The son of American actress and model Anna Nicole, Daniel Wayne Smith was an actor. In the well-known television program “The Anna Nicole Show,” he played himself. Daniel has always sought the spotlight because his mother, Anna Nicole, is a well-known actress and model. Daniel made his television debut in his mother’s reality show before making appearances in a few Hollywood movies, including “To the Limit” and “Skyscraper.” Sadly, Daniel Wayne Smith passed away at the age of 20 while traveling to the Bahamas to visit his mother at the “Doctor’s Hospital” in Nassau. After an inquiry and inquest, it was determined that Daniel had died from a heroin overdose. However, questions about his death persisted, prompting a further autopsy. Daniel was laid to rest at New Providence, Bahamas, on October 19, 2006.
Early Childhood & Life
On January 22, 1986, Daniel was born in Mexia, Texas, in the United States. Just one year after his birth, Anna Nicole Smith and Billy Wayne Smith divorced. He was consequently brought up by his mother and grandma.
He had a difficult childhood as a result of his parent’s divorce. It did not assist his situation because schools were moving around constantly. His mother married J. Howard Marshall in 1994 after meeting him at a strip club. Marshall is a well-known American businessman and attorney.
In Los Angeles, California, Daniel studied at the “Los Angeles Valley College” (LAVC). His mother allegedly claimed to the media that he was an honor student and an academic prodigy. Many of the coworkers and friends of his mother characterized him as “shy and sweet.”
Appearances in Film and Television
He was hired to appear on his mother’s TV show, “The Anna Nicole Show,” when he was just 16 years old. Despite receiving a lot of screen time during the show’s opening credits, he made only a few brief cameos. Daniel announced that he no longer wanted to be a part of the show during the second season.
Then he made an appearance in the well-known American docuseries “E True Hollywood Story.” He and his mother both had appearances on the “E Entertainment Network” program, which shines a spotlight on famous people.
He had a small part in the action-thriller movie “To the Limit” from 1995. Along with other well-known performers like Joey Travolta and Michael Nouri, Raymond Martino’s mother Anna Nicole Smith featured in the movie.
He once more had a supporting role in the direct-to-video movie “Skyscraper” the following year. His mother had a key part in the Raymond Martino-helmed movie. Even though he only had minor roles in these films, many people praised his acting abilities.
Daniel Wayne’s Death
Daniel Wayne Smith paid a visit to his mother on September 10, 2006, while she was a patient in the Bahamas’ “Doctors Hospital,” where she had given birth to Dannielynn Hope Marshall, his half-sister. The 20-year-old Daniel had seated on a chair close to his mother after looking at his newly born half-sister. It appeared that her son was sound asleep as his mother awoke from her slumber. But when her attempts to get him up were unsuccessful, she experienced the shock of her life.
She then sounded the alarm, prompting the medical staff to hurry to her ward and discover Daniel, who appeared to be dead. They tried to revive him, but it didn’t work, so they proclaimed him dead and told his mother. Upon learning the news, Anna Nicole Smith was heartbroken and steadfastly refused to accept that her son had passed away. She actually wouldn’t get go of his body, forcing the medical staff to sedate her in order to remove her from the hospital.
Daniel Smith’s Investigation
A coroner called Linda declared that the unnatural cause of the death occurred on September 12. She added that an inquiry would start soon and that Daniel’s mother would be among the witnesses who would have to provide a statement.
Daniel’s death certificate was released on September 20. However, the cause of his unexpected death was not disclosed because, according to the authorities, the findings of the toxicological tests had not yet been made public.
Dr. Cyril Wecht was commissioned by the Bahamian law firm “Callenders and Co.” to do an independent autopsy to ascertain Daniel’s true cause of death. Dr. Cyril Wecht informed the media that substances like methadone, Zoloft, and Lexapro had been discovered during the second autopsy.
While Zoloft and Lexapro are antidepressants, Methadone is an analgesic. Dr. Cyril Wecht asserts that the interaction between these medications is what led to Daniel’s demise. He said that some medications, when combined improperly, may be fatal.
According to Dr. Cyril Wecht, methadone is known to change a person’s heart rate, which might result in cardiac dysrhythmia. Additionally, he claimed that Daniel’s system may have been more sensitive to the effects of methadone due to the presence of Lexapro and Zoloft.
Dr. Cyril Wecht stated that he could not identify any natural causes, such as a stroke or cardiac arrest, that may have resulted in the abrupt death of Daniel, 20, notwithstanding his suggestion that there was no foul play involved.
When authorities were unable to identify why Daniel was using methadone when none had been prescribed for him, the probe grew murkier. Dannielynn Hope Marshall’s mother, Anna Nicole, nevertheless, had a Methadone prescription while she was expecting.
However, it remained unclear how and why Daniel had taken Methadone right before his passing. Dr. Cyril Wecht claimed he didn’t know why Daniel was using methadone and that’s why he wouldn’t make his own judgment.
In a segment of the renowned docuseries “True Crime with Aphrodite Jones,” Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend of Anna Nicole, said that Daniel had been caught stealing his mother’s methadone by Anna’s security. Interestingly, according to another story, Anna’s refrigerator had large amounts of methadone.
The Funeral’s Drama
Daniel was laid to rest at New Providence, Bahamas, on October 19, 2006. At his funeral, Anna Nicole opened the coffin and made an attempt to crawl inside. She claimed that she had lost all will to live and wanted to be buried alongside her son. Later, Anna’s lawyer Howard K. Stern claimed that Anna had experienced emotional death following the death of her son and that she had been traumatized by it.
A separate memorial service was held for Daniel’s family and friends on October 7 at a church in Mexia. At the memorial service were Daniel’s maternal grandmother Virgie Mae Arthur and his biological father Billy Wayne Smith. His mother Anna made the decision to remain in the Bahamas where she was represented by Howard K. Stern.
Estimated Net Worth
One of the wealthiest American family members is Daniel. Our research of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider revealed that Daniel Wayne Smith has a net worth of $5 million.