What is Anna Nicole Smith's real name and how did she die? Playboy model's story to be explored in Netflix docu Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me
Netflix is releasing a documentary titled Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me on May 16, 2023. It will reveal lesser-known details about the model and actress' personal life and even events leading up to her downward spiral and demise. Smith died on February 8, 2007, in Hollywood, Florida, at the age of 39. She is survived by her daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead.
Smith's real name was Vickie Lynn Hogan. She was born in Houston, Texas, on November 28, 1967, to Virgie Arthur and Donald Hogan. Since her father was mostly absent when she was growing up, her mother and aunt took on the responsibility of taking care of her. The reason for her death was the result of combined drug intoxication.
Anna Nicole Smith was featured on the cover for the March 1992 issue of the Playboy magazine
Even though Smith was at the height of her career throughout the 1990s, its' beginning was rather humble and overwhelming. She was a high school dropout whose first job was at a fast-food restaurant. She got married to Billy Wayne Smith, a fellow restaurant employee, at the age of 17 on April 4, 1985. Billy was a year younger than her.
A year after their marriage, their son, Daniel Wayne Smith, was born on January 22, 1986. Unfortunately, the couple separated a year later and finally divorced in 1993. Prior to her divorce, Smith was featured on the cover for the March 1992 issue of the Playboy magazine. She met 86-year-old American billionaire J. Howard Marshall at a Houston strip club in October 1991.
After having an affair for a couple of years, she married the billionaire on June 27, 1994. She was at the height of her career at this time, as she won the title of 1993 Playmate of the Year. Following their marriage, Smith was given the tag of a gold digger by the media, but she maintained that she was indeed in love with Marshall and that his age was not important to her. Unfortunately, her husband died thirteen months into their marriage at the age of 90.
A psychiatrist she consulted in 2006 revealed that she suffered from borderline personality disorder.
Her daughter, Dannielynn, was born in September 2006. But what was supposed to be the happiest days of her life quickly turned tragic as her 20-year-old son died just three days after the birth of her daughter. This incident resulted in her falling into a deep depression and becoming addicted to prescription drugs.
Dannielynn's father, Larry Birkhead, once commented on Anna Nicole Smith's descent into chaos by saying,
"You’ve got to think: My daughter was born on Sept. 7 and on Sept. 10, Daniel died. So you go from that extreme high and low, and how do you process that in your mind?"
Smith's body was found at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on February 8, 2007. She was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. Her death was due to combined drug intoxication. She was 39 at the time of her passing.
Birkhead commented on her death by saying,
"Although her death certificate will list a different cause — an accidental overdose — in my mind, I think she truly died of a broken heart."
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me synopsis
The synopsis of Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me, according to IMDb, reads,
"Anna Nicole Smith, featuring never before seen footage of the iconic Playboy and Guess jeans model, who blazed a trail through the 90s before her tragic death at the age of 39."
It will be released worldwide on May 16, 2023.