Anna Nicole Smith Estate Sues Von Dutch Over Unauthorized Use of Her Image

The estate of late actress and model Anna Nicole Smith has filed a lawsuit against fashion brand Von Dutch, accusing the company of misusing her name and image without proper authorization.

According to the lawsuit, Anna Nicole Smith Inc., the entity managing her intellectual property rights, alleges that Von Dutch used Smith’s likeness to promote its products without securing permission—either during her lifetime or posthumously.

The complaint highlights a recent social media post from April, in which Von Dutch shared a throwback photo of Smith during her 2004 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In the image, she wears a black cowboy hat with pink lettering. The caption read: “Our iconic Anna Nicole Smith hat from her original VD collection.”

However, the estate claims the statement is misleading. Representatives argue that the hat was not part of an official collection, and no authorized collaboration existed for that item at the time of the appearance. A source close to the estate insisted that Smith never referenced the hat as part of a Von Dutch partnership during the show.

While Anna Nicole Smith did collaborate with Von Dutch on a fashion line during her lifetime, her estate says the agreement did not grant the brand ongoing rights to use her image or name after the partnership ended.

Smith, known for her modeling, acting, and reality TV career, passed away in 2007 from a drug overdose at age 39. Her daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, turned 18 last year and is now of legal age.

Requests for comment have been sent to Von Dutch, Anna Nicole Smith Inc., and Larry Birkhead, Smith’s former partner and father of Dannielynn. As of the time of this report, none have responded.