Two Friends Remember Anna Nicole On Her 40th Birthday

It was in March when Anna Nicole Smith was finally laid to rest in the Bahamas after a contentious court battle. Today would have been her 40th birthday.

Two friends who were there on her final day and who she called mommy and daddy today spoke with Access Hollywood’s Tony Potts about how they are keeping her memory alive.

“On this day which would be her 40th birthday, have you ever wondered why Anna died?” Tony asked Brigitte Neven.

“No, I don’t know, I guess her task in life was fulfilled, otherwise she would still be here,” Brigitte said.

But her legacy still lives on in her second home of the Bahamas. Tony Potts was with her dear friends, King Eric Gibson and his partner Brigitte Neven as they paid tribute to Anna Nicole with their newly remodeled boat, the “Queen Anna Nicole.”

“Anna’s gone, her memory still goes on,” Eric told Access. “We want to keep her memory going on.”

“It’s been almost ten months since the day you walked in and found Anna not breathing. Have you had time to comprehend that?” Tony asked.

“How can you comprehend that?” Brigitte replied. “People are not supposed to die at age 39.”

Both Eric and Brigitte were with Anna on that tragic February morning inside Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and while everyone thought Anna Nicole was napping, Brigitte was the one who discovered she had stopped breathing.

“What did you see?” Tony asked.

“I didn’t see her because of the big duvet,” Brigitte replied as tears welled in her eyes.

“Did you touch her?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, she was still warm,” Brigitte said. “She was so lifeless, she was definitely comatose.”

Powerless to save Anna’s life, her spirit shines bright now within her daughter Dannielynn. Both Brigitte and Eric look forward to a time when they will see her again.

“If Dannielynn is 16 years old and wants to come back here, what would you tell her mother?” Tony asked.

“That she was a wonderful loving person and she can be proud of her,” Brigitte said.