Anna Nicole Smith: Cause of Death, Inheritance & Daughter

Born: November 28, 1967 ·
Died: February 8, 2007 ·
Age at death: 39 ·
Daughter: Dannielynn (born Sept 7, 2006) ·
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose

Key facts at a glance

These six labels cover the biographical essentials — from her legal name to her children.

Six facts summarize the arc of her life — a rise from obscurity, a controversial marriage, and a death that left more questions than answers.

What is Anna Nicole Smith’s cause of death?

Anna Nicole Smith was found unresponsive in a hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on February 8, 2007. She was 39. The Broward County Medical Examiner ruled the death an accidental overdose, with chloral hydrate as a major factor. Encyclopaedia Britannica confirms the cause. CBS News reported that at least nine medications were found in her system.

The medications included methadone, Valium, and a sedative, according to CBS News. Two infections also contributed to her death. Authorities found no indication of foul play, per the same source.

What caused the death of Anna Nicole Smith’s son Daniel?

• Daniel Smith died on September 10, 2006, just days after his sister Dannielynn was born. His death was drug-related, as reported by CBS News.
• The Bahamas coroner ruled his death an accidental overdose from a combination of methadone and antidepressants.

The pattern of loss was brutal: Anna lost her son five months before losing her own life, leaving Dannielynn as her only surviving child.

Who was with Anna Nicole when she died?

Her bodyguard, Maurice Brigham, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, were present in the hotel room when she was found unresponsive. CBS News noted that family members had been concerned about her health in the days before her death. The immediate presence of medical professionals did not prevent the outcome.

How much did Anna Nicole weigh when she died?

Reports at the time claimed she weighed around 150 pounds, but this figure has been disputed. The official autopsy report was never fully public, and CBS News focused on the toxicology results rather than weight. The exact number remains unclear, but it has little bearing on the medical cause of death.

The implication is that the public’s fixation on her body overshadowed the clinical reality: she died of what was in her bloodstream, not what she weighed.

How old was her baby when Anna Nicole Smith died?

Dannielynn Birkhead was five months old when Anna Nicole Smith died. She was born on September 7, 2006, in the Bahamas. Encyclopaedia Britannica confirms the birth date. Anna’s will had left everything to her son Daniel, who died before her, so Dannielynn did not directly inherit at that point.

What is Dannielynn Birkhead doing right now?

Dannielynn, now 18, lives a private life with her father Larry Birkhead in Kentucky. Her paternity was contested briefly after Anna’s death, but DNA testing confirmed Birkhead as the father. CBS News covered the trial. She has been largely out of the public eye, appearing occasionally with her father at events.

The pattern: Dannielynn’s childhood was deliberately shielded from the media circus that surrounded her mother’s final years.

How much money did Anna Nicole Smith get when her husband died?

Howard Marshall’s estate was worth approximately $1.6 billion, but Anna Nicole Smith initially received nothing from the will, which left the fortune to his son E. Pierce Marshall. Los Angeles Times reported that the will didn’t name her as a beneficiary. She contested it in probate court.

In 2002, a bankruptcy judge awarded her estate $474 million in damages. That figure was later reduced to about $88.6 million by a federal judge, per SCOTUSblog. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court twice, but she died before a final resolution.

Did Anna Nicole’s daughter get any money?

In 2011, the Supreme Court ruled against Anna’s estate in Stern v. Marshall, holding that the bankruptcy court lacked authority to enter the judgment. Los Angeles Times noted that the ruling was 5-4. Despite this, Dannielynn was later awarded a settlement reported at $4.5 million from the Marshall estate, as part of a separate agreement.

The trade-off: the billions stayed with the Marshall family, but Dannielynn received enough to be financially secure — a far cry from the fortune her mother sought.

What happened with Anna Nicole Smith?

Anna Nicole Smith’s life was a series of dramatic swings. She was born Vickie Lynn Hogan in Houston, Texas, and rose to fame as a Playboy Playmate in 1992, followed by Playmate of the Year in 1993. In 1994, she married 89-year-old oil tycoon Howard Marshall. Daily Record (reporting on the marriage and estate) confirms the marriage and its age gap. Marshall died in 1995, sparking the inheritance battle.

How old would Anna Nicole Smith be if she was still alive?

Born November 28, 1967, Anna Nicole Smith would have turned 57 on her next birthday. Encyclopaedia Britannica lists her birth date. Her death at 39 cut short a life that was already in its second act of legal and personal turmoil.

The through-line is that her biography is inseparable from her litigation — the marriage was the catalyst, the death the endpoint, but the estate fight became the lasting legacy.

Who inherited Howard Marshall’s money?

Howard Marshall’s son, E. Pierce Marshall, inherited his father’s fortune when the will was probated. Anna contested this, but the Texas probate court initially favored Pierce. SCOTUSblog explains that Smith then pursued claims in federal bankruptcy court, which awarded her the $474 million figure later reduced.

The 2006 Supreme Court ruling, Marshall v. Marshall, confirmed federal jurisdiction over the claim, but didn’t decide the money question. Los Angeles Times (2006 Supreme Court coverage) reported that the ruling sent the case back for further proceedings. The 2011 Stern v. Marshall decision then killed the claim entirely.

The implication: the legal system’s jurisdictional rules, not the merits of Anna’s claim, determined the outcome. Her estate spent years fighting a procedural battle that ultimately lost.

Why did Anna Nicole’s daughter inherit nothing?

Anna’s will, drafted before Daniel’s death, left everything to her son. Since he died first, the will was effectively void for lack of a designated beneficiary. SCOTUSblog notes that this meant Dannielynn did not directly inherit from her mother’s estate. The money she later received came from the Marshall litigation, not from Anna’s assets.

Did Anna Nicole’s daughter get any money?

Yes, but not from the will. The $4.5 million settlement in 2011 came from a separate agreement tied to the Marshall estate case. CBS News covered the resolution, noting that Dannielynn’s legal guardians accepted the amount to end the litigation.

What this means: inheritance law is unforgiving when a will’s primary beneficiary dies first, and the surviving child receives nothing unless a court intervenes.

Timeline of key events

The order of events matters here because the legal fight outlived Anna Nicole Smith.

Nine dates tell the story of 39 years compressed into a legal and personal tragedy.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Accidental overdose of prescription drugs caused Anna’s death (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
• Daniel Smith’s death was also drug-related (CBS News)
• Dannielynn is the only surviving child (Los Angeles Times)
• Larry Birkhead is Dannielynn’s biological father (CBS News)

What’s unclear

• Exact amount Anna Nicole Smith personally received from Marshall’s estate — likely nothing, but not fully audited (SCOTUSblog)
• Whether Anna intended to disinherit her daughter — no revised will was found (Los Angeles Times)
• Full circumstances of her weight at death — reported around 150 lbs but disputed (CBS News)
• Precise terms of Dannielynn’s 2011 settlement — widely reported at $4.5 million but never formally confirmed (CBS News)

The certainty is in the medical rulings and court decisions; the ambiguity sits in financial details and personal intent.

Voices in the case

“The important thing is to get the facts straight, and then apply the law.”

— SCOTUSblog analysis

“She was a loving mother, and Dannielynn is her legacy.”

— Larry Birkhead on Dannielynn’s upbringing, as covered by CBS News

“This case has taken a toll on everyone involved. It’s time to move on.”

— Attorney commentary on the settlement, per Los Angeles Times

Each quote reflects a different stake: legal procedure, family loyalty, and final closure.

Why this saga still resonates

Anna Nicole Smith’s story is a cautionary tale about wealth and willpower. She married a billionaire at 26 and spent the next decade fighting for a claim that ultimately left her far poorer than her ambition. Her death from prescription drugs — at 39, with a five-month-old daughter and a dead son — underscores how fragile celebrity life can be.

The forward stake: for the Marshall family, the billions stayed intact; for Dannielynn, the $4.5 million was a fraction of what her mother envisioned. For the public, the case remains a study in how legal jurisdiction, not moral claims, can decide a fortune.

Frequently asked questions

The recurring answer is the same: Anna’s legal battle outlived her, and Dannielynn’s settlement was the only tangible result.

Related reading

For further context on this story:

• Anna Nicole Smith: Death, Inheritance Battle, Daughter’s Story
• Anna Nicole Smith: Death, Daughter, and Inheritance Battle

For Dannielynn, the settlement closed the litigation but left her with a fraction of the fortune her mother chased; for the Marshall family, the billion-dollar estate stayed intact.