Dannielynn Birkhead was just five years old when her mother Anna Nicole Smith died tragically at the young age of 39 from a prescription drug overdose in February 2007.
Despite being born into the spotlight, the now 17-year-old lives in Kentucky with her father Larry Birkhead, and lives a relatively normal life (unlike her mum) outside of the public eye.
But over the years, Dannielynn has made several public appearances, treating fans and well-wishers to a glimpse inside her world and how she is taking after her mum.
Interestingly, while Dannielynn and her doting dad are close, this wasn’t always the case.
In fact, Anna Nicole’s lawyer, Howard K Stern was originally listed as Dannielynn’s father on her birth certificate.
It was only following Anna’s passing that Larry managed to successfully secure custody rights and prove that he was the child’s biological dad.
In a birthday tribute to his daughter, Larry shared a funny story relating to his initial role in her life.
“When I told Dannielynn what a great baby she was when she was born, she shot back in true Dannielynn style…’ How do you know you weren’t even there?'” he noted.
“Ouch. I told her ‘Maybe not, but I have been there every day since I brought you home.”
In 2016, Larry made a candid admission about life as a single dad on the Steve Harvey show.
“It’s tough raising a little girl without a mom,” he said.
“You always want to make sure you’re doing the right thing that a mom would choose that a dad might not choose.”
“There were days on the playground where she would say she wants her mom back…it’s tough for her to visit the grave. It makes me emotional thinking about everything we’ve been through. It’s just been a rollercoaster.”
In 2017, Dannielynn celebrated her 10th birthday with a trip to LA’s Universal Studios.
Doting dad Larry also gave a rare interview to the NBC Today Show to give an update on how his daughter was doing.
“I’m not the best dad, I have my faults, but I do the best I can with what the situation is,” Larry told the show about raising the little girl on his own.
“We make the best of it, and I think Dannielynn’s best days are still to come. She’s got such a bright future in front of her, and I try every day to keep a little bit of the memory alive of her mom.”
In the same year, the father-daughter duo shared a glimpse inside their life with Inside Edition, in which the then fifth-grader revealed her love for singing, dancing, and the violin.
Larry also revealed how he and Dannielynn would often visit the gravesite of Anna Nicole and share stories about her incredible life.
“[Dannielynn] reminds me so much of her mum and as she gets older, and her features are changing, it’s just like having a little miniature [Anna] running around in so many ways,” he told Entertainment Tonight.
In the same year, Dannielynn and her father made their annual public appearance at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, where Dannielynn looked more grown up than ever!
At the derby the following year, Dannielynn paid homage to her mother, the then 12-year-old donning her mother’s iconic pink hat to the event.
Her proud father Larry shared the picture on his Instagram with the caption: “Dannielynn is pretty pink in her dress by Junona for The Kentucky Derby. Topping it off in a very special hat her Mom wore to The Kentucky Derby in 2004.”
As the years have passed, Dannielynn has only grown more and more alike to her mum, and these pictures from her appearances at the derby and associated Barnstable Brown Gala prove it!
While the 2020 and 2021 derby events were cancelled due to COVID-19, she more than made up for it with these stylish looks in 2022 and 2023.
The Barnstable Brown Gala holds special significance for Larry and his daughter as it is where he first met Anna Nicole in 2004.
“Nothing like having a serious conversation with your kid and instead you get trolled with the worst pics of you ever taken on their cell phone,” Larry captioned these snaps shared to his joint Instagram with his teen daughter.
“At any rate, onward and upward! Dannielynn finished 11th grade and maintained honor roll through some challenging times we had taking care of my Mom before she passed away. I am so proud!!”
“Now, on the Summer break and then 12th grade…and in the meantime, hopefully, she can take some better pictures of me. 😂 I think I am going to give her a photography class over the summer.”
In a follow-up post, the pair celebrated Father’s Day in the US with a smiley selfie.
“Having a great Father’s Day with Dannielynn at the @duranduran concert,” Larry captioned the Instagram post.
“I’ve been trying to school her on good music way back since she was a baby,” he added.
In celebration of Dannielynn’s 17th birthday, Larry shared rare new photos of his fast-growing daughter to his Instagram account.
He also shared a poignant tribute to Anna Nicole’s eldest child Daniel who tragically died just three days after his younger sister was born at the tender age of just 20 years old.
“Today would have been Anna Nicole’s son Daniel’s birthday as well. I miss celebrating the day with him as well. I’m always thinking about him (especially on this day) and the great person he could and would have been.”
In May 2024, the father-daughter duo made their annual appearance at the Kentucky Derby.
For the occasion, Dannielynn wore several outfits – including a black outfit that her father had purchased at auction that Janet Jackson herself once wore!
Her second outfit of the weekend was a stunning red ensemble by the American fashion brand Badgley Mischka. Larry shared on his Instagram that his daughter’s dress “was inspired by her favourite character Hino Eiji from [Japanese television series and manga] Kamen Rider.”
