Anna Nicole Smith: who is You Don't Know Me model's daughter Dannielynn - what happened to her son

Anna Nicole Smith was an American model and icon in the 1980s and '90s - she featured on the cover of lads' mag Playboy five times, and styled herself on the original Playboy woman Marilyn Monroe.

The star, whose real name was Vickie Lynn Marshall fronted her own reality show, infamously married a billionaire 60 years her senior, and became involved in a legal battle over his inheritance which continued after her own death.

Smith had two children - her son Daniel tragically pre-deceased her and her daughter, Danniellyn, was the subject of a paternity dispute.

New Netflix documentary You Don’t Know Me, helmed by Ursula Macfarlane, the director of One Deadly Weekend in America, and Charlie Hebdo: 3 Days That Shook Paris, follows the whirlwind life of the Hollywood icon.

With never-before-seen footage, home movies, and exclusive interviews, the documentary seeks to uncover who Anna really was, and looks at the legacy she left behind. This is everything you need to know about Anna Nicole Smith, and what became of her two children.

Who was Anna Nicole Smith?

Anna Nicole Smith was an American model, actress, and TV personality from Houston, Texas. She rose to fame as a Playboy Playmate and model for clothing brand Guess. She was married to chef Billy Wayne Smith from 1985–1993 and had a child, Daniel with him. 

But she was to become more famous (or infamous) through her relationship with oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, who she married in 1994. Marshall was 89 when Smith, then just 26, married him, and the billionaire died 14 months into their marriage.

Following her husband’s death, Smith became involved in a lengthy legal battle with his family over the inheritance of his estate, worth around $1.6 billion. The dispute continued years after her own death in 2007 and eventually reached the Supreme Court.

The court ruled that Smith’s estate was not eligible to inherit Marshall’s estate, and later appeals were rejected by lower courts. 

As the inheritance dispute was still moving through the courts, Smith cashed in on her notoriety and started her own constructed reality series, The Anna Nicole Show, aired on E! For two seasons from 2002-2004. The series followed Smith’s struggles to get modelling work after falling out of the public eye in the wake of Marshall’s death.

Smith had a daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, in 2006 and listed her then-partner Howard K. Stern (no relation to the radio presenter of the same name). However, a DNA test following Smith’s death revealed that photographer Larry Birkhead, her former partner, was Dannielynn’s father.

Tragically, Smith’s son Daniel died, aged 20, three days after Smith had given birth to her daughter whilst visiting her at the hospital - his death was determined to have been the result of an accidental drug overdose. 

What happened to Anna Nicole Smith?

Smith died in February 2007, in Hollywood, Florida, aged 39, from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. She had been found unresponsive in her room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to the hospital.

Her death sparked further legal battles, including the paternity dispute brought by Larry Birkhead, and over her estate, which was worth around $1 million, as Smith’s will had not been amended to include her then five month old daughter. Dannielynn was eventually confirmed as the sole inheritor of her mother’s estate.   

Where is Dannielynn Birkhead now?

Dannielynn, now aged 16, lives a much quieter life than her mother, and has actively avoided acting and modelling opportunities. She lives with her father Larry in Kentucky - the pair used to keep fans up to date on their lives through their shared Instagram account @larryanddannielynn, but they have since deleted all of their posts.

Dannielynn did not inherit any of J. Howard Marshall II’s huge fortune, though she had been mistakenly touted as one of America’s richest children. Larry has raised his daughter thousands of miles from the bright lights of Hollywood, and Dannielynn is reportedly more concerned with her schoolwork than fame and fortune.    

When is You Don't Know Me on Netflix?

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me will land on Netflix on Tuesday 16 May. The two-hour documentary charts the star’s tumultuous life and tragic death.

Help is on hand for anyone affected by this issue:

• You can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.