Unless you’ve been under a rock or in a cave, you’ve heard former porn star Anna Nicole Smith is dead. How’d I hear? While I was waiting for a fire alarm to stop going off in the lobby of one of my classes.

Reality TV star and former model Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead Thursday after being taken to a Florida hospital, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Smith, 39, collapsed at a south Florida hotel, according to news reports.

“I can confirm that she is deceased. It’s as shocking to me as to you guys,” Smith’s attorney, Ronald Rale, told Reuters. “I don’t know anything further. [Her lawyer and husband] Howard [K. Stern], obviously, is speechless and grieving.”

Update (from Michelle): I’d like to highlight and echo Baldilocks’ comment.

This was a human being who probably died with no hope and believing that no one left alive really loved her (the baby notwithstanding).

I knew someone else who died believing this (via an overdose) and it hurts to this day that he went out of here in despair.

It’s called empathy.

baldilocks on February 8, 2007 at 6:04 PM