Anna Nicole Smith died of unknown causes in a Florida hotel room

Anna Nicole Smith, a postmodern pinup for a tabloid age, died of unknown causes Thursday in a Florida hotel room, her sudden death at 39 delivering the same shock and uproar as the celebrity life she cultivated.

Smith was in her sixth-floor room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., when her private nurse called the operator for help, according to Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger, who said a bodyguard attempted CPR but could not revive her.