Anna Nicole Smith has been found dead in a Miami hotel room at the age of 39.
The former Playboy model was discovered earlier today lying unconscious and could not be resuscitated. No cause of death has yet been announced, although considering the turmoil she has recently faced suicide cannot be ruled out.
Smith lived a controversial life. Marrying the Texas oil billionaire J Howard Marshall II in 1994 when she was just 26 was the event that first propelled Nicole Smith into the public eye. He died a year later, at the age of 90.
She then spent a number of years in court fighting his son for a share of Marshall's estate, finally succeeding in 2006.
In fact, last year was something of a turbulent year for Anna Nicole, to say the least. In September 2006 her 20-year old Daniel tragically passed away, just days after her baby daughter Dannielynn Hope was born.
It is this daughter that has been at the centre of the recent paternity rights battle in the US. Former boyfriend Larry Birkhead had filed a suit against Smith claiming he was the father, whereas she always maintained that her husband Howard K Stern was the father. The results of the paternity test were in fact due to be released in the next few days.
Reuters reports that her husband Howard K Stern is "speechless and grieving."
As well as her appearances in Playboy, Anna Nicole Smith appeared in the third Naked Gun movie, as well as starring in the Anna Nicole Smith reality TV show between 2002 to 2004.
An autopsy is expected to be carried out tomorrow (Friday Feb 9th)
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