Anna Nicole Smith was an It Girl. She had bombshell looks and had a desire to be famous. That desire to be famous led Smith down many paths in the entertainment industry from posing for Playboy to being cast in films. It even made the mother-of-two one of the first reality show personalities with the successful The Anna Nicole Show. But with the level of fame that Smith received from a stolen tragic childhood story, as well as controversy for her marriage to J. Howard Marshall, she was constantly under the microscope. As a result, Smith looked for ways to cope. And this attempt to cope with life that had become overwhelming would eventually lead Smith's star to be diminished far too soon.
Smith was a savvy businesswoman. She knew what she wanted and worked hard, much like her idol, Marilyn Monroe. Like Monroe, Smith was not taken seriously because some thought she had a vapid personality. A fact that both women worked hard to overcome during their careers that ended far too soon because of a dependence on prescription drugs. Everyone, including her doctors, Eroshevich Khristine and Sandeep Kapoor, apparently did nothing to wean Smith from the substances she was addicted to. Because of this, both found themselves in hot water after Smith died.
After Anna Nicole Smith died, one of her doctors even wrote a memoir to defend himself.
Anna Nicole Smith Tragically Passed Away In 2007
The cause of death that is listed on Smith's death certificate is accidental overdose. However, given the tragedy that Smith dealt with in the months before her death, those close to her believe it was something else entirely: grief.
"Although her death certificate will list a different cause — an accidental overdose — in my mind, I think she truly died of a broken heart," Larry Birkhead explained.
"You’ve got to think: My daughter was born on Sept. 7 and on Sept. 10, Daniel died. So you go from that extreme high and low, and how do you process that in your mind?"
Smith and her son Daniel, who she shared with her first husband, adored one another. They were the most important people in each other's lives. And while Smith struggled with her prescription drugs, she would muster the energy to be there for her son, day in and day out.
"I have to be strong for Daniel," Smith said. "He needs me. I love my boy."
For his part, Daniel would be there to help Smith dry her tears when she got "emotional." They truly depended on one another.
As such, when Smith asked Daniel to join her in the Bahamas when he was struggling with his mental health and drug use, she thought when he agreed to come things would get better. Instead, the day after he arrived to meet his newborn baby sister, Dannielynn, who today, very little is known about, he passed away. Smith became engulfed in grief.
The grief never truly disappeared and Anna Nicole's prescription drug use increased. And those in Smith's life were happy to provide her with those drugs, including her doctor, Dr. Kapoor.
Smith was taking prescription drugs in doses higher than prescribed. This would ultimately lead to her demise. This is because the former Playmate, who was suffering from the flu and a 105 fever, along with an infection from repeated injections in her buttocks, took her normal prescription drugs in conjunction with "the seldom-prescribed sedative chloral hydrate," a drug that was also responsible for the death of Marilyn Monroe.
Because of this, the 39-year-old passed away from the deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in her system.
What Happened To Anna Nicole Smith's Doctor?
After Smith passed away, there was an investigation into her death. And in that investigation, several people were charged with felonies including Dr. Kapoor.
Two years after Smith's death, Dr. Kapoor was charged with eight felonies. Some of those felonies included "conspiring to furnish controlled substances, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and obtaining fraudulent prescriptions."
It was alleged that the doctor provided the drugs for Smith for purposes other than for her physical pain and mental health. And if the doctor was found guilty, he would spend several years in prison as well as lose his medical license.
"To violate (the law) a defendant must willfully and knowingly prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance to an addict for a non-therapeutic purpose," Judge Robert Perry told the jury before they went into deliberations.
After 58 hours of deliberations, Dr. Kapoor was found not guilty. Although "Smith received 1,500 pills" in the month before her death, the jury believed that Dr. Kapoor was genuinely trying to help Smith and did not believe he was giving her medications for an addiction.
The not-guilty verdict may have saved Dr. Kapoor his license and prison time, but his reputation was in question. And because of this, he wrote a memoir to clear his name.
Anna Nicole Smith's Doctor Wrote A Memoir...
Ten years after Smith's death, Dr. Kapoor decided to release a memoir that, in part, describes his time as a doctor to Smith. This move was not one to capitalize on the anniversary of the passing of the Guess Jeans campaign model, according to Dr. Kapoor. Instead, it was "time to put together [his] journals and tell [his] story."
"The memoir portions of "Trust Me, I’m a Doctor" are raw, unedited and give a frank account of my life as I’ve experienced it – growing up as an immigrant, coming out of the closet, accepting myself as a whole, imperfect human being," Dr. Kapoor explained.
Dr. Kapoor admitted that he was "egotistical" and "bragging" during his time as Smith's doctor. But that did not mean that he was prescribing pills for anything other than ailments Smith had. And based on reviews of the book, readers agree with the doctor.
"It's interesting to read his perspective on what it's like to be dragged through a sensational trial and used as a media pawn by the likes of TMZ," one reader wrote. "In the end, not only did I learn about Anna Nicole and her poor son Daniel, but I was cheering as Dr. Kapoor was finally acquitted and could continue his life."
Another stated, "If you're expecting to read about a lot of excuses and denial, you're going to be disappointed. Dr. Kapooor makes no excuse for behaviors he regrets in getting caught up in the Hollywood scene. It is clear from the beginning that he never mismanaged Anna Nicole's medications and the anguish he and his family endured in order to prove this is heartbreaking and outrageous."
Other reviews of the book express the same sentiments. And because of this, while fans of Smith may believe that she was an opiate addict, they, much like the jury that acquitted him, do not believe Dr. Kapoor was ultimately responsible for Smith's death.