'Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me' — See Trailer for Netflix Documentary (Exclusive)

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me is on Netflix May 16

Fans are getting a never-before-seen look at the life of Anna Nicole Smith.

In the first trailer for the Netflix documentary Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me shared exclusively with PEOPLE, new footage of the late model/actress is showcased, promising a revealing look at her legacy. Smith (born Vickie Lynn Hogan) died of an accidental prescription drug overdose at 39 years old on Feb. 8, 2007.

Director Ursula Macfarlane (The Lost Sons, Untouchable) tells PEOPLE, "I've always been fascinated by Anna Nicole Smith. I think like most people, I had a cursory knowledge of who Anna Nicole was. The more I dug into her story, the more I discovered that a lot of what I watched and read over the years provided a one-dimensional look at Anna Nicole. It's been 16 years since she has died and it was time to dig beneath the surface. Society's perspective has shifted on women in the media spotlight who pursue fame — and we need to lift up female and female identifying survivors, instead of condemning them."

According to a press release, You Don't Know Me is an "unflinching and humanizing examination of the life, death and secrets" of Smith.

Related:Anna Nicole Smith's Life in Photos

"From her first appearance in Playboy in 1992, Anna Nicole's dizzying ascent was the very essence of the American dream, brought to a tragic halt with her untimely passing in 2007," adds the synopsis.

"With access to never-before-seen footage, home movies, and interviews with key figures who have not spoken out until now, Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me reveals new insights into the story of the quintessential blonde bombshell hardly anyone really knew."

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The Houston native became a tabloid favorite after marrying 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II in 1994 after she met him while performing at a strip club. On top of dealing with her own drug addiction, Smith suffered in public as she battled for her late husband's estate, endured paternity lawsuits and the death of her first child, Daniel, in 2006.

She was also mom to daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, now 16, with photographer Larry Birkhead.

"I hope that people will have more empathy for Anna Nicole after watching our film," director Macfarlane says. "She was human, she was complicated, but she was always, truly, unapologetically herself. A funny, smart and kind free spirit who lived her life to the fullest. She was a woman who lived for her children and wanted more than anything to be a good mother and ensure they were always taken care of. She was a woman who was dealing with emotional and physical pain who had serious health issues and was trying to address them the best she could with the resources she had. She's a woman who deserves our attention and our understanding. I want people to come away loving her as much as I do, but at the very least I want her to be appreciated as the multi-dimensional and deeply vulnerable woman she was."

Asked why the documentary is named You Don't Know Me, Macfarlane says: "We named the doc You Don't Know Me because we felt that, despite the hundreds of hours of TV coverage and acres of newsprint about her, no one truly understood Anna Nicole Smith. By challenging some of the old narratives about her, by interviewing the people who genuinely knew her and had meaningful life experiences with her, and by uncovering the mysteries about her, we hope that we've gotten closer to her truth."

Related:Larry Birkhead Celebrates Daughter Dannielynn on 16th Birthday: 'It's Been a Wild Ride'

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me is on Netflix May 16.

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