Vickie Lynn Marshall (November 28, 1967 - February 8, 2007), better known under the stage name of Anna Nicole Smith, was an American model and television personality. She first gained popularity in Playboy, becoming the 1993 Playmate of the Year. She modeled for clothing companies, including Guess jeans. She starred in her own reality TV show, The Anna Nicole Show.
Born and raised in Texas, Smith dropped out of high school and first married at the age of 17. Her highly publicized second marriage to oil business executive and billionaire J. Howard Marshall, 63 years her senior, resulted in speculation that she married the octogenarian for his money, which she denied. Following his death, she began a lengthy legal battle over a share of his estate; her case, Marshall v. Marshall, reached the U.S. Supreme Court on a question of federal jurisdiction. In the months before her death, she was the focus of renewed press coverage surrounding the death of her son, Daniel Smith.
Met her second husband, J. Howard Marshall II, when she was a topless dancer in Houston in 1991.
(28 April 1998) Crowned Miss Republic of Cuervo Gold, a title she retained for one year. She was one of 8 contestants, but won because "her party spirit won out".
Playboy Playmate of the Month May 1992.
Playboy Playmate of the Year 1993.
She began modeling at 20.
She liked lying in bed, watching TV and shopping.
Married J. Howard Marshall II when she was 26; he was nearly 90.
Former Guess? jeans model.
Has fought her former stepson, E. Pierce Marshall, in court since November 1999, suing for half of her late husband's $1.6 billion estate. In Sept. 2000, LA bankruptcy judge awarded Anna $449,754,134 from husband's estate. But in July 2001, Houston judge Mike Wood vacated that award and ordered her to pay over $1 million in fees and expenses to stepson E. Pierce Marshall's team. Finally, in March 2002, was awarded $88 million from the estate of her late husband, but was denied claim that she was also owed interest on that money. As of January 2007, the legal war wages on.
Her daily life was televised on E! network's "Anna Nicole Show, The" (2002) which debuted in August 2002. The last episode aired June 1, 2003.
Measurements: 36A-25-37 (dancer in Texas 1988), 42DD-26-38 (after implants early 1990s), 39DD-27-39 (1993 Playmate of the Year), 39D-27-39 (slimmed down after rehab & dieting). (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Playboy Playmate of the Month May 1992. Playboy Playmate of the Year 1993. She's the biggest (tallest, heaviest, biggest measurements) Playmate of the Year, although India Allen (1988) and Julie Cialini (1995) were also 5'11" tall.
Her Playmate data sheet for May 1992 gives her measurements at 36DD-26-38 with a weight of 140 lbs. When she became Playmate of the year, her weight was reported at 155 lbs. Her weight reached a peak of 224 lbs in 1996, but she managed to slim down to a reported 138 lbs in 1997. She gained weight since and was close to her peak weight in 2002, but she lost down to her natural weight in 2005 (back down to her 1990s modeling weight) and was a representative of a weight-loss program.
Worked in a fried chicken restaurant in Mexia, TX, and married one of the cooks (Billy Smith), according to Playboy Playmate of the Year interview.
After her first pictorial in Playboy, Guess? Jeans designer Paul Marciano was so intrigued by her look that he contacted Playboy to ask "Who is this girl?" He signed her as the Guess? Jeans model on the spot, no question asked.
An advertising campaign for Swedish fashion company "H&M" with posters of Anna caused several car accidents in major European cities (1994).
On September 7, 2006, she gave birth to a healthy 6 pound, 9 ounce baby girl named Dannielynn Hope. The name Hope is in memory of the baby's deceased brother, Daniel Smith (VIII), who died suddenly while visiting his mother and newborn sister in their hospital room on September 10, 2006.
Her son, Daniel Smith (VIII), died suddenly while visiting his mother and newborn sister in their hospital room over the week ending 10th September 2006. He had flown to the Bahamas on Saturday to join his mother and was in her hospital room Sunday when he collapsed.
Howard K. Stern announced on "Larry King Live" (1985) that he is the father of Anna Nicole's daughter, and that he and Anna have been in a relationship for some time. Photographer Larry Birkhead filed suit to force DNA testing to prove he is the father. Howard and Anna fought Birkhead's efforts, going so far as moving to the Bahamas to have the baby. On 1 May 2007, Birkhead was allowed to leave the Bahamas with the baby after a DNA test proved his paternity.
Born to Donald Eugene Hogan and Virgie Mae Tabers, she was raised by her mother and her aunt Elaine after her parents' divorce in 1969.
The character "Hanna Nicola Smythe" on the NBC soap opera "Passions" (1999) is based on her.
Has five half-siblings, including half-sister Donna Hogan.
Mother, Virgie Hart, is a sheriff's deputy.
Descended from George Soule, married with Mary Bucket or Becket and Mayflower passenger.
Before landing her first cover of Playboy magazine, Anna was working at Wal-Mart earning $60 a week.
Anna's line from her Trim-Spa commercials, "Like my body?", also became her catchphrase.
Was a supporter of gays and lesbians, and even attended the 35th annual Los Angeles Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual & Transgender Pride Parade in 2005.
Her substantial Guess earnings enabled her to hire a nanny to help care for then-7-year-old-son Daniel and buy a four-bedroom home in Houston, three horses and two cars.
When Guess? Jeans executive Paul Marciano first saw Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith in an early 1990s issue, he immediately thought of Jayne Mansfield. Marciano hired Anna Nicole to replace Claudia Schiffer as a Guess? Spokesmodel and molded Anna's look and black-and-white photo sessions after Jayne Mansfield in the Guess? Jeans advertisement campaign.
