Anna Nicole Smith Was More Than a Blonde Bombshell

Anna Nicole Smith's story is heading to Netflix. Sixteen years after her untimely passing, a new documentary titled Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me is examining the "life, death and secrets" of the late model.

“I want audiences to understand that Anna Nicole was a complex woman,” director Ursula Macfarlane told Netflix's Tudum. “She was someone who above all else wanted to be a good mother and a free-spirited exuberant woman who wanted to live life on her own terms. But her story is also a cautionary tale about how the desire for the American dream can swallow you up and spit you out, blurring your self-image and make you lose sight of your authentic self.”

The documentary features never-before-seen footage, as well as home movies and interviews. Macfarlane admitted to Tudum that she felt "like many previous books and films about Anna Nicole twisted her narrative," so she "felt fortunate to have access to a wealth of audio and TV interviews including personal phone calls that involved Anna Nicole."

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“I really feel like she is telling her own story in her own words," the director said. "And with the contributions of people in her life who genuinely knew her, I feel that we’ve been able to get closer to her truth.”

Netflix has teased that Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me will reveal "new insights into the story of the quintessential blonde bombshell hardly anyone really knew."

Here is everything to know about the Anna Nicole Smith documentary.

What is the Anna Nicole Smith documentary release date?

The documentary, which is described as an "unflinching and humanizing examination" of Smith, will be released on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 3 a.m. ET.

What time does the Anna Nicole Smith documentary release?

The documentary will be released at 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. That means viewers on the West coast can catch the episode at midnight.

How to watch the Anna Nicole Smith documentary

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me will be available only on Netflix.

Will the Anna Nicole Smith documentary have multiple parts?

No. It is a documentary film, not a docuseries, with a runtime of 117 minutes, per Netflix.

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Is there a trailer for the Anna Nicole Smith documentary?

Netflix debuted the official trailer for the documentary on April 17. The trailer features footage of Smith advising people to "follow their dreams.”

“They can come true," she says. "I’m living proof.”

What is Anna Nicole Smith's real name?

Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan.

When did Anna Nicole Smith die?

The actress died in 2007 of an accidental drug overdose. She was 39.

According to The New York Times, the Broward County medical examiner said he found traces of several drugs in Ms. Smith’s body, "including muscle relaxants, pain relievers like methadone and several anti-anxiety medicines." The doctor said her cause of death was a combined drug intoxication, "the primary drug being the potent sedative chloral hydrate." An intestinal flu and a bacterial infection were contributing factors.

Smith was found unconscious on Feb. 8, 2007 in her suite at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

How did Anna Nicole Smith's son die?

Smith's son, Daniel, died in September 2006—just days after Smith gave birth to her daughter, Dannielynn—of an accidental drug overdose. He was 20.

"I don't understand why God took him and didn't take me," Smith said in a subsequent interview.

Are Larry Birkhead and daughter Dannielynn involved in the Anna Nicole Smith documentary?

Smith's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead told The Post via email that he and his daughter, Dannielynn, whom Smith gave birth to in 2006, are not involved in the Netflix documentary.

“I had to make that decision after seeing production after production following the same format and using the same people saying they were ‘friends’ with Anna,” he explained. “It’s important for me and I owe it to my daughter Dannielynn that only credible people are involved in Anna’s story and so I decided one way to get that assurance is to do our own project.”

Larry revealed that he decided to pass on the documentary and do their "own special project" using archives that Smith left behind. He said, “You can’t get any more definitive than Anna in her own words! So, it was important for me to let Anna tell her own story.”

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