Anna Nicole Smith passed away in 2007 of an accidental overdose, but her estate–which is controlled by lawyer and close friend Howard K. Stern–has been in litigation with her deceased husband’s family for the last several years. Now, 20 years after she married oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall and 19 years after his death, a judge has ruled that there will be no more court time for the claims.
Smith claimed after Marshall died that he had promised her over $300 million, but his will stipulated that everything be left to his son. Her estate has continued to battle the Marshall family in court long after her death, but to no avail.
“Time spent litigating the relationship between Vickie Lynn and J. Howard has extended for nearly five times the length of their relationship and nearly twenty times the length of their marriage. It is neither reasonable nor practical to go forward,” U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter said on Monday.
Smith was awarded $88 million after suing Marshall’s son, E. Pierce, for interfering in what she said was her husband’s attempt to set up a trust for her. However, a lengthy trial concluded in Pierce Marshall’s favor, and his father’s will was deemed valid.
Smith has a daughter, Dannielynn, who currently lives–far from the Hollywood spotlight–in Kentucky with her father Larry Birkhead. Dannielynn stood to inherit as much as $49 million if the court had ruled in favor of her mother’s estate.