WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Reuters) - The United States Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it would hear an appeal from Anna Nicole Smith, a former Playboy model who is seeking $88.6 million from the estate of her late husband, J. Howard Marshall.

The justices agreed to review a federal appeals court ruling that overturned a decision in a Texas probate court in favor of Ms. Smith, the 1993 Playboy Playmate of the Year who has recently been the star of her own reality television show. Arguments are likely to be held in January, with a decision coming before the court term ends in June.

Ms. Smith was 26 at the time of her 1994 marriage to Mr. Marshall, an 89-year-old oilman. He died a year later, leaving an estate exceeding $1.6 billion that has been the subject of a legal battle between Ms. Smith and her husband's son, E. Pierce Marshall.