Anna Nicole Smith’s Tragic Passing Sparks Stunning New Claims Nearly 20 Years Later

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Anna Nicole Smith Death Case Lawyer Reveals New Claims

Nearly 20 years after Anna Nicole Smith‘s death, the lawyer who defended one of her former doctors is making startling claims about the criminal investigation that followed, including an alleged attempt to pursue murder charges.

In a new interview with Page Six, Ellyn Garofalo— who represented Dr. Sandeep Kapoor during the high-profile prescription drug trial — claims prosecutors faced intense political pressure to bring a case following the former Playboy model’s death in February 2007.

The attorney revisited the controversy as the case returns to public attention through the film “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.”

Anna Nicole Smith’s Lawyer Reveals Alleged Push for Murder Charges

Garofalo alleged that former California Attorney General Jerry Brown initially wanted prosecutors to pursue murder charges.

“There was political pressure in LA to bring this as a murder case,” she told Page Six.

The attorney claimed Smith’s death in Florida complicated that approach, prompting authorities to pursue allegations involving prescription medications instead.

Kapoor, Smith’s former physician, was accused of conspiring with her attorney and former partner, Howard K. Stern, and psychiatrist Dr. Khristine Eroshevich to improperly obtain prescription drugs.

Garofalo maintained that her client had not treated Smith in the months immediately preceding her death.

No defendant was charged with causing Smith’s death, which authorities ruled an accidental overdose.

Defense Attorney Recalls Chaos Surrounding Anna Nicole Smith Trial

Garofalo described the intense media attention surrounding Kapoor, recalling extraordinary scenes as reporters pursued him.

“The trial was beyond a circus,” she claimed.

According to the attorney, Kapoor was once forced to hide in his mother’s car trunk to escape photographers.

Garofalo also raised allegations concerning two former nannies who testified during the 2010 proceedings.

She claimed prosecutors arranged special benefits for the witnesses and their families, including a Disneyland trip and housing in the Bahamas.

These remain Garofalo’s allegations, rather than independently established findings of misconduct.

What Happened to Anna Nicole Smith’s Former Doctors?

The 2010 trial ended with Kapoor being acquitted of every charge, according to NBC News.

Jurors convicted Stern and Eroshevich on prescription-related conspiracy counts, although a judge subsequently dismissed most convictions in January 2011, as per ABC7.

Eroshevich initially retained a reduced misdemeanor conviction. Further appeals complicated the case’s legal outcome.

Garofalo said the experience had lasting consequences for Kapoor, whose medical practice became the focus of intense public attention.

She described the prosecution as a life-changing ordeal for the physician.

Anna Nicole Smith Movie Faces Criticism From Daughter’s Father

The controversy is revisited in “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,” starring Kal Penn as Kapoor, Linda Hamilton as Garofalo and Abbie Cornish as Smith.

The film is based on Kapoor’s 2017 memoir.

However, Smith’s former partner Larry Birkhead, who raised their daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, has publicly criticized the project.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in July, Larry expressed concern about the emotional impact the film could have on their daughter, who was only five months old when Smith died at 39.

Garofalo, meanwhile, admitted that watching the film brought back painful memories of the trial.

“Watching the movie was quite triggering, it brought it all back — but I would like to meet her,” she told Page Six, referring to Hamilton.

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