Ten years ago today, February 8, Anna Nicole Smith died at the age of 39 amid a much-publicized paternity and custody battle over her then-newborn daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead. Scroll down to revisit the late Playboy model’s life in pictures on the milestone anniversary of her death.
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Ten years ago today, February 8, Anna Nicole Smith died at the age of 39 amid a much-publicized paternity and custody battle over her then-newborn daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead. Scroll down to revisit the late Playboy model's life in pictures on the milestone anniversary of her death.
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Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan on November 28, 1967, and was raised in Mexia, Texas. She was raised by her mother, Virgie Arthur, and aunt Kay Beall after her father, Donald Hogan, divorced her mother in November 1969. While working at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken restaurant in Mexia, a teenage Smith met cook Billy Wayne Smith, and the couple married in 1984 when she was 17 years old. They welcomed a son named Daniel in 1986 before separating a year later. (Above photo, from left: Anna Nicole Smith, Billy Wayne Smith, Daniel Smith, Virgie Arthur.)
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In 1991, Smith met Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II while working at a strip club in Houston. In 1994, Smith, then 26, married Marshall, then 89. Marshall died at age 90 in 1995. Smith was not named in his will, but she claimed he had promised her a share of his estate. She fought Marshall's son, E. Pierce Marshall, in court for more than a decade. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court but was never resolved, as E. Pierce died in 2006 and Smith died a year later.
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Smith landed her first Playboy cover in March 1992 with the name Vickie Smith. She went on to do four more covers for Hugh Hefner's famous adult magazine, including the June 1993 Playmate of the Year issue. Her final cover was published in May 2007.
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Smith emulated her idol, the late Marilyn Monroe, in a 1992 Guess ad. In the black-and-white shoot, she showed off her ample curves and stunning smile, making her a household name.
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In 2002, Smith gave fans an inside look at her quirky and lavish lifestyle in the E! reality series The Anna Nicole Show. The show, which aired for three seasons until 2004, followed Smith's day-to-day life with attorney Howard K. Stern, interior designer Bobby Trendy, cousin Shelly Cloud and, of course, her miniature poodle, Sugar Pie.
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In June 2006, Smith announced that she was pregnant in a video message posted on her website. While floating on an inflatable pool toy, she said, "Yes, I am pregnant. I'm happy. I'm very, very happy about it." Smith welcomed daughter Dannielynn in the Bahamas in September 2006.
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Both Stern and entertainment photographer Larry Birkhead claimed they were Dannielynn's father, which led to a paternity lawsuit. In April 2007, a Bahamian judge ruled Birkhead as the father after extensive DNA tests. Stern did not contest the ruling.
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Three days after Smith gave birth to Dannielyn, her son, Daniel, died at age 20 of an accidental overdose. Daniel's death quickly became a hot topic in the media as Smith struggled to cope with the devastating loss of her firstborn. Stern later said Smith "emotionally ... died when Daniel died."
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In September 2006, Stern and Smith exchanged vows and rings in a commitment ceremony in the Bahamas, but an official marriage certificate was never issued.
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Smith died at the age of 39 in February 2007. She was found unconscious in her room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, after accidentally overdosing on a combination of prescription medications. She was buried alongside Daniel in the Bahamas.
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Birkhead, who was granted custody of Dannielynn in 2007, has raised his daughter in Louisville, Kentucky, since Smith's death. Dannielynn, now 10, bears a striking resemblance to her mother, particularly with her blonde hair and adorable smile. "She is doing great," Birkhead previously told USA Today. "[She] has become this funny, intelligent, beautiful girl that I am so proud of."
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