The Bitter Battle for the ‘Billion-Dollar Baby’
It’s no wonder that so many men were touted as being the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby. It’s a story that belongs on the big screen or in the pages of a bestseller. Anna Nicole Smith, the former stripper who modelled herself on Marilyn Monroe, first became famous by marrying a millionaire octogenarian. What followed was a tale of intrigue, inheritance and paternity tests.
Paternity Test and the Playboy Playmate
The Playboy Playmate of 1993 married Texas oilman J. Howard Marshall II, it was clear no paternity test would be necessary for their future together – he was an octogenarian when they married, she was just 26. Marshall was a millionaire and Nicole Smith was instantly labelled a gold digger.
Intrigue, Drama and Tragedy
Before the paternity test and court cases, Nicole Smith was a successful actress in her own reality TV show. But her personal life was full of intrigue, drama and tragedy. Before marrying Marshall, she had already had a previous marriage and divorce before her career as a glamour model took off.
Paternity Test for Daughter
After breaking into the movies, she married the 89-year old oil tycoon. He died 14 months later and Smith spent the rest of her short life battling over her late husband’s fortune in the courts. The test for her daughter was conducted after Nicole Smith’s tragic death – a tragedy that followed a series of misfortunes.
Overdose Death
Nicole Smith’s 20 year-old son Daniel from her first marriage died in 2006 from a drug overdose just a few days after she had her baby daughter. Shortly after the paternity dispute over her baby daughter began, Nicole Smith’s body was found in a Florida hotel. She was just 39. Her death was a result of an overdose. After her death, the paternity disputes and paternity tests continued to enthrall the tabloid press.
The ‘Billion Dollar Baby’
Nicole Smith’s daughter was dubbed the ‘billion dollar baby’ because she could be in line for the inheritance of Nicole Smith’s second husband. A paternity DNA test revealed that LA photographer Larry Birkhead was in fact the child’s father. The paternity test meant that Howard Stern – who had his name on the child’s birth certificate – had to give up custody of the child
More about Anna Nicole Smith
Did you know that no fewer than 3 men threw their hat into the ring and claimed to be the baby’s father, in a case that gripped America and saw paternity DNA tests thrust into the spotlight. Click here to read more.
