by Diana Gordineer

Created on: February 14, 2007   Last Updated: March 19, 2010

It's hard to say what Anna Nicole Smith will be remembered for. Modeling for Playboy and Guess Jeans? Her legal battles over her late husbands billions? As a reality tv star? Trimspa Spokeswoman?or most recently the birth of her daughter Dannilyn, the paternity war that rages on, the tragic death of her beloved son Daniel at the age of 20. Whatever role she will be remembered for no one can deny she played an interesting and often bizarre part in our American culture. And now after her sudden death, she the media has made her a legend in her own right. She once stated she would like to become "The Next Marilyn Monroe" ... the blonde bombshell image was not the only thing she had in common with Marilyn. Tragically, on February 8, 2007 like her idol Anna Nicole Smith died under mysterious consequences, alone at age 39.

Anna Nicole Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan, on November 28, 1967 in Houston Texas.As a child all she ever talked about was becoming a star. In 9th grade she quit school,moved to a tiny town called Mexia Tx, and started working at a chicken restaurant where she met Billy Smith, they got married in 1985. The following year in what Anna would call the best day of her life, she gave birth to her son Daniel Wayne Smith. In 1987 Anna and Billy separated, and Anna and Daniel moved to Houston. Anna got a job as a stripper at the local club, and met oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall .

In 1993 Anna Nicole divorced Billy Smith, and in 94 married J. Howard Marshall... she was 26, he was 87. Just 13 months after their marriage, J. Howard Marshall passed away. A legal battle ensued when Howard Marshall's son, James Howard Marshall the third, took Anna to court, where she claimed she was entitled to half of the billionaires fortune. In the meantime, Anna Nicole was becoming a star.. scoring ad's with Guess Jeans and becoming Playboy's Playmate of the year in 1993. Drawing yet another comparison to her idol Marilyn... Vickie Lynn Hogan changed her name..... she was now Anna Nicole Smith.

In later years, She was offered various movie roles here and there, but they were never memorable.Then she became the star of her own reality tv show, and gained many fans.She became a household name more for her bizarre behavior and crazy antics than for anything else. And then there is the weight gain, which made her the favorite target for tabloid newspapers. Despite the loyalty of her fans "The Anna Nicole Show" was canceled in 2004. In recent years, she was thrown back into the limelight with her dramatic weight loss, making her a spokeswoman for the diet aid "Trimspa".

In Septemeber 2006, she was over joyed by the birth of her daughter DanniLynn Hope, but sadly her joy would turn to sorrow when her only son Daniel died of a drug overdose on September 12. She was never the same again. In the midst of her grief, she was thrown into yet another legal battle this time for the paternity of her little girl. Just 5 months after the birth of her daughter, Anna Nicole joined her son.

No one knows, what happened February 8, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino. Only that she was found alone. Taken too soon.

She was hardly Princess Diana, Mother Teresa or even Marilyn Monroe, still there was a sadness and a vulnerability about her that made you care. The media circus surrounding her death has made her a part of Hollywood immortality and perhaps brought her more fame then she ever could have imagined. Hopefully death has brought her the peace she was so denied in life.

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