Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has agreed to take another look at the long-standing dispute over the estate of the late actress/model Anna Nicole Smith's billionaire husband.
The separate estate of Smith, who died more than three years ago, has been fighting for years to secure a share of the deceased Texas oilman's fortune.
The justices Monday accepted review of the probate case after a federal appeals court ruled against Smith's estate. Oral arguments will be held early next year.
J. Howard Marshall was married to the much younger Smith, who is named in court papers by the name Vickie Lynn Marshall, for 14 months before he died in 1995. His will left nearly all his assets and trust to his son from a previous marriage, E. Pierce Marshall, and Smith received nothing. She later sued, claiming her elderly husband promised to give her more than $300 million.
Court records shows she had already received about $7 million in cash and gifts during their brief union.
In 2006, the high court gave Smith a temporary victory when it allowed her to continue the legal fight, after earlier judicial setbacks. Smith's appearance in the Supreme Court during the first oral arguments caused a minor media sensation, with cameras jockeying for position as she entered and left the building.
CNN
