Is death sexy?

The death of Anna Nicole Smith has added yet another name to the tragic roster of Playboy Playmates who've died young.

Not even death can keep Anna Nicole from making headlines. The latest -- are you ready for this? -- Anna Nicole's lesbian lover:

Sandi Powledge was the furthest thing from glamour — unpretentious, grounded, fun-loving and real.
They met in a gay bar in northwest Harris County in 1991 and would become lovers. It was an exhilarating time, one that Powledge, now 46, remembers fondly, even as she mourns the death of the woman she once loved. ...
Powledge recalls their first year together as one filled with happiness. The two exchanged vows of commitment on the diving board at Smith's home in Spring, and Smith gave Powledge a diamond ring. Smith avoided wearing a ring herself because of the questions it might raise, Powledge said.

Why haven't you heard of Sandi Powledge before now? Well, the great thing about dead celebrities is, they can't file libel suits ...

UPDATE: Turns out the "I was Anna Nicole's lesbian lover" angle is eight years old, from a Houston "alternative" tabloid. The Houston Chronicle's ombudsman calls it "old news and tawdry, it had no news value ... based on the word of one woman -- a self-admitted recovering drug addict who is homeless and jobless. On top of that, we did not credit the Press for breaking the 'news' seven years ago." None of which means the story's not true, but ...

UPDATE 2: A blogger friend who shall remain nameless asks, "Was she really a lesbian, or was she just incapable of saying no to anybody?"