Anna Nicole Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan in 1967. She married Billy Wayne Smith in 1985, and the following year the couple had a son, Daniel Smith. Anna Nicole Smith dreamed of becoming rich and famous, envisioning herself as the next Marilyn Monroe. After moving to Houston in 1987, she found work as a dancer at strip clubs. In 1991 she began dating billionaire J. Howard Marshall II, who was more than 60 years her senior.
After sending nude photographs to Playboy, Anna Nicole Smith appeared on the cover and in the centerfold of the adult magazine’s March 1992 issue. That year she began modeling for Guess. In 1993 she was named Playboy’s Playmate of the Year. During this time Smith also began landing small roles in films and TV shows. In 1994 she married Marshall, and he died the following year. Smith launched a lengthy—and ultimately unsuccessful—bid to inherit millions from his estate. Smith’s turbulent personal life, which included a dependence on drugs, soon overshadowed her career.
In 2006 Smith gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn. Three days later her son, Daniel, died from an accidental drug overdose. In 2007 Smith also died from an accidental overdose. She was 39 years old.