A judge on Tuesday named Anna Nicole Smith's 18-month-old daughter Dannielynn the sole heir of the former Playboy Playmate's estate, according to U.S. media reports Wednesday. Her father, Larry Birkhead, and Smith's executor, Howard K. Stern, will be co-trustees. (Photo: chinadaily.com.cn, File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- A judge on Tuesday named Anna Nicole Smith's 18-month-old daughter Dannielynn the sole heir of the former Playboy Playmate's estate, according to U.S. media reports Wednesday.

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff also ruled that a trust should be established for Dannielynn. Her father, Larry Birkhead, and Smith's executor, Howard K. Stern, will be co-trustees.     

    "We and Mr. Stern always believed that Anna Nicole never intended to disinherit her daughter," said Stern's attorney, Bruce S. Ross.

    "I'm pleased to say this chapter in the saga is closed." Ross said after Tuesday's hearing.

    Stern filed papers in Supreme Court in October 2007 seeking to clarify Smith's intentions in the will that she drafted five years before Dannielynn was born, since Smith's son, Daniel, had been her heir, according to the will. 

    Smith did not change it after her daughter was born. However, Stern's petition said the assets in Daniel's trust should be shared equally if she had future children.

Anna Nicole Smith is shown with her attorney Howard K. Stern and Smith's newborn daughter Dannielynn Hope at home in the Bahamas in this publicity photo released to Reuters by "Entertainment Tonight" television program Nov. 2, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters, File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Daniel died at 20, only three days after Dannielynn's birth.

    Smith, a former Playboy model and television actress, died in February 2007 of an accidental prescription drug overdose.

    At the time of her death, Smith was embroiled in a legal battle with billionaire oil tycoon Howard Marshall's family over his estate -- about 1.6 billion U.S dollars.

    She married Marshall when she was 26 years old and he was 89. He died 14 months later. Marshall left much of his fortune to the model, which triggered the years-long battle that has not been resolved.

    Dannielynn could inherit millions of dollars if her trustee wins an ongoing court fight.

(Agencies)

Nicole Smith ex-boyfriend wants part of inheritance

    BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- A former boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith who made criminal threats against her and is currently serving a six-year sentence in prison has claimed part of her inheritance, according to documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court.

    Mark Hatten, presently incarcerated in the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California, dated Smith in 2000 but was later found guilty of threatening her with a knife and assaulting one of her neighbors. He was acquitted of stalking her. Full story

Smith's former lawyer files for 6% of her estate

    BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's former lawyer and longtime companion, has filed papers in a Los Angeles court, seeking 6 percent of whatever the model's estate might recover from her late husband's fortune, media reported Tuesday.

    Smith died of drug overdose in February Florida. Her assets were estimated at 710,000 U.S. dollars in May. As the widow of late Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, she had been fighting Marshall's family for years over his estimated 500 million dollars fortune. Full story

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