Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter Gets Another Shot at Millions

U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal that would restore some of the money left to Smith by oil tycoon hubby

By Natalie Finn Sep 28, 2010 11:09 PMTags
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Little Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead's inheritance has become a case of Supreme importance.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in mapping out their fall schedule, agreed to hear an appeal filed by Anna Nicole Smith's estate, which more than three years after her death is still trying to secure a slice of her late husband's fortune for Smith's daughter.

Yes, you remember correctly, this case goes way back.

Back in the 1990s, Smith challenged the will drawn up by her husband of 14 months, oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, which left his $1.6 billion fortune to his son and nothing to her.

The former Playboy Playmate insisted he promised her upward of $300 million—a claim his son's family took hostile issue with.

So back and forth, back and forth, with a bankruptcy court granting Smith the money in 2001, a federal court taking most of it away, etc.

Most recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to review its March decision, when the panel upheld a Houston court's ruling that Marshall, who was 90 when he died, was of sound mind when he drew up his Smith-excluding will.

The high court will be hearing the Smith estate's appeal of that decision.

"We have never wavered in our commitment to uphold the clearly stated and carefully documented wishes of the late J. Howard Marshall, II concerning how he wished the estate he created be distributed after his death," read a statement issued Tuesday by his estate.

Dannielynn, 4, was posthumously named Smith's sole heir because the reality-TV maven's will was drawn up before her daughter was born and when son Daniel was still alive. She lives with biological dad Larry Birkhead; former Smith companion and attorney Howard K. Stern is executor of Smith's estate.

But while Birkhead's super busy being a single father, Stern is facing prison time for allegedly facilitating Smith's prescription-drug habit. Or should we say was facing prison time?

The dissatisfied judge overseeing the trial has indicated he will be throwing out a portion of the prosecution's case against Stern and two of Smith's doctors before it goes to the jury, saying he feels that they brought a host of charges just to see what would stick in the end.

Closing arguments, expected to start this week after the defense announced it wouldn't be calling any witnesses, have been delayed until Monday.

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Check out what Dannielynn's peers are wearing in our Fashion Police Jr. gallery.