What was Anna Nicole Smith’s real name and why did she change it?

The late model-actress Anna Nicole Smith is the subject of Netflix’s newest documentary, which hit the platform on Tuesday, May 16. Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me chronicles the life of the famous figure, including her upbringing in Texas, her romances and relationships, and her tragic journey with fame.

While Smith fulfilled her dreams of becoming famous through Playboy Magazine spreads, acting gigs, and even her own reality show, living in the spotlight was not all that was cracked up to be. Especially not with all of the public scrutiny she faced in the media.

Behind her beautiful smile and positive personality, Smith struggled with the many obstacles thrown her way, including a very public court case, filing for bankruptcy, and an alleged painkiller addiction. Smith’s life took a turn for the worst just months leading up to her death when her 20-year-old son Daniel died after suffering an accidental overdose.

If you’re interested in Anna Nicole Smith’s life but really don’t know anything about her, we’d recommend checking out the new Netflix documentary. And we’re breaking down some of the basics of who she was and why she was such a major public figure right here.

Anna Nicole Smith real name

The late celebrity was born on Nov. 28, 1967 with the legal name Vickie Lynn Hogan. As her friend Missy explains in the documentary, Smith didn’t like the name Vickie and started going by Nicky when she moved out of Mexia, Texas to Houston and became a stripper. As she began trying to make a name for herself, she met an elderly man named J. Howard Marshall who happened to be a billionaire. Marshall had connections and introduced her to people in the industry, and soon enough she was modeling for Playboy and Guess Jeans.

While working with Guess, she and the company’s co-founder Paul Marciano decided she should go by a different name instead of Vickie or Nicky, and they landed on Anna Nicole. According to Missy, Smith explained at the time that she needed a name that was “less provincial,” one that would be “more global.” She liked the name Anna and Marciano liked Nicole, so they put the two together.

The last name Smith comes from her first marriage to Billy Wayne Smith. The two met while working at a fried chicken restaurant in Mexia, Texas and were married from 1985 to 1993. Smith was only 17 when they wed.

Once Smith started modeling in the big leagues, the rest is history. She also landed acting gigs in movies like 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy directed by the Coen Brothers, and starred in the 1995 title To the Limit alongside John Travolta and Michael Nouri.

In 2002, E! premiered the reality series The Anna Nicole Show, which ran for two seasons.

Sadly, Anna Nicole Smith passed away in 2007 due to an accidental overdose. Her loss was felt by millions across the globe.