01of 11Glamour GirlMR Photo/Corbis OutlineDivorced as a teen, widowed at 27 and dead at 39,Anna Nicole Smithlived a life worthy of a soap opera. Known for her fierce drive, the Mexia, Texas, native (who was born Vickie Lynn Hogan) began her transformation into a Hollywood star four decades ago.
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Glamour Girl
MR Photo/Corbis Outline
Divorced as a teen, widowed at 27 and dead at 39,Anna Nicole Smithlived a life worthy of a soap opera. Known for her fierce drive, the Mexia, Texas, native (who was born Vickie Lynn Hogan) began her transformation into a Hollywood star four decades ago.
02of 11Small Town, Big DreamsSplash NewsAt 17, the high school dropout married Billy Smith, a 16-year-old cook at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken, the hometown restaurant where she worked. The pair had a son, Daniel, in January 1986, and divorce a little over one year later.
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Small Town, Big Dreams
Splash News
At 17, the high school dropout married Billy Smith, a 16-year-old cook at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken, the hometown restaurant where she worked. The pair had a son, Daniel, in January 1986, and divorce a little over one year later.
03of 11From Nobody to Some BunnyScott Downie/CelebrityPhotoJust four years after making $60 a week as a Wal-Mart checkout girl, the single mom sent nude photos of herself toPlayboyand landed a photo shoot. She made her cover debut in March and was named Miss May 1992. She got an even bigger honor the following year when she was named Playmate of the Year.
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From Nobody to Some Bunny
Scott Downie/CelebrityPhoto
Just four years after making $60 a week as a Wal-Mart checkout girl, the single mom sent nude photos of herself toPlayboyand landed a photo shoot. She made her cover debut in March and was named Miss May 1992. She got an even bigger honor the following year when she was named Playmate of the Year.
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Lovestruck Again
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Reality Check
E! ENTERTAINMENT
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reuters/landov
In 2006, Smith hit the highest of highs and lowest of lows: she welcomed daughter Dannielynn (born Sept. 7, 2006), whom Stern called their “one ray of hope,” days before son Daniel, then 20,died of a drug overdoseon Sept. 10, 2006.
08of 11A Mother’s LoveDenise Truscello/WireImageThe sudden loss of Daniel shattered Smith, sending her into seclusion. “She’s overwhelmed,” her attorney at the time, Michael Scott, told PEOPLE shortly after the tragedy. “She’s trying to come to grips with the depths of her despair.”
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A Mother’s Love
Denise Truscello/WireImage
The sudden loss of Daniel shattered Smith, sending her into seclusion. “She’s overwhelmed,” her attorney at the time, Michael Scott, told PEOPLE shortly after the tragedy. “She’s trying to come to grips with the depths of her despair.”
09of 11Two of a KindRay Nichols/Splash NewsThrough it all, the one constant in Smith’s life was companion Stern, Growing even closer in the wake of Daniel’s death, the couple announced their love to the world — exchanging vows in a Sept. 28, 2006, commitment ceremony in the Bahamas.
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Two of a Kind
Ray Nichols/Splash News
Through it all, the one constant in Smith’s life was companion Stern, Growing even closer in the wake of Daniel’s death, the couple announced their love to the world — exchanging vows in a Sept. 28, 2006, commitment ceremony in the Bahamas.
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Place Among the Stars
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Smith (here, arriving at an awards show in 2004) once toldPlayboyin her Playmate questionnaire: “I want to be the new Marilyn Monroe.” And like the young Norma Jean, the bombshell set her sight firmly on Hollywood. Smith told PEOPLE in 1993 that she deserved her shot at stardom: “I want it so bad. I’ve tried so hard my whole life. I’m kindhearted, and I give, give, give. I think maybe it’s my time to receive.”
Tragically, Smith died of a drug overdoseon Feb. 8, 2007, at the age of 39.
11of 11Diving InA 2023 Netflix documentary,You Don’t Know Me, explores and dispels myths about the model and reality star — and uncovers some shocking truths. Ahead of the film’s release, friends and family opened up to PEOPLE about Smith’s difficult life.“She was this icon of female perfection,“director Ursula Macfarlane shared. “Throughout her life, she was just trying to be what she thought other people wanted her to be. I don’t know if Anna Nicole truly knew who she herself was.”
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Diving In
A 2023 Netflix documentary,You Don’t Know Me, explores and dispels myths about the model and reality star — and uncovers some shocking truths. Ahead of the film’s release, friends and family opened up to PEOPLE about Smith’s difficult life.
“She was this icon of female perfection,“director Ursula Macfarlane shared. “Throughout her life, she was just trying to be what she thought other people wanted her to be. I don’t know if Anna Nicole truly knew who she herself was.”
source: people.com
