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Story by Katie Cox

Anna Nicole is back in the media with more stories of drug abuse and promiscuity, but this time the gossip is more tragic than tasty. The recent death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel Smith, and debates over the paternity of her newborn daughter, Dannielynn Hope, has been front cover news in several tattlers within the last month, making us yearn for the good ole’ days when she was only slurring sentences at award shows.

Daniel Smith was found dead in his mother’s hospital room in the Bahamas as she recovered from the birth of her new baby, only days before. It took weeks before the coroner concluded that the cause of death was an “accidental” combination of prescription medication including methadone, Lexapro and Zoloft.

Where did he get the medication? (only the Lexapro was prescribed), and why was he obviously trying to sedate himself after the seemingly joyous birth of his new sister? Nobody knows.

Then, to make matters more weird, Smith’s attorney Howard K. Stern announced his paternity to the baby girl, only to be challenged by photographer, Larry Birkhead, who has also staked his claim on the infant.

Birkhead is now requesting that Smith return the baby to California where a paternity test and a drug test can be conducted.

Yes, that’s right folks, now the baby may have drugs in her system.

Meanwhile Smith, who is now residing in the Bahamas, is protected from the California court system unless she returns.

Smith and Stern held a commitment ceremony last week on a boat, surrounded by only close friends and family. And just in case anyone doesn’t remember, Stern was Anna Nicole’s “man-slave” on her reality television show a few years back -- the one often ordered to bring her pickles and rub her feet.

And so, as the Anna Nicole Smith drama continues to unfold with the paternity of her daughter still up in the air and the reasons for her son’s overdose a mystery, it is natural that we long for the simpler days when we could just laugh at her instead of feel sorry for her.