Anna Nichole Died--What happened??

[BassChaser57]

I am overseas and American news is a bit sparse. Just wondering what happened to her??

[CJ]

You just made me aware of it.I looked it up and they didn't mention cause of death,just that she collapsed in a hotel in Florida.

[Siebert Outdoors]

My guess would be O.D. of something

[CJ]

My guess would be O.D. of something

Probally a good guess.

[Glenn]

Oh, I'm certain this will be the headline news for the next days, weeks, and months ahead.  We'll know more about it that we ever wanted to, plus all the conspiracy theories to boot.

[BassChaser57]

Well, she was living proof that God doesn't often give beauty and brains to the same person. No doub't you are right Glen as the National Enquirer will say Elvis killed her or something else equally as weird.

Thanks 8-)

[Marty]

No details as of now. She collapsed and died. As far as I know, there will be an autopsy Friday.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Gee Its hard to keep ABREAST of all this news

[paparock]

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (February 8, 2007) -- According to a credible source, an employee of Anna Nicole Smith found her in her room in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The employee pulled back a sheet and discovered that she appeared to have choked on her own vomit.

The same source claims that Smith took what was referred to as a "children's sedative," and had "kept passing out" before her death.

AccessHollywood.com has learned from this same source that one of the attending physicians at Memorial Regional Hospital was Dr. Randy Katz. When we contacted Dr. Katz, he acknowledged that he was indeed an attending physician, but Dr. Katz would not comment on any specifics related to his care of Smith.

(CBS) HOLLYWOOD, Fla. On Friday, we might get some answers about what killed Anna Nicole Smith.

The sudden death if the curvaceous beauty was not only stunning, but it's also the beginning of a battle over her baby and her fortune.

Sources tell CBS 2's Scott Weinberger that investigators found illegal narcotics as well as prescription medications in Anna Nicole's Florida hotel room.

Sources also tell CBS 2 that investigators removed eight bags of evidence from her hotel room.

Her body is now at the Broward Co. Medical Examiner's Office. A toxicology report will determine if the drugs played a role in her death, and an autopsy is scheduled for this morning.

Sources in Florida tell CBS 2's Tamsen Fadal that if Anna Nicole died of natural causes, the autopsy results could be released quickly. However, definitive test results could take weeks.

Of course, Anna Nicole's tragedy evokes memories of her idol, Marilyn Monroe, who died from a drug overdose at age 36.

Anna Nicole's last appearance on television was one month ago.

She appeared with her husband, Howard K. Stern at a boxing match at the very same hotel where she was found unconscious -- the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

According to eyewitness Elizabeth Martinez, "We just see the ambulance. They pushed her in -- just shove her in really fast."

Police said that Anna Nicole's bodyguard called the hotel operator to get help to her sixth floor room after a nurse traveling with the former Playboy Playmate and her husband found her unresponsive.

Smith was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors said she was dead on arrival.

Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said, "The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner."

On Thursday, Medical Examiner Joshua Pepper said, "Sometimes the findings are very obvious at the time when the autopsy is done. Sometimes the finding is more subtle and requires additional microscopic and chemical examination."

A Life In The Spotlight

Most of Anna Nicole Smith's sensational life was spent in the spotlight.

The busty Texas-born beauty was a topless dancer at strip club before she made the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992. She captivated readers with her Marilyn Monroe looks, and in 1993, she became Playboy's "Playmate of the Year."

Anna Nicole was also signed a contract with Guess Jeans, appearing in TV commercials, billboards and magazine ads.

In 1994, she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall. His death in 1995 sparked a feud over his fortune with Marshall's son.

The California Supreme Court awarded $474 million to Smith, but it was later overturned.

In May 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court revived her case, ruling that she deserved another day in court.

In September, Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel died in his mother's hospital room in the Bahamas. A mixture of drugs was to blame.

His death came just days after she gave birth to a daughter. There is still a question of who the father is.

"I just feel horrible for Danielynn that her mom is not around. And Anna was a great mom. I don t care what you hear, she was a great mom," said Smith's lawyer, Ron Rale.

"She went through a lot of heartache in her life and it was hard for her to deal with it," said Tal, who worked for Anna Nicole.

Of course, the bigger question remains: What happened Thursday that left Anna Nicole Smith dead at the age of 39?

The Latest News

--Sources tell CBS 2 that drugs were found in Anna Nicole's hotel room -- both narcotics and prescription meds.

--An autopsy is scheduled for today.

--There's also an emergency paternity hearing scheduled in Los Angeles today. We still don't know who the father of her baby is and hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake.