The Life And Death Of Anna Nicole Smith

A Passing

On September 10, 2006, Daniel Smith, Anna Nicole’s son, came to the hospital room to visit his mother and his brand new half-sister. While there, he died. This was likely the hardest thing Anna Nicole Smith ever had to endure in her life. She and her son were inseparable.

According to Howard K. Stern, Smith considered herself both Daniel’s mother and father, and that he was “without question the most important person in Anna’s life.” Stern said at Daniel’s funeral “she had them open the coffin and tried to climb inside. She said that ‘if Daniel has to be buried, I want to be buried with him.” His death was caused by a deathly combo of Zoloft, Lexapro, and methadone.

Committed

A little more than two weeks after the death of Daniel Smith, Anna Nicole Smith, and Howard K. Stern held a commitment ceremony on the catamaran Margaritaville. They said their vows, exchanged rings and had all the trappings of a wedding. She wore a pretty white, simple dress, he sported a suit.

It wasn’t a legally binding marriage, but it worked for them. Some questioned the odd timing of the event, but her new attorney said: “They needed a little adrenaline boost because things have been so hectic and devastating in their life recently.” That is completely understandable.

Life in the Bahamas

An issue had sprung up regarding the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith’s new baby. In order to avoid forced paternity testing in the United States, the couple decided it was best to just stay in the Bahamas. Considering the weather and scenery, I don’t blame them. Toward the end of 2006, Smith was made a permanent resident of the area, but that didn’t come without its own controversy.

The status was granted by Bahamas Immigration Minister Shane Gibson, who was later seen in photographs hugging a clothed Anna Nicole Smith in bed. Though Gibson claimed the photos were innocent, the opposition party accused him of behaving inappropriately and forced him to resign.

Trouble in the Bahamas

One of the ways in which Anna Nicole Smith was able to stay in the Bahamas was due to a $900,000 massive mansion she owned in the area. This, she claimed, was given to her by a previous boyfriend. The former boyfriend, however, contests this claim.

According to him, he gave Anna a loan of the money to get the place, but she never paid it back. He sued to have her evicted, and she defaulted on the issue when she never responded or appeared in court. When the property was seized, a large bottle of methadone was found in Smith’s bedroom refrigerator.

A Problem with Pills

It was known for some time that Anna Nicole Smith had become addicted to prescription medications. She had met with a psychiatrist in April 2006 who determined Smith had borderline personality disorder, signs of which are multiple unstable relationships, an unstable sense of self and unstable emotions. All of these described Anna Nicole Smith quite well.

Additionally, methadone was often found around her. It was in her son’s system, it was found in the home which was reclaimed by her former boyfriend, and it was discovered she had even been prescribed the substance during the final months of her pregnancy.

February 8, 2007

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino located in Hollywood, Florida, would prove to be the place where Anna Nicole Smith would end her life. On the 8th of February, 2007, she was found dead in Room number 607 of the hotel. Her friend, a trained ER nurse, did CPR for more than 15 minutes. Her husband, Anna Nicole Smith’s bodyguard, took over after her. The bodyguard, a skilled paramedic, had called the front desk and informed them of what had happened. They called security, who in turn called 9-1-1. Paramedics arrived, transported Anna Nicole Smith to a hospital, at which point she was, sadly, pronounced dead.

The call to 9-1-1 was released to the public several days later. “We need assistance to Room 607 at the Hard Rock. It’s in reference to a white female. She’s not breathing and not responsive … actually, it’s Anna Nicole Smith.”