01x04 - Anna Nicole Smith

[bunniefuu]

- Anna Nicole.
- The blond bombshell.

What she had was
her raw sex appeal.

She was modern-day
Marilyn Monroe.

She was sort of famous
for being famous.

Running towards fame.

And then at the end, she wanted
to get away from all that.

I got a frantic call.

And I said, "What is going on?"

When she died, I was shocked.

There's so many questions
still to be answered,

and there's so much
that we still don't know.

There were conspiracy theories
about Anna Nicole Smith dying.

Let me tell you my theory
of I think she got m*rder*d.

This is where it gets... nuts.

Why did they rule out suicide
so quickly?

Why did they rule out homicide?

A ton of people
got obsessed with the idea

that there was
some deeper explanation.

I always had this
underlying belief

that something happened to her.

911 Emergency.

The official narrative doesn't
tell the whole story,

But you really have to
look at everything.

You still have to go down
that rabbit hole.

Still have to go down that path.

When a celebrity dies, the
search for answers moves online

and the truth
may be one click away.

February 8th, 2007.

Anna Nicole Smith
and her entourage

check into the Hard Rock Hotel.

While the paparazzi waits
outside, Anna Nicole Smith

doesn't leave her hotel room
for three straight days.

And when her close confidantes
finally go to see

what is going on,
they discover the unthinkable.

I was her bodyguard.

I started doing CPR
and giving her two breaths.

I remember it just like
it was yesterday.

Trying to wake her up.
Trying to wake her up.

Her lips was blue.
She was still warm.

So that means she was just...
Wasn't down too long.

Medics arrive at the scene.

But it's too late.

Fox News Has just confirmed
that Anna Nicole Smith has died.

Anna Nicole Smith bursts
onto the scene

when she mails some Polaroids
to "Playboy" magazine.

And she ended up on the cover
of "Playboy" magazine,

and her career
just exploded from there.

Suddenly, everybody knew
who Anna Nicole Smith was.

Overnight, Anna Nicole Smith
becomes a supermodel.

Now I'm the Guess girl.

One thing the Anna Nicole Smith
wasn't was stupid.

She knew that this was
her moment, this was her window.

And she found a way
to create this persona,

this public persona
that really worked,

based around her appearance
in "Playboy" magazine.

As quickly as the modeling world

embraces Anna Nicole Smith,
it casts her aside.

But she's just getting started.

"The Anna Nicole Show"
premieres,

and audiences
just can't look away.

"The Anna Nicole Show" was
at the really beginning of stars

doing reality shows like this,

where they let cameras
into their home

and their life and their family.

The show is panned by critics.

It's raunchy, it's trashy,

and incredibly weird.

But the college crowd
can't get enough of it,

and they help drive ratings
through the roof.

The devotion of fans
and followers grows.

But the infatuation with
Anna Nicole Smith's life

takes a dark twist
when she dies.

What happened
to Anna Nicole Smith?

Where did she get the toxic
combination of drugs from?

And who will take over
her legal battles?

And is it possible that those
two people are one in the same?

The coroner reports that
39-year-old Anna Nicole Smith

dies from an
accidental overdose.

Right away, there's controversy.

The Internet explodes with
hundreds of armchair

explanations of how
Anna Nicole Smith died.

From allegations of elaborate
m*rder plots on Reddit

to online crowdsourcing sites

dedicated to disproving
the coroner's findings,

the cyber world is
completely obsessed

with Anna Nicole's death.

And now, more than ever before,
the Internet is where

the cyber world thinks
cold cases can get solved.

My name is Deanna Thompson.

I was in a documentary called
"Don't 'F' with Cats"

It highlights my work
as a sleuth

trying to find a person
who was k*lling cats online

that eventually ended up
k*lling a human being.

Since then, people are daily
asking for help on cases

that are difficult
to break open.

When I believe
in my heart of hearts

that something has happened
that somebody hasn't paid for,

I immediately get triggered.

15 years after
Anna Nicole's death,

many are unwilling
to accept official explanations.

Amateur detectives analyze
the circumstances of her death.

They're looking
for hidden clues.

It's a mystery that's born
the moment she died.

In 2007, big media rules.

There are many questions
which are yet to be answered.

But a new way for fans
to share stories

is just starting to emerge...

Social media.

With that kind of money
involved,

you think somebody may have
whacked her.

Somebody may have k*lled
Anna Nicole Smith.

Fans have strong opinions,
and now they have channels

of their own
where they can voice them.

Something is up here.

As the Internet grows
and the online world connects,

alternate theories
on Anna Nicole's death go viral.

On Reddit, on YouTube,
on Facebook,

a different story is being told.

In death, the Anna Nicole Smith
mystery grips

a new kind of media.

As amateur sleuths,
obsessed fans,

and concerned citizens
scour police reports,

they feel there are gaping holes
in the official story.

And with no witnesses listed,

what really happened in her
last moments is unknown.

- I have so many questions...
- Yeah.

...that I'm just not
gonna get the answers to.

You know?

In one corner of the Internet,
a dark theory takes hold.

I'm going to talk about
a true-crime case today.

Well, in my opinion,
a true-crime case.

A chorus of voices chime in,
alleging Anna Nicole Smith

is a m*rder victim.

I hold degrees in criminal
justice and forensic science.

I am a criminal investigator for
my local sheriff's department.

In a case like this,

I think it's important to do
a little more digging.

How did they actually
rule out homicide?

Methods drawn from
police agencies

cross over into
independent investigations.

Cyber sleuths break down
the circumstances

surrounding Anna Nicole's death.

They find there's too much
missing in the official story.

- It was unwitnessed.
- It was unattended.

There was nobody with her
in that room.

We don't really know
what happened to her.

There's a list of questions
that need to be answered.

Online investigators search
for a potential motive.

In my experience, the top three
motives that I've seen

that drive somebody to k*ll
are sex, money, and revenge.

One theory stands out
amidst all the online chatter.

Hundreds of posts suggest
responsibility

for Anna Nicole's death

lies with the family
of the billionaire she married.

I started looking
at her marriage

and subsequent lawsuits
with the Marshall Estate.

To see if there's anything
to the story,

online sleuths break down
the controversial marriage

from its beginnings.

Anna Nicole always claimed
that she married

J. Howard simply for love,
not his money.

Anna Nicole is a 24-year-old
dancer when she meets

86-year-old J. Howard Marshall,
a billionaire petroleum tycoon.

He's a client at the strip club.

And he takes a fancy
to Anna Nicole Smith, right?

She's... Look at her.
I mean, how could you not?

- She's gorgeous.
- Everybody thought it was crazy.

But, you know, there was
something between them.

And he fell for her,

and he fell for her
in a big way.

The unlikely pair fall in love,
and in 1994, they get married.

It's a move that puts
the couple in the spotlight.

And all over the Internet
and in mainstream media,

people are losing their minds

over the sight of this stunning,
young beauty arm-in-arm

with her billionaire husband.

- You have sex with the old guy?
- With the old guy.

For the Marshall family,
it's no joking matter.

The marriage sparks
pure outrage.

J. Howard Marshall
has two children...

E. Pierce and Howard III.

It's unclear who's in line
to inherit the family fortune.

But suddenly, they have
a new stepmother...

Blonde bombshell
Anna Nicole Smith.

And their stepmother
is half their age.

She stands between them
and their inheritance.

They see Anna Nicole
as a gold-digger.

My name is Andy Mayoras,

and I'm a trust-and-estate
litigation attorney and author.

So, from the very start
of their marriage,

Anna Nicole Smith was at w*r

with J. Howard Marshall's son
Pierce Marshall,

the heir to his fortune.

E. Pierce Marshall was like,

"I'm not gonna let my dad
be alone with this woman

who's going to convince him
to change the will

when we're so close to the end.

Like, she's a gold-digger."

I mean, he absolutely
thought ill of her.

In August 1995, after just
a year of marriage,

J. Howard Marshall dies,
and the real trouble begins.

Anna Nicole Smith insists
her husband

promised her a part of his
$1.6 billion estate.

$1.6 billion?

We lawyering up around here.

She goes after half
of the Marshall estate.

$454 million is, like,
life-changing,

...-me money, right?

Like, this is crazy-good money.

The dispute quickly
escalates to the courts,

and right away, accusations
and condemnations

fly from both sides.

And it became an ugly fight

that was on the cover
of tabloid magazines,

and it really painted
Anna Nicole

as this opportunistic blonde

who used her boobs
to become rich.

You're just up there making
stuff up as you go along.

I am not making anything up,
Rusty!

They were throwing insults.

It was a very personal, heated,
contested debate.

Nobody is going to let
this gold-digging woman

in her 20s take hold
of the family fortune.

A court ruling leaves
Anna Nicole with nothing.

She actually ended up worse off
from this legal fight

then when it had first started.

She ended up needing money,
and needing money fast.

But the fight doesn't end there.

It's just the beginning
of Anna Nicole Smith's hunt

for her share of the estate.

And the feud with
the powerful Marshall family

leads to dire consequences.

It is possible that somebody
in that family was so furious

and so angry with her, that they
decided to get revenge.

Was Anna Nicole Smith k*lled
in some sort of revenge plot?

Haunting theories about how
Anna Nicole Smith died

spread online.

Some say she was knocked off.

Others say she k*lled herself.

And on the fringe
of the Internet,

some suggest her death was part
of a far wider conspiracy.

In the case of
Anna Nicole Smith,

I was very invested.

When I started
to find things out,

it triggers
that justice crusader.

Across the Internet,

the family of her late husband
draws persistent suspicion.

On her show, she baits the rich
and powerful Marshall family.

- Bring it on. Come on.
- I dare you.

The venom, the hatred
on both sides was palatable.

Animosity grows when the fight
returns to the courtroom.

This time, it goes all the way
to the Supreme Court.

She claimed that her
elderly husband

was going to leave her money.

Pierce Marshall
wrongfully interfered

and didn't let it happen.

You are so mean to me.

Through all the dramatic
twists and turns,

the online chatter about
Anna Nicole's soap opera-like

life grows and grows.

The picture of a "Playboy"
Playmate taking her case

in front of the
United States Supreme Court

seems like the stuff of movies,
not of real life.

Finally, after years of
vicious court battles

between Anna Nicole
and the Marshalls,

a final, definitive verdict

as dictated by the
United States Supreme Court.

It's the Marshall family's
worst nightmare.

They've lost everything
they've been fighting for.

Anna Nicole is awarded

$88 million
of the family estate.

To have a former "Playboy"
Playmate actually showing up in

the United States Supreme Court
is extraordinarily rare,

and it surprised many
that she actually won.

The legal world can hardly
believe it.

The Marshalls fume.

Anna Nicole Smith waits
to collect $88 million.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

It was 2:00 this afternoon
when authorities say they

found her in her hotel room at
the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Before Anna Nicole Smith
can collect, she's found dead.

Throughout the online world,

the fans who had watched
Anna Nicole's

every move with fascination
are now left stunned.

This is just a tragedy all over.

The popcorn drama
has finally become real,

and online sites are
becoming meeting places

where fans try to figure out
what really happened

to the overnight star
they loved to follow.

They wonder if the battle
over millions of dollars

turned deadly.

Perhaps someone associated
with the Marshall family

took matters
into their own hands.

The amount of money
spent in legal fees,

not to mention the time,

the stress,
the aggravation of dealing

with this on a daily basis,
year after year after year

had to be astronomical
for both sides.

It really highlights
the level of hatred

that was felt by Pierce Marshall
and his family

towards Anna Nicole Smith.

The fight is ongoing
when Anna Nicole Smith

checks into a hotel room
in Hollywood, Florida,

for the very last time.

My name is Maurice Brighthaupt,
also known as Big Moe.

Anna used to come to me
terrified that

someone was out to get her.

She felt that the...
Howard's family was powerful,

had a lot of money,
and she always was paranoid,

thinking that maybe
they had a hit out on her.

When holes appear
in the official

explanation for her death,

speculation begins to focus
on her nasty legal battle

with the powerful
Marshall family.

She was on the brink of
collecting $88 million

from the family estate
when she's suddenly found dead.

With that kind
of money involved,

you think somebody may
have whacked her.

Somebody may have k*lled
Anna Nicole Smith.

Rumors of a m*rder
investigation circulate.

m*rder for hire.

But when the story
of the investigation breaks,

it stuns Internet detectives.

Anna Nicole Smith
is not the target.

She is allegedly
behind the plot.

In the year 2000,

the FBI is looking into
Anna Nicole Smith for m*rder.

And not only just m*rder,
but m*rder for hire.

Now that Anna Nicole is dead,

the allegations are put
under the microscope.

Online sleuths wonder if
they're rooted in reality.

Or perhaps they're
actually a sly cover

to mask the Marshalls'
own k*ller intentions.

Amateur sleuths speculate...
Maybe they got to her first.

I think revenge is the most
likely motive.

They may have wanted
to get back at her

for what she put them through.

Did the Marshall family
get it in their head

that they had to do...
Like, enact

some sort of revenge
and k*ll Anna Nicole Smith?

To many, revenge and pure
hatred towards Anna Nicole

seem like plausible motives.

But there's no evidence
to support the accusations.

The autopsy report plainly said

that there was
no evidence of foul play.

It's unclear how someone
could dose Anna Nicole Smith

while she was alone
in her hotel room.

But according to online chatter,

there is someone
in Anna Nicole Smith's life

who may have had motive
and the means.

And the police agree.

A potential new suspect emerges.

Anna Nicole's death
was definitely mysterious.

If Anna Nicole Smith
were to die,

who would benefit?

If Anna Nicole Smith's death
wasn't accidental,

then figuring out who had motive

and the means to end her life
is an open question.

When you're looking for
answers, when you're sleuthing,

you do want to go into it
with an open mind

because you just want to go
where the evidence takes you.

A long, drawn-out court battle

may have driven Anna Nicole
to bankruptcy.

But at the time of her death,

the potential value
of her estate was substantial.

At the time of
Anna Nicole Smith's

tragic passing,
she had not only won

an $88 million judgment
against Pierce Marshall,

but she had won in the
United States Supreme Court.

So at the time she passed away,

her expectancy was that
she would receive $88 million.

When Internet sleuths
lay out the case,

they see a clear motive...
Money.

And there's one person
in Anna Nicole's life

they believe has always been
in line to cash in...

Howard K. Stern.

I kind of always suspected

that there was something
nefarious going on.

He was doing it all and...
And guiding her,

controlling her, or whatever.

Let's just say she was
under close watch.

Some would also call
Howard gatekeeper,

as he allegedly had taken over

Anna Nicole's phone
and would screen her calls.

My initial thought process is,
"Was Howard K. Stern involved?"

For anyone tuned into
the Anna Nicole saga,

Howard K. Stern is
a familiar face.

So, the first thing I did
in researching Anna Nicole Smith

was I went back and watched
"The Anna Nicole Show."

The show was a hit,

but Anna Nicole Smith
is clearly not at her best.

She was clearly using something,

because she was often,
in episodes, like, falling down

or slurring her words
and kind of like in a fog.

sh*t happens and then you live,

because that's really
the truth of it.

It was like a train wreck.

I just couldn't look away.

If I ever record an album,

I want this guy to produce mine

and make me beautiful duets.

Speculation that
Anna Nicole's life

is out of control runs rampant
throughout the media.

Anna Nicole Smith had a
lot of prescription medication.

People say she was
over-prescribed.

I tend to agree
that she was over-prescribed.

But through these prescriptions,
she developed an addiction.

The media and Internet
buzzes with questions

about how and why Anna Nicole's
drug use got so bad.

I don't know what motive
you would have

to keep someone
drugged like that

that doesn't involve
keeping big secrets.

Questions swirl around her
agent, lawyer, and boyfriend,

Howard K. Stern.

He is in control of every aspect
of Anna Nicole's life.

Not only was Howard K. Stern

a romantic partner
of Anna Nicole,

but he was also
the executor of her will.

Howard was able to exert a lot
of control over Anna Nicole.

Many wonder if Howard K. Stern

was keeping
Anna Nicole drugged up.

So, you really have to go
through everything just to see

if you could find one
little piece of information.

Some things that you just
think are totally worthless,

you still have to go down
the rabbit hole.

You still have to go down
that path.

A strange video surfaces
on the Internet.

In doing my research,
I was reading

a lot of archived
Reddit threads.

They reference this
Anna Nicole Smith clown video.

And I'm like,
"Well, what is this

Anna Nicole Smith
clown video?"

Let's go look at this."

It's a video of a clearly
under-the-influence

Anna Nicole Smith

getting clown makeup put on
by a little girl.

And Howard K. Stern
is filming this.

She's totally confused.
She's out of it.

And she's pregnant on top of it.

Like, the whole thing is crazy.

Put you some new clothes on.

What? What?

What? What do you think? Huh?

And she thought this
baby doll was her baby.

She literally did.

She took this baby doll
into the nursery,

changed its diapers,
was fussing over it,

telling it not to cry.

She was completely out of it.

And it was like
a nine-minute video,

and you have to sit there
and you have to go through it

just to see if you could find
one little piece of information.

It's one nefarious comment

from behind the camera
that is most alarming.

I said this footage
is worth money.

It literally made the hairs
on my neck stand up.

A creepy video ignites suspicion

around Howard K. Stern.

But when another suspicious
death is revealed,

theories about Stern
spread like wildfire.

So it was an ongoing,
m*rder death mystery.

So the public remain interested.

People were immediately
pointing fingers

at Howard K. Stern.

An obscure video
with expl*sive implications

spreads on the Internet.

Howard K. Stern looks at Anna
behind the camera and says,

"This is gonna be
worth a lot of money someday."

She was so innocent.
I mean, she really was.

"Why is it gonna be worth money?
What money?"

It seems to show
that Howard K. Stern

wants to capitalize
on Anna Nicole Smith's troubles

and have it as leverage
for the future.

For him to say that,
she was so confused.

She's like, "What do you mean?"

You could tell
she was hurt by that.

It made my blood boil, and it
really kind of solidified

the fact, to me, of him
being involved

because why would you say that?

If somebody passes and there's,
like, a weird video,

then it's gonna be worth money.

If they're still alive

and there's a weird video,
nobody really cares.

It's almost like
he knew something

was gonna happen to her.

Stern knows Anna Nicole Smith
has a booming fan base

and her every move is watched.

Some question whether
Stern was trying to cash in

on Anna Nicole Smith,
even before she's dead.

Red flag. Danger.

Danger alert.

Danger.

She's so out of it,
and he's totally fine with it.

He's not a good guy.

Searching for more clues,
independent investigators

find another dramatic incident
a year before her death.

Anna Nicole gives birth
to her first daughter.

Her 20-year-old son, Daniel,

comes to visit her
at the hospital in the Bahamas.

A nurse is doing rounds

and sees that Daniel
is in the chair,

and it appears that he's asleep.

Anna Nicole Smith wakes up
and goes to wake up Daniel,

and he's unresponsive,
and she starts screaming.

Just one year later,
Anna Nicole Smith is dead, too.

Both mother and son die
of an overdose.

Online, a clear connection
is drawn,

and its implications
are explored.

I really do believe
that she was m*rder*d,

and I think Danny was m*rder*d
for her estate.

I really wanted to look
at what happened to Daniel

because if something nefarious
happened to Daniel,

then it possibly could have
happened to Anna Nicole.

Reports detail
Howard K. Stern's actions

in the days and hours
before Anna Nicole's son died.

From them, Internet sleuths
learn that Daniel Smith's death

was treated with suspicion
in the Bahamas.

The lawyer said, "Yes,
this is an unusual death."

That's the word she used...
An "unusual" death.

They dissect the circumstances

surrounding Daniel's death
to learn more.

So my initial thought was,
"Did Howard get rid of Daniel

because he's an obstacle?"

The motive would be clear.

Howard K. Stern could a carve
a path to Anna Nicole's money

by eliminating her son.

At that point, they still
thought it was possible

she was gonna to get like
$90 million from that estate.

But it's details
in Daniel Smith's autopsy

that raise red flags.

I am a forensic pathologist
and a medical legal consultant.

Daniel Smith had
several drugs in his system.

And there's a question
about where he got them.

And that subsequently resulted
in an intense investigation.

Independent investigators
scour police reports for clues.

Police records show
that the morning Daniel died,

a nurse found a partially
dissolved and scored

methadone tablet in the bed
that Stern had slept in.

It's a wild allegation
that lives online.

Howard K. Stern is accused
of giving Daniel Smith

the drugs that k*lled him.

With mounting suspicions,

Internet sleuths turn back to
the day Anna Nicole Smith died.

Part of the process is taking

the last 24 hours
of somebody' life

and finding clues, scour the
Internet looking for details.

And we, as sleuths,

look at things a little bit
differently than investigators.

Our motivation is
a little bit different.

We really want justice
for people.

Anna Nicole Smith's death

is determined to be
an accidental overdose.

But the autopsy doesn't answer
the same question

circling her son's case.

Where did all the drugs
come from?

How did she get
all of these drugs?

If Anna Nicole died
of a drug overdose,

could the person who provided
her with the drugs be charged

with k*lling her?

A subsequent
police investigation

seems to provide the answer
to the first question.

Eight of the 11 prescriptions

found in Anna Nicole's
possession were in one name...

Howard K. Stern.

There is enough evidence
for a criminal indictment.

What we have in this case
is a conspiracy

among three individuals.

Howard K. Stern is
the principal enabler.

Dr. Eroshevich and Dr. Kapoor

are prescribing drugs
excessively to a known addict.

There were tons of prescriptions

in Howard K. Stern's name

that were in her system
when she died.

So, clearly, he was
giving her medication.

Howard K. Stern pleads
not guilty.

"Not guilty" pleas are entered.

He's later cleared
of all charges.

I feel vindicated.

I feel that this was
a vindication for Anna.

But despite the lack
of concrete evidence,

many fans still wonder
if he k*lled Anna Nicole Smith

by allowing her
to take too many drugs.

I feel like Anna
could still be alive.

In one month, Anna was
prescribed 1,500 pills.

Jesus.

It's not like he pulled
the trigger, right?

It's not like he stabbed
her in the chest.

But I do think that he helped
load the g*n.

There is no evidence
of foul play

in Anna Nicole Smith's death.

But the circumstances
surrounding her last moments

still don't sit well
with cyber sleuths.

She was self-medicating.

And when you self-medicate,
whether it's through alcohol,

heroin, cocaine,
prescription drugs,

whatever,
there's something wrong.

After the loss of her son,
Anna Nicole Smith is devastated.

They wonder if the tragedy
played a factor in her death.

We know that Anna Nicole
witnessed the death of her son

in her own hospital room.

That can be a risk factor
for developing depression

or worsening depression.

After her son dies,

Anna Nicole's grief
is extreme and uncontrollable.

During the funeral,
she was so sedated

and just so out of it.

It was truly tragic.

She, like, threw herself
on the coffin.

She tried to, like,
climb into it.

People had to, like,
pull her back.

Online buzz flags
Anna Nicole Smith's

deep, dark depression.

It's just a year later when she
checks into the Hard Rock Hotel.

She had pills and little
bottles of medications around.

But that one medication that was
in that cough-syrup jar...

That really bothered me,
and the way she was taking it.

It wasn't like one teaspoon
or one cap full.

It was more like a jug,

like you would take a shot of
whiskey or something like that.

Three days later, she takes
drugs that cause an overdose.

The overall conclusion
on the manner of death

was that this was
an accidental overdose.

But online, fans wonder
if it was actually accidental.

Did she intend to k*ll herself?

She's gonna want to take all
those drugs and never wake up.

While Anna Nicole Smith's
autopsy is conclusive,

independent investigators
don't see it as

a black-and-white case.

There's no way for a medical
examiner to be 100% positive

on a manner of death
in a situation like this.

They look hard at
the coroner's report.

An unusual factor
that's listed draws focus...

Depression.

They noted the history
of depression.

So why did they so quickly
rule out suicide?

One of the core symptoms
of depression

can be thoughts
about death or suicide.

In fact, that's part
of the criteria.

And untreated depression has a
15% risk of dying from suicide.

For many, it's evidence that
it was depression that drove

Anna Nicole to take
the drugs that k*lled her.

Some questions have been raised
about the possibility of suicide

because she was
extremely distraught

by the death of her son.

The fine line between intention
and accident in her overdose

is far too thin
for online sleuths.

I think in the back of
her mind, she was kind of like,

"I don't think life
is worth living anymore."

They hunt for more clues
in statements Anna Nicole

reportedly made
to friends and family.

There was another interesting
thing that I uncovered

when I researched her case.

She actually made a comment
to her bodyguard

in the days before her death.

And I remember going over
to her and talking to her

and asking her how she's doing.

She said this one thing,

that she keeps having
a dream of Daniel

asking her to come with her.

And I was like,
"What do you mean?"

She was telling me that she
didn't want to live anymore.

She wanted to be
wherever Daniel was.

When we hear from a patient,
"I can't go on anymore,"

that's a huge red flag for us

because that can be an
indication of suicidal thinking.

There's nothing to prove
Anna Nicole Smith

k*lled herself.

Tragically, the lives
of super-star models

too often end too soon.

Anna Nicole Smith is one of
17 "Playboy" models

to pass away prematurely.

My name is Justin Ling.

I am a freelance
investigative journalist

who specializes
in misinformation,

conspiracy theories,
and crazy nonsense.

I think understanding
Anna Nicole Smith's death

and the theories
that circulate around it

can tell us a lot
about how people cope

with the death of someone they
really looked up to and liked.

Some think the deaths of
"Playboy" models are connected

for an entirely
different reason.

They think it's all part
of a deep-state conspiracy.

People who believe this theory
point to the fact

that there's been some 17
generally mysterious Playmate

deaths over the past
several decades,

including Jayne Mansfield
and Marilyn Monroe

and, of course,
Anna Nicole Smith.

Sleuths descend into the
deepest corners of the Internet,

where a weird theory about

Anna Nicole Smith's
death spreads.

There are videos on YouTube,
you know,

with tens of thousands of hits.

I mean, there's one here.

It has 6.9 million views.

It's a theory that revolves

around Anna Nicole's
questionable sobriety.

Her behavior is weird.

She's out of control.

Sometimes, it seems like
she's on another planet.

I know nothing about nothing.

At that point, she needed help.

We needed to actually
commit her.

Conspiracy theorists have come
up with a strange explanation

for her altered state of mind.

I'm gonna play a little bit.

One theory that came about

was about Anna's
ex-billionaire husband.

As he was wealthy,
people believed

he was part of the elite

and released certain secrets
to Anna before she died.

As the higher-ups
didn't trust Anna,

they first tried to use
mind-control techniques on her,

but eventually k*lled her.

It is the wildest of all
conspiracy theories

on Anna Nicole Smith's death.

Most people are probably
gonna laugh at the idea

that Anna Nicole Smith was part
of a mind-control program.

But here's the thing.

There are some nuggets of truth

at the very core of it
that really lead people to think

that there's some credibility
to this idea.

Cyber sleuths claim to have
seen cases like this before.

Some people are saying
powerful forces

were controlling
Anna Nicole's mind.

I realize this idea sounds
completely insane.

But the CIA actually did run an
attempted mind-control program

in the 1950s and 1960s.

They called it MK-Ultra.

It sounds like science-fiction,

but evidence of a CIA
mind-control program

is all too real.

And some say it never ended.

A lot of people are pretty sure
that MK-Ultra didn't end

in the 1970s
like the U.S. government says.

It just changed form

and has been operating
more secretly ever since.

A core part of this theory
is the idea

that it's not just the CIA,
but it's a globally connected,

deep state that's making
these experiments possible.

Enter the Illuminati.

It's reputed to be
a secret society

with origins
in the distant past.

But stories of the mysterious
and murky powers

of the Illuminati
are part of broad-based

conspiracy theories
that have found new life.

So, this idea that
the Illuminati are everywhere

and they've infected
politics, finance,

and even entertainment
is getting huge

right around the time
Anna Nicole Smith dies.

Anna Nicole Smith was
just one of hundreds,

or perhaps thousands,
of celebrities

controlled by the Illuminati...
Or so they say.

But their proof is questionable.

A video was released

which shows Anna
acting rather strange.

There seems to be
some disassociation,

and she's in
a trance-like state.

Towards the end of her life,
Anna Nicole Smith records a few

weird videos of her behaving
basically erratically.

...thinks you've lost
your mind.

I didn't lose my mind.

Is this a mushroom trip?

The folks who believe
the Illuminati are using LSD

to control these celebrities

take those videos
and hold them up as proof

that she was being programmed
by the Illuminati

and the CIA to do their bidding.

It seems like a farce.

But it all comes together
in crystal-clear terms

for conspiracy theorists putting
forward the most far-out theory

meant to explain
Anna Nicole's death.

So the idea goes that the CIA
and the Illuminati

never stopped doing
the MK-Ultra experiments.

They just changed form
and picked new targets.

Once Anna Nicole Smith
stopped being useful,

they pressed the "reset" button
on their mind-control device

and k*lled her.

There's a theory floating
around that Anna Nicole Smith

was actually being
mind-controlled by the CIA

and the Illuminati through
an MK-Ultra experiment.

What do you think
of that theory?

I know nothing about that.

I think that is completely wild.

Anna Nicole Smith...

Now, helping this theory along
is the fact

that Anna Nicole Smith
was in a movie

where she played
an ex-CIA agent.

Now, the movie obviously
is fiction,

but some people are basically
treating it as true to life.

The official cause
of Anna Nicole Smith's death

is an accidental overdose.

But alternative explanations
continue to spread online,

especially because there are
so many mysterious coincidences.

Human beings are predisposed
to believe that there is some

deep, overarching
conspiracy theory.

So, what's the ultimate finding?

Sleuths continue the hunt

for an explanation
of Anna Nicole Smith's death.

Anna Nicole Smith has been
dead for 15 years.

To this day, the official theory
on how she actually died

is not universally accepted.

Something is up here.

Ever since her tragic death,
an ever-growing online buzz

has put forward
alternative explanations.

The real reason for her death
remains in dispute.

But it's hard to know what her
mind-set was at that time.

Was she making these choices,

or were these choices
being thrust upon her?

Was she being sedated
to some level?

Some believe that
Anna Nicole Smith was m*rder*d

and that the perpetrator
is a free man.

For them, it isn't
a ragged conspiracy theory.

They still believe
Howard K. Stern

k*lled his client,
even after he was fully cleared

of any wrongdoing.

He definitely played a part
in her death, 100%.

But there is no
physical evidence whatsoever

to support m*rder allegations.

You don't k*ll somebody
by giving them

one of the anti-anxiety drugs.

You'd have to give a boat-load,

and you have to really
mix it up.

Other sleuths believe that
Anna Nicole Smith's overdose

wasn't accidental and that she
may have k*lled herself.

We don't know for sure whether
this was an accidental overdose

or whether she intended
to commit suicide.

But the toxicology
of her autopsy undercuts

the suicide theory.

The medical examiner concluded

that if somebody wanted
to commit suicide,

chloral hydrate
is a terrible drug to choose

and you're more likely
to pick something stronger.

A third theory seems to be
the most unreasonable of all.

Anna Nicole Smith's mind
was controlled by the Illuminati

until she was no longer useful.

Is this a mushroom trip?

Maybe they were trying to turn
these people into agents

of this deep-state conspiracy
to influence the masses.

Maybe they were trying
to get celebrities to work

as assassins for their
secret worldwide conspiracy.

There is clearly something
amiss in her behavior,

but the idea that Anna Nicole
was a brainwashed pawn

of the Illuminati
doesn't hold up.

The big takeaway from MK-Ultra

is that mind control
doesn't work.

The whole experiment
was shut down

because it wasn't
going anywhere.

They were not unlocking
the secrets of the human mind.

It's really unlikely

that they've
figured it out since then.

Some alternative explanations

for Anna Nicole's death
are conceivable.

Some are completely outlandish.

Finding the real story means
following the cold, hard facts.

There is no evidence
proving foul play.

The reality is all of us bear
some responsibility

for what happened to her.

As people who pay for tabloid
press and entertainment news,

We have some responsibility
for the really difficult life

she experienced, for all of
the salacious gossip and rumors

that clearly contributed to
her declining mental health.

When Anna Nicole Smith
checks into the Hard Rock Hotel,

her mental health is in decline.

But so is her physical health.

She had this really bad fever.

She was kind of foggy and
in and out of it all day.

A cosmetic injection
of human growth hormone

is causing problems.

She had a high fever.

She had infections in her
buttocks from injections

that she was taking.

When you have 105 fever,

you need to get medical
attention immediately.

And she refused
medical attention.

And when you're an adult,
you can't force your friend

to get medical attention.

But I just feel like
the people around her

should have pushed harder.

Anna Nicole Smith
takes drugs to sleep.

Meanwhile, her fever rises.

When you go 105 and 106, 107,

you're on the doorstep of death.

- I still think about it.
- It's been over 15 years now.

I still think about it.

I sit there and I go over this
in my head over and over again.

What could I have done better?

And then it come to
the point where

there's nothing you could do.

I think digging into
Anna Nicole Smith's death

can help us appreciate
how the fame machine

can destroy people like her.

Anna, unfortunately, will be
remembered by the masses

as a gold-digger
who drug-overdosed.

But those that really know her
and those that really love her

will know that she was a very
thoughtful, caring, beautiful

person who gave light
to those that she met.

If you ever met Anna,

if Anna's ever wrote
or signed an autograph for you,

if Anna ever hugged you,

if Anna ever sat there
and talked to you,

you would know that she was

a deep-down,
kind-hearted person.