HUGH HEFNER AND ANNA NICOLE SMITH

Playboy's Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner has paid tribute to Anna Nicole Smith following her tragic death.Friends and colleagues of the former Playboy Playmate have expressed their grief after the troubled star passed away yesterday. Playboy founder Hugh said: "I'm very saddened to learn about Anna Nicole's passing. She was a dear friend who meant a great deal to the Playboy family and to me personally. My thoughts and prayers are with her friends and loved ones during this difficult time."US talk show host Larry King said: "She was a special person, she was an unusual person. She was genuine, she was funny, she had some class. I feel very, very sorry for everybody concerned, but mostly for her daughter Dannielynn."The 39-year-old model-turned-actress was once the poster girl for Guess jeans, and starred in 'Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult'.CEO of Guess jeans, Paul Marciano, said: "She had something magic. This is a very tragic and sad day. Personally I feel she did not recover from the loss of her son Daniel who was the love of her life."She was working as the spokesmodel for diet pill Trimspa when she died. CEO of Trimspa, Alex Goen, said: "Today, Anna Nicole Smith's grieficken and tumultuous personal life came to an end. Anna came to our company as a customer, but she departs it as a friend. Anna knew both the joy of giving life, and the heartache of losing a child. We pray that she is granted the peace that eluded her more recent days on earth, and that she finds comfort in the presence of her son, Daniel."Anna Nicole also did a lot of work for animal rights group PETA. PETA released a statement saying: "PETA is extremely upset by the news of Anna Nicole Smith's untimely death. She was a great friend to animals and used every opportunity to speak out against senseless cruelty. We always thought Anna Nicole was a perfect fit for PETA because, just like us, she not only hated cruelty to animals and loved her dog. It is a tragedy when anyone passes away before their time, but with Anna Nicole, animals have lost a true hero and PETA has lost a good friend. We will miss her."

Anna Nicole Smith And Hugh Hefner