Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental drug overdose in February 2007 aged just 39 – leaving behind her infant daughter Dannielynn.
The bombshell blonde had endured a few devastating months leading up to her untimely death in September 2006, when her only son, Daniel, aged 20, tragically died in a hospital room from an accidental overdose of antidepressants and methadone. She had longed to welcome her daughter before her death.
Following her death in a hotel room in Hollywood, Florida, with a combination of drugs in her system, Smith’s condition worsened as she sank deeper into a cycle of despair, psychological disorder, and substance misuse after her son’s passing.
During her inquest in 2008, Larry Birkhead, Anna’s former partner and father of her child, stated that she would rather have Daniel consume drugs in her presence rather than engaging in experimental activities with his friends, as evidenced by the instance when he was given an ecstasy pill.
Daniel couldn’t be sure if he had taken his mother’s methadone bottle in April, saying that Birkhead had also prevented him from doing so.
Her new documentary, “Me Know Don’t You Smith: Nicole Anna,” set to release on Netflix on May 16, explores the rise to fame and untimely death of the star through the eyes of her closest family and friends.
Continue reading below for all the information you require regarding the cause of death of Anna Nicole Smith.
FINAL DAYS – FEBRUARY 5 – FEBRUARY 8, 2007.
At the time of her death, Smith had a total of nine medications that were prescribed to her, including methadone, valium diazepam, lorazepam, and chloral hydrate.
Maurice Brighthaupt claimed that he had witnessed her frequently drink chloral hydrate – a potent sedative employed for temporary relief of sleeplessness – from a container, alongside her security guard.
At the time of her death, she had a fever of 105 degrees, a stomach flu, and an infection filled with pus from repeated injections in her buttocks.
On February 5, 2007 – only three days prior to her demise, Smith appeared disoriented as she relied on her boyfriend Howard K.Stern for support while registering at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, according to the testimony of a hotel staff member.
In 2015, she would ultimately receive a year of probation – who would later get involved in legal turmoil over prescribing medications to Smith under a fake identity – by psychiatrist Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, who was also joined by her.
Smith and Stern traveled to Florida to purchase a new boat, while Dannielynn, their baby, remained in the Bahamas where Smith had previously lived before her son’s tragic passing.
Eroshevich stated that Smith’s room was being attended to by a physician who was sent to the model as she had contracted the flu and requested assistance in obtaining a prescription.
Stern rejected the doctor, though, because he was concerned about the potential negative media attention, which had escalated greatly due to Smith’s recent personal struggles, including the tragedies she experienced, the birth of her daughter, and the subsequent legal dispute over paternity.
She decided to take an ice bath to bring down her fever and control sweating. In addition, she refused to go to the hospital and instead chose to stay in her hotel room filled with soda and SlimFast bottles, pill tablets, and Tamiflu for treatment.
She arrived at the hotel so weak that she was drinking Pedialyte out of a baby bottle, Smith was said to be.
On the 8th of February, a family friend discovered her motionless – prior to spending her last few days partially aware under a blanket on a mattress.
The staff wheeled her to an ambulance while they continued to attend to her, capturing dramatic footage of her last moments and administering CPR.
She was declared deceased at the hospital later that day.
She acquired 44 distinct drugs prior to her demise, numerous of which were potent prescribed medications.
The accidental overdose of chloral hydrate, a sedative, combined with four other benzodiazepines (Diazepam, oxazepam, lorazepam, and clonazepam), ultimately resulted in Smith’s death.
Smith was laid to rest wearing a beaded gown and tiara. She was buried next to Daniel.
DEPENDENT ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
In 2010, Dr. Eroshevich and Anne Nicole’s lover and manager Stern were found guilty of two charges of conspiring to acquire prescriptions using a fake identity, but they were cleared of numerous other accusations.
They were not accused of being responsible for the demise of the Playboy model.
Anne Nicole passed away in the Florida hotel suite where the physician purportedly issued prescriptions for opioids, relaxants, and additional medications that were discovered.
Judge Robert Perry, in 2011, overturned the convictions after stating that it was not uncommon in the world of celebrity for fake names to be used to protect privacy.
A court of appeals overturned his decision, resulting in a resentencing in 2015.
Once again, the judge decided to dismiss the felony charges against the doctor, stating that she had no criminal record and that there was only evidence of her being guilty of a misdemeanor conspiracy. This time, the judge also mentioned that there was no intent of ill will on her part.
In 2009, Sandeep Kapoor, one of Smith’s doctors, faced trial for allegedly supplying her with unlawful prescriptions, which were believed to have played a role in Smith’s demise.
He had started treating Smith in approximately 2004, during which period he gave her prescriptions for Valium and methadone.
In 2005, at a gay bar in West Hollywood, Kapoor cuddling with Smith without a shirt allegedly culminated in Kapoor accompanying her to a Gay Pride celebration in Los Angeles, thus transforming their professional association into a personal bond.
Kapoor kept on attending to Smith subsequent to that, prescribing medication to her using the alias Michelle Chase for the purpose of safeguarding privacy.
He also mentioned that Smith was especially cautious in not misusing any of her medications during her pregnancy in 2006.
Kapoor said, ‘She followed very strict guidelines on how to manage the medicine during pregnancy. She needed to follow what she had to do to manage the medicine during pregnancy.’
After two years, Kapoor Smith was charged with eight felonies, including unlawfully prescribing controlled substances to individuals who conspired and obtained fraudulent prescriptions.
Kapoor did lose his medical license but was ultimately cleared by a jury.
Smith later starred in The Anna Nicole Show, a reality series on E! That she owned. She then became a model and rose to fame as a nude model for Playboy.
In 1994, she met him while performing at a strip club. Marshall Howard J., An 89-year-old oil tycoon, married her.
Following Nicole’s death, Howard fought for custody of Dannielynn, believing he was the father. However, later a paternity suit found that Birkhead, a part-time celebrity photographer, was the father of the child.