Autopsy Planned For Anna Nicole Smith
Ex-Playmate Collapsed In Florida
POSTED: Thursday, February 8, 2007
UPDATED: 11:11 pm CST February 8,
2007
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy playmate, billionaire's widow and reality television star, died Thursday at the age of 39.Officials at the medical examiner's office in Broward County, Fla., said an autopsy will be performed on Friday. And Edwina Johnson, the office's chief investigator, said a probe is currently under way into the cause of her death. The 39-year-old reality TV star collapsed Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which is on an Indian reservation.The Seminole, Fla., police chief told reporters in a Thursday afternoon press conference that a private nurse employed by Smith made a 911 call at approximately 1:38 p.m. EST after finding Smith unresponsive in her sixth-floor room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.Smith's bodyguard performed CPR at 1:45 p.m., and she was rushed by paramedics to nearby Memorial Regional Hospital at just after 2 p.m. Officials said she could not be revived. She was declared dead at a hospital.The police chief Smith had checked into the hotel on Monday and was scheduled to check out on Friday. Dr. Joshua Perper, who will perform the autopsy, said if her death was from natural causes, the findings would likely be announced quickly. He cautioned, however, that definitive results could take weeks.Smith's husband, attorney Howard K. Stern, was traveling with her but was not in the hotel room at the time of her collapse, said Charlie Tiger of the Seminole Police Department.Smith's 5-month-old daughter, Dannielynn Hope, was also not with Smith, according to reports.Sources told People Magazine that the child is being cared for in the Bahamas by the mother of Shane Gibson, a high-ranking Bahamian official who is a close friend of Smith's.In a statement, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said: "I am very saddened to learn about Anna Nicole's passing. She was a dear friend who meant a great deal to the Playboy family and to me personally."
Smith Lived Adult Life In Spotlight
One year after she was Playboy's playmate of the year in 1993, the former topless dancer married elderly billionaire J. Howard Marshall. He died the following year, and she has since been involved in legal disputes over his estate.A federal court awarded her $474 million, but the ruling was later overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court last year revived her case.As that fight continued, Smith drew constant tabloid attention amid her weight fluctuations and, last year, the sudden death of her 20-year-old son.Her resemblance to Marilyn Monroe was played up in her Guess jeans magazine ads, billboards and department store displays.Smith daughter's paternity remains a matter of dispute.Smith was from Mexia, Texas. Previous Stories:
- February 6, 2007: Anna Nicole Smith Named In TrimSpa Lawsuit
- November 16, 2004: Diet Pill Company Defends Anna Nicole Smith After AMA Spectacle
- July 12, 2002: Anna Nicole Smith Testifies Against Ex-Boyfriend
- January 29, 2001: Anna: 'It's Very Expensive To Be Me'
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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