Kriti Mehrotra
While there’s no denying actress-model Anna Nicole Smith’s life was never really easy, stable, or uncomplicated, she did find a lot of happiness in being a mother and providing for her children. This much has actually even been made evident in Netflix’s ‘Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me,’ especially since she considered losing her 20-year-old son Daniel Smith the biggest tragedy of her life.
The fact it happened three days after Anna’d given birth to her daughter Dannielynn Birkhead on September 7, 2006, also played a role in her grief, resulting in her own death on February 8, 2007. Yes, it was an accidental overdose, but she was allegedly only consuming to deal with her pain — yet for now, if you simply wish to learn how this affected the then-infant financially, here’s what we know.
Dannielynn’s Inheritance: Court-Declared Heir
According to reports, considering her successful career, her lasting drug issues, as well as her innate need to ensure her loved ones’ lifelong security, Anna had prepared her will back in 2001 itself. She’d actually named Daniel the sole beneficiary to her estate, with her lawyer-turned-friend and eventual partner Howard K. Stern as its executor — obviously unaware of what the mid-2000s would unfold.
This final will of Anna’s reportedly indicated she had personal property worth $10,000 and real estate property valued at $1.8 million, yet they had a total mortgage of $1.1 million at the time of her death. Therefore, the model-actress’ assets were estimated to be worth $700,000 alone, to which her daughter Dannielynn Marshall Birkhead was unequivocally named heir in 2008 following court proceedings.
The truth is there were significant questions over Dannielynn’s real parentage from the get-go as at least three men claimed to be her father, plus there were apparently many more potential possibilities. Then there was also the criminal charge against Howard as well as two of Anna’s doctors in connection to whether they knowingly administered drugs to the star in the hopes of some selfish gain later on.
While Anna’s ex and celebrity photographer Larry Birkhead was ascertained to be Dannielynn’s father through DNA testing, the case against Howard was dismissed in 2011 since there were no signs of deliberate foul play in her demise. Yet both these matters at least needed to be looked into a little before the then-infant could be named Anna’s heir, which is why it took until 2008 for the official declaration.
Read More: Where is Dannielynn Birkhead Now?
