smith: A Media Circus Inside the Celebrity Zoo

When Vickie Lynn Marshall entered her photos in a national search contest to help her modeling career, she had no idea she would be 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 referred to as "the next Marilyn Monroe" in press reports, a comparison she encouraged by wearing a hairstyle reminiscent of Monroe's, as well as her trademark white dress. She gained widespread popularity as Playboy's 1993 Playmate of the Year. Thereafter, she was better known by her stage name Anna Nicole Smith. Her highly publicized marriage the following year to oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall, who was 63 years her senior, resulted in considerable 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 stands for the U.S. Supreme Court rule that bankruptcy courts have very extensive federal jurisdiction. Apparently, Anna Nicole is known to have been an American model, actress and celebrity. Yet most of what comes to mind in reminiscence of her career is the sad fact that nothing became her in life like the leaving of it.

She was born Vickie Lynn Hogan on November 28, 1967 in Houston, Texas. She was the daughter of Donald Eugene Hogan and Virgie Mae Tabers who were married on February 22, 1967. Her father then left the family; he and Virgie were divorced. Smith was raised by her mother and maternal aunt, Elaine. Virgie was subsequently married to Donald R. Hart (1971), to Joe D. Thompson (1987), to James T. Sanders (1996), and to James H. Arthur (2000). After Virgie married Donald R. Hart, Vickie changed her name to Nikki Hart. While growing up, Vickie told others she wanted to be the next Marilyn Monroe. She failed her freshman year at Mexia High School, dropped out of her sophomore year, and never progressed past an eighth grade education. 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 17 years old. Her new husband Billy was 16. The next year, she gave birth to their son, Daniel Wayne Smith. After Vickie and Billy separated in 1987, she moved to Houston with one-year-old Daniel. Initially, she found employment at Wal-Mart and later as a waitress at Red Lobster. She then became an exotic dancer at a nightclub in Houston.

After 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 eventually chosen to be the 1993 Playmate of the Year. By the time of her pictorial, she had finally settled on the name Anna Nicole Smith. She secured a contract to replace supermodel Claudia Schiffer in a Guess jeans ad campaign; a series of sultry black and white photographs. Guess capitalized on Smith's strong resemblance to sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and even cast her in Jayne-inspired photo sessions. Smith once did a nude Playboy layout in Mansfield's famous Beverly Hills mansion, the "Pink Palace." When a photograph of the voluptuous model was used by New York magazine on the cover of its August 22, 1994 issue titled White Trash Nation, 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. In the photo, she appears squatting in a short skirt and cowboy boots as she eats chips. Her lawyer claimed 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 was taken for fun during a break. The editor of the magazine said that the photo was one of dozens taken for the cover and that he supposed Smith found the picture that was chosen "unflattering". 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. She divorced her husband Billy on February 3, 1993 in Houston. 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. Smith maintained she loved her husband and that age did not matter to her. Despite considerable speculation that she married the octogenarian merely for his money, a United States court somehow found no truth to this. During this time period, Vickie had hundreds of thousands of dollars in her checking account thereby removing the motive and necessity to marry. Their lives seemed intertwined by need and driven by greed and lust. Nevertheless, the Court was convinced of his love for her. J. Howard referred to Vickie as the "light of my life," and the lady that saved his life. His relationship with her provided the happiest moments of his last few years. He considered Vickie his reason for living, and the joy that she brought him undoubtedly helped him live another four years. There is no question that he showered her with gifts and sought to protect her and provide for her. The Court is more cautious about her love for him. J. Howard became Vickie's knight in shining armor. His help propelled her to the highest levels of stardom, something unimaginable for a girl from her background. She cherished the protection and security that he afforded her and the lavish gifts that he gave to her in order to win her affection. J. Howard used his money to persuade Vickie to fall in love with him and in her own way, she eventually did. Thirteen months after his marriage to Smith, Marshall died on August 4,1995 in Houston.

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. 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. 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. 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. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in September 2005 to hear the appeal of that decision. The Bush administration in all its profound wisdom subsequently directed the Solicitor General to intercede on Smith's behalf out of an interest to expand federal court jurisdiction over state probate disputes. 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. (See Marshall v. Marshall) The decision did not give Smith a portion of her husband's estate, but affirmed her right to pursue a share of it in federal court. On June 20,2006 E. Pierce Marshall died at age 67 after an infection. His widow, Elaine T. Marshall, now represents his estate. The case has been remanded to the 9th Circuit to adjudicate the remaining appellate issues not previously resolved.

Although Anna Nicole's performances in the films The Hudsucker Proxy and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult were highly publicized in 1994, they did little to further her acting career. She finally landed 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). (I have never heard of it either) Smith followed with a starring role in the action/thriller Skyscraper (1997) (which she also produced) as helicopter pilot Carrie Wisk, who lands on a high rise building. Upon learning it has been taken over by terrorists, she becomes engaged in a deadly fight to save hostages. Both films and her performances in them were strongly criticized. 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 called The Anna Nicole Show. The series focused on her personal and private life similar to other hit reality shows, such as The Osbournes. Her reality show debut became the highest rated series on the network but as critics continually blasted it, the ratings dropped with each successive week. However, it did achieve cult status as many fans found humor in Anna Nicole's absurd antics. In my opinion this became the lynchpin of the Anna Nicole fascination. In our society we are taught to exult in someone's downfall. To revel in their lack of integrity and smugly frown upon that which we whole-heartedly support. This is the sole reason for the staggering popularity of reality shows; i.e. the American Idol out-takes are the highest rated episodes and so forth. In February 2004 her show was cancelled due to "creative differences." It has since retained some life in reruns and on DVD releases. Smith's next appearance on the big screen was as herself in Wasabi Tuna (2003) about a group of friends who kidnap her dog, Sugar-Pie on Halloween. (As painful as that was to read it was excruciating to write) She then appeared as herself again in Be Cool (2005), a crime/comedy about the film and music industries starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman and The Rock. In 2006, she starred as Lucy in the film Illegal Aliens, a sci-fi comedy about beautiful space aliens who save the earth from evil.

In an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, she was asked what her so called "Playmate diet" consisted of. She instantly replied, "Fried Chicken." In October 2003, she became a spokesperson for the diet product TrimSpa, which supposedly 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. Smith murmured a few comments and alluded to TrimSpa. The incident became comic material for presenters throughout the rest of the program. The following day, 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. Either because of or in spite of these events and after reportedly losing a total 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 in a spoof of Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" segment in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her 2004 ad states "Fur-free blondes are best." The following year, Smith posed with her dogs in a campaign against Iams dog food for their alleged cruelty to animals. In 2006, Smith gave up modeling. She remained a spokesperson for TrimSpa.

On June 1, 2006 in a video clip posted on her official website Anna Nicole announced that she was pregnant. "Let me stop all the rumors," she exclaimed, while on an inflatable raft in a swimming pool. "Yes, I am pregnant. I'm happy. I'm very, very happy. Everything's going really, really good and I'll be checking in periodically on the web. I'll let you see me as I'm growing". Her announcement did not provide any details. However, in an interview with Larry King, Smith's longtime personal attorney Howard K. Stern said that he had loved her for quite some time and they were confident he fathered the baby because of the timing of the pregnancy. Almost simultaneously her ex-boyfriend, entertainment photojournalist Larry Birkhead, steadfastly maintained his contention that he was the father of the child and filed a lawsuit to challenge paternity. Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern, was born September 7, 2006 at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas. Her Bahamian birth certificate records the father as Howard K. Stern. A judge in the United States ordered that a DNA test be performed to determine the biological father of Dannielynn. In the wake of Anna's death, Debra Opri, the lawyer of Larry Birkhead, asked that a DNA sample be taken from her corpse. (This action outraged Smith's lawyer, Ron Rale, who called it "the lowest form of behavior I've ever heard of". The request was denied by a judge, ordering Smith's body to be preserved until February 20.)

As if things could not get any more bizarre, on February 9, 2007, Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt claimed that he had a decade-long affair with Smith and could potentially be the father of her infant girl, Dannielynn. On September 10, 2006 in his mother's hospital room while visiting her and his newborn sister, Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel Smith suddenly died. After the coroner labeled the death "reserved," Smith hired forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht to perform a second autopsy. Dr. Wecht announced on Larry King Live that the procedure he performed on September 17 showed 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 he was using the drug. His death certificate was issued on September 21, so that he could be buried. While Smith remained in the Bahamas with Dannielynn and Stern, Daniel's family in the United States, including his father, Billy Smith, gathered with friends on October 7, in Mexia, Texas, for a memorial service. Daniel was buried at Lake View Cemetery on Nassau Island, Bahamas on October 19, six weeks after his death. It was reported that Smith intended to live on the island, with no plans to return to the U.S. On September 28, 2006 Smith and Howard K. Stern exchanged vows and rings in an informal commitment ceremony aboard the 41-foot catamaran Margaritaville off the coast of the Bahamas. She wore a white dress and carried a bouquet of red roses, while he wore a black suit with white shirt. Although they pledged their love and made a commitment to one another standing before a Baptist minister, no marriage certificate was issued and the ceremony was not legally binding. After the ceremony, they landed on the island of Sandy Kay where they had a party and celebrated with champagne and apple cider that had been brought over for the occasion by sailboat. When asked about the questionable timing of the ceremony, Smith's attorney in Nassau stated, "They needed a little adrenaline boost because things have been so hectic and devastating in their lives recently". The photos of their ceremony were eventually sold through Getty Images to People Magazine for around $1,000,000.

On February 8, 2007, Smith was found unresponsive in a room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. A spokeswoman from the hotel stated that Smith checked in on February 5th at 8 PM as a guest and was due to check out on Friday, February 9th. According to Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger, at 1:38 PM a nurse in Smith's sixth floor room called the hotel front desk who in turn called security. They placed called 911. At 1:45 p.m. a bodyguard administered CPR. She was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital at 2:10 and pronounced DOA at 2:49. Smith's companion, Howard K. Stern was with her when she died and has since reported to Entertainment Tonight that her temperature was running 104 degrees the night before. Smith's attorney, Ron Rale, stated that Smith had flu-like symptoms in the days before her death. Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines reported that Smith had to take an ice bath on February 5th after her fever reached 105 degrees. According to the medical examiner, the official cause of her death is still unknown. The Police chief said that there is no indication that a crime had occurred in relation to Smith's death. Prescription drugs were found in the hotel room, but the preliminary results of the autopsy found no drugs in her stomach.

Though many of her family and friends have eloquently eulogized her, the most poignant obituary was written by Cintra Wilson in Salon magazine.

"When she was able to suppress her demons enough to pull herself together and look her best, Anna Nicole was fabulously gorgeous. ... Anna Nicole was a star because she possessed an unusually large amount of beauty. At her best, she didn't evoke Marilyn Monroe so much as Anita Ekberg in "La Dolce Vita" -- the strapless black dress, mounds of white flesh, piles of blond hair. She was indelicate, but an unstable element nonetheless -- not so much a candle in the wind as a bonfire in a hailstorm. But the real similarity between Anna Nicole and Marilyn was their shimmering tension -- an unsettlingly powerful physical beauty, collapsing irresistibly in real time beneath the frailties of its hostess. She was entropy porn at its finest".

I would like to think that she was an anomaly of popular culture. The product of a throwback mentality which at it's best was misunderstood and at worst misguided. This is still no excuse for the brutal and exhausting coverage of her downfall, death and subsequent funeral; a media circus fed by impropriety which reflects poorly on our society in general and Americans specifically.

On February 9, 2007, a California Judge ordered that Smith's body be preserved until February 20th so that a hearing in the paternity dispute over her 5-month-old daughter can be held. Anna Nicole Smith has reportedly left no will. She was not legally married to Stern. Her child will most likely receive all her assets, but hopefully not all of her attributes.