Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan in 1967 in Houston, Texas, and raised in Mexia, Texas. She was the daughter of Donald Eugene Hogan (1947-2009) and Virgie Mae Arthur (nee Tabers; b. 1951), who married on February 22, 1967 and divorced on November 4, 1969. She had five half siblings: Donna Hogan, David Tacker Jr., Donnie Hogan, Amy Hogan, and Donald Hart. Smith was raised by her mother and aunt.

In an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Smith was asked what her "Playmate diet" consisted of. She instantly replied, "fried chicken". In October 2003, she became a spokeswoman for TrimSpa, which allegedly helped her lose a reported 69 pounds (31 kg). TrimSpa diet product company and Smith were sued in a class action lawsuit alleging their marketing of a weight loss pill was false or misleading.  In November 2004, she appeared at the American Music Awards to introduce Kanye West and attracted attention because of her slurred speech and behavior. During her live appearance, she threw her arms up and exclaimed, "Like my body?" Smith murmured other comments and alluded to TrimSpa. The incident became comic material for presenters throughout the rest of the program.  Her appearance was featured in the media the following day. Tabloids speculated that Smith was under the influence of pills or a controlled substance. Her representatives explained that she was in pain due to a series of grueling workouts.  In March 2005, at the first MTV Australia Video Music Awards in Sydney's Luna Park, she spoofed Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction by pulling down her dress to reveal both breasts, each covered with the MTV logo.  Smith was also featured in advertisements for the animal rights group PETA. Spoofing Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" segment in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, a 2004 ad states "Gentlemen prefer fur-free blondes." Due to her support of the anti-fur movement, in particular her criticism of Canadian seal hunting, PETA began a petition in memory of Smith to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the annual tradition. In another ad the following year, Smith posed with her dogs in a campaign against Iams dog food for their alleged cruelty to animals, as well as the manufacturer Procter & Gamble, and sister company Eukanuba.

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