Dannielynn Birkhead's Inheritance? Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter Entitled To Sanctions In Marshall Case

Anna Nicole Smith famously died amid a lengthy battle over ex-husband J. Howard Marshall's estate -- valued in the ballpark of $500 million to $1 billion. But that doesn't mean her 6-year-old daughter Dannielynn Birkhead -- from her relationship with Larry Birkhead -- won't see a final payout.

TMZ reports that a California judge ruled Wednesday that Dannielynn is "entitled to sanctions against Marshall's family" -- an amount the website estimates as up to $49 million -- despite a 2011 Supreme Court ruling against Smith's estate that overturned a previous $475 million award.

In 1994, the former Playboy playmate and Guess model married business mogul Marshall, 62 years her senior, when she was age 26; he died in 1995. In a series of tragic events, Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel died in 2006 from a drug overdose. Smith died of a prescription drug overdose at a hotel room in Florida five months later.

A film version of her life, directed by "American Psycho" helmer Mary Harron and starring actress Agnes Bruckner, will be released on Lifetime on June 29.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated that Smith died while vacationing in the Bahamas; she actually was found dead in Florida. The article has been updated to reflect those changes.