Anna Nicole Smith unknowingly transformed the life of the woman Hugh Hefner once called his "most sexy model."
asserted
Hefner → transform → woman
Sandra Taylor, who made hearts race as a Playboy cover girl during the '90s, is now the head sommelier at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
asserted
hearts → make → Raiders
But long before then, her friendship with the 1993 Playmate of the Year changed the course of her life.
asserted
friendship → change → life
Taylor recently appeared on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kim Alexis' podcast, "Unexpired," where she reflected on her life and career.
asserted
she → appear → life
"I was friends with Anna Nicole Smith, and she was such a darling," Taylor recalled to Fox News Digital.
asserted
Taylor → recall → Digital
"We shared two makeup artists.
asserted
We → share → artists
And they introduced us very, very early on to her coming here from Texas, and we became friends.
asserted
we → introduce → Texas
She needed a place to stay when she first came out here."
asserted
she → need → place
A visit to Smith on the set of "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" changed the course of Taylor's career.
asserted
visit → change → career
After Smith's makeup artist urged her to meet with Playboy during its 40th anniversary search, Smith encouraged her friend to go for it.
asserted
Smith → urge → it
The opportunity led Taylor to Playboy and launched a new chapter in her life.
asserted
opportunity → lead → life
WATCH: SANDRA TAYLOR REVEALS HOW ANNA NICOLE SMITH LED HER TO PLAYBOY
"It was my friendship with Anna Nicole Smith ... it led me right there," said Taylor.
asserted
Taylor → watch → me
"I never, in a million years growing up, thought I would ever be in Playboy," she said.
asserted
she → grow → Playboy
"It just seemed so out of the realm of reality.
asserted
It → seem → reality
I studied macroeconomics, microeconomics, statistics, differential equations, and I was a dream dancer."
asserted
I → study → macroeconomics
"I was only 19 years old when my dad passed away," she continued.
asserted
she → pass → ?
He was walking with my mom, and he had a heart attack just out of the blue and passed away.
asserted
he → walk → blue
And then I never went back to that campus again.
asserted
I → go → campus
I always used to joke, 'I wonder if my books are still in my locker,' because I never cleared it out.
asserted
I → use → it
But after that, when he passed away, the math died along with him, and I just didn't want to do it anymore.
asserted
I → pass → it
After her father's sudden death, Taylor abandoned her plans to pursue math and embraced a career in modeling.
asserted
Taylor → abandon → modeling
Looking back, she remains grateful for her friendship with Smith, whom she credits with helping open the door to Playboy before Smith died in 2007 at 39.
asserted
Smith → look → 39
"I remember how sweet she was," said Taylor.
asserted
Taylor → remember → ?
"She was really, really a sweet girl and loved her son so much.
asserted
She → love → son
She really wanted to be a great mom.
asserted
She → want → ?
I don't think she could hurt a fly."
uncertain
she → think → fly
For Taylor, posing for Playboy was only the beginning.
asserted
posing → pose → Playboy
She said it led to a friendship with Hefner that lasted until his death in 2017 at 91.
asserted
that → say → 91
"Even when you do the magazine, it doesn't end there," Taylor explained.
asserted
Taylor → do → magazine
"Hef opens up his home for years to come. ...
asserted
Hef → open → years
Because I was good friends with Kimberley, his wife, I was able to fly on their jet.
asserted
I → fly → jet
I was able to really experience him as a family man, and how kind he was, too.
asserted
he → experience → man
I loved his laugh.
asserted
I → love → laugh
If I look back, his laugh to me was the most infectious, wonderful thing about him.
asserted
laugh → look → him
And I miss him.
asserted
I → miss → him
I really think he changed the trajectory of things for me.
asserted
he → think → me
I'm sure it closed some doors ... but I wouldn't change it for the world.
asserted
I → close → world
"
Decades later, Taylor said she learned what Hefner thought of her Playboy photos.
asserted
Hefner → say → photos
"You know Traci Bingham from 'Baywatch?'" said Taylor.
asserted
Taylor → know → Baywatch
"She had told me when she went in to discuss doing Playboy, it was right around the time my layout was [going] to press.
asserted
layout → tell → press
…and 38 more, not listed.
The Aporia
