In 2021, the world still remembers Anna Nicole Smith, a model, and actress who rose to fame in the 1990s. However, not many people know that Smith’s given name was Vickie Lynn Hogan and that she used different names throughout her life. According to Reuters, Smith went by the name Nikki Hart when she was a student at Mexia High School, and Texas Monthly reported that she used the name Vickie Smith early in her career before adopting the moniker Anna Nicole Smith.
Frankie Rodriguez, a close friend of Smith’s, recently spoke to ABC News about the two sides of the woman he knew. “The minute that camera left, it was a whole other person. She was back to Vickie Lynn,” Rodriguez said. “I [am] very fortunate to have met and gotten to know Vickie Lynn … How she did it, I don’t know. But whatever she was doing, it was making everybody watch.”
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Smith’s name change was also a significant moment in her life. Paul Marciano, the co-founder of Guess, revealed to Paper Magazine in 2017 that he discovered Smith and changed her name. “She had never done pictures before. I had the kids’ photographer shoot her on the spot,” Marciano said. “I took her to New York and got her an agent and changed her name. She was Anna, but Anna Smith did not sound right, so we did Anna Nicole Smith.”
After this change, Smith’s career took off, and she became a household name. She appeared in Playboy magazine, starred in her reality show, and even landed a role in a Hollywood film. However, her life was not without its struggles. She faced legal battles over her inheritance and the custody of her daughter, and she also battled addiction.
Tragically, Smith’s life came to an end in 2007 when she passed away at the age of 39. Her death was ruled as an accidental overdose, and it shocked her fans and loved ones. However, her legacy lives on, and she is remembered as a woman who lived life on her terms and left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry.
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As we look back on the life of Anna Nicole Smith, we are reminded of the power of reinvention and the importance of staying true to oneself. Smith may have had two sides to her personality, but she never lost sight of who she was at her core. Her name may have changed, but her spirit remained the same, making her an icon.
