Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith both led troubled lives in the fast lane that included men, parties, alcohol and drugs. But were their deaths the result of suicide, accidental overdose, or murder?
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe’s childhood was one of abuse and neglect. Her mother, Gladys Baker, was emotionally unstable and left her with foster parents. Marilyn suffered self esteem problems that lasted her entire life. But she was also a survivor with a will to succeed. She became known as a sex symbol whosefilms included Bus Stop, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and The Seven Year Itch.
Marilyn Monroe’s Death
Just after midnight on August 6, 1962, Marilyn was discovered unconscious in her home, lying naked, face-down on her bed, an empty bottle of sleeping pills nearby and more on the nightstand. The official verdict was that she had died of an intentional overdose.
Was her Death a Conspiracy and Hidden Homicide?
There were reasons, however, to question that verdict. Phone logs and other evidence turned up missing. There were rumors that she and President John Kennedy were having an affair, one he intended to break off. She might have learned secrets that she threatened to expose. She also may have had a relationship with Robert Kennedy. There was even talk the Mafia might have silenced her. Whether her death was murder and a cover-up or suicide will never be known.
Anna Nicole
Anna Nicole Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan in Texas. She rose to fame after posing for Playboy in 1993. She had model contracts and starred in a reality TV show about her life. Robust and busty Anna Nicole was slated to become “the next Marilyn Monore”, but all she ended up sharing was her untimely death.
Anna Nicole’s Death
On Feb 8, 2007, Anna Nicole was found unconscious in her hotel room in Hollywood, Florida. CPR was attempted while the front desk called 911. Smith was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. She died of a combination of drugs and sleeping pills.
Was her Death Suicide or Murder?
Like Marilyn Monroe, Smith had a lot of enemies. Her marriage to 89 year old oil tycoon Howard Marhall created a scandal that she had married him for his money. Years after his death, a lengthy court battle still dragged on between Anna Nicole and Marshall’s relatives over his 1.6 billion dollar estate.
Anna Nicole’s first son, 20 year old Daniel Smith, had recently died in her hospital room just after she gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn. His death, also attributed to a drug overdose, was suspicious because he was sole beneficiary to her estate. It was quite a coincidence that both son and mother would overdose in so short a time frame.
Suspicion fell on Anna Nicole’s lawyer and live-in companion Howard K. Stern, who had taken control of her financial affairs. After her death, a paternity battle over Dannielynn ensued with lover Larry Birkhead and Stern both claiming to be the father of the “billion dollar baby”. A paternity test named Birkhead as the father. Howard K. Stern and two doctors were charged with illegally supplying Smith with massive amounts of prescription drugs, but there was no proof Anna Nicole had been murdered.
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Sources:
Marilyn Monroe:
Parish, James. The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More than 125 American Movie and TV Idols. McGraw Hill, 2001.ISBN 0809222272
Anna Nicole:
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