Anna Nicole Smith tragically passed away when her second child,
Dannielynn, was just five months old. That left a child growing up under the eye of the media,
trying to navigate without a mother, while also trying to comprehend why the world
is fascinated with her. Let's see what this teenager is up to now.
"Say 'Mommy.' Say 'Mommy.'"
When Anna Nicole died from an accidental drug overdose in 2007 — just months after
her daughter was born — a paternity battle blew up in the press. But Dannielynn's biological father,
Larry Birkhead, was confident he would be named her official guardian.
While Howard K. Stern had been Anna Nicole's last partner — and was stated
as the father on Dannielynn's birth certificate — Larry told ABC News,
"I have the will power and the determination to know my daughter."
"I hate to be the one who told you this, but, um, I told you so."
[Cheers]
A court-ordered DNA test confirmed that Dannielynn was indeed Larry's daughter.
In fact, just a month prior, Larry claimed he was already setting up a nursery. For his part,
Howard relinquished his former title but showed Larry the ropes. Larry shared with ABC,
"The minute after the paternity test was over ... he's helping me change Dannielynn's diaper,
[showing me], 'This is how you feed her,' ... it's been nonstop since then."
Anna Nicole hit the pop culture zeitgeist when she modeled for Guess Jeans. Shortly after her Playboy
debut in 1992, Smith met with Guess founder, Paul Marciano, who recalled to Paper Magazine,
"I was crazy about shooting her. She had such a magnetic personality."
She was so hot at the time, she was even considered for the role of Tina Carlyle
in "The Mask" — a role which ultimately went to Cameron Diaz.
But, at the ripe old age of 6, Dannielynn appeared to be following in her mother's
footsteps, modeling for a Guess children’s campaign. Marciano shared,
"Dannielynn has the same playful spirit that her mother had on a set."
Larry later addressed the criticism regarding Dannielynn's involvement in the campaign,
explaining on "Good Morning America,"
"Dannielynn has always looked up to her mom's image ... this is kind of
Dannielynn's way of paying tribute to her mom in her own special way. […] That
might be her only connection with her mom."
Larry was adamant that Dannielynn grow up out of the limelight — something that had been detrimental to Anna Nicole's mental health.
After the Guess gig, he rejected any further offers for his daughter, saying on "Today,"
"I didn't care about it, so I'd say no she's not interested. She's just a regular kid."
Larry and Dannielynn live in Kentucky where they enjoy a quiet life,
far outside of Hollywood. He explained on the show,
"I made a conscious decision a long time ago to move to Kentucky. It takes away the chase,
it takes away the curiosity, it takes away the false stories."
"I can totally play this."
Now in her teens, E! News reports that Dannielynn regularly makes the honor roll
and even plays a little violin.
The Kentucky Derby was a favorite of Anna Nicole's. And Dannielynn and Larry have made it a point to attend the event every year.
In fact, back when he was a photographer,
Larry first caught Anna Nicole's eye at a Derby gala. He recalled to ABC,
"She's waving at me and ... blowing kisses and I mean, she knew how to work the camera."
The two hit it off and were on-again, off-again for several years. But these days,
Dannielynn and her dad share their annual tradition of matching Derby
outfits that began when she was just 3 years old. Larry told E! News in 2015,
"She's my good luck charm. She picks all the winners."
It appears Dannielynn might be dipping a toe into acting.
With his daughter already having spent a year in a theater class, Larry told The Daily Mail,
"I got an email from a teacher and she said Dannielynn gave one of the
most believable performances of the whole, whole entire school."
As for whether or not she will ever pursue acting full-time…well, that's up to Dannielynn. Now that
his daughter is about to become an adult, Larry is letting her choose her own path. He said,
"If she wants to do something like that when she's older ... we'll see when we get there."
Larry has raised Dannielynn as a single father ever since 2007 when Anna Nicole died.
And while she probably wasn't shopping for a new mom, at just 7 years old,
Dannielynn was playing matchmaker for her dad. Larry told E! News,
"Dannielynn tries to hook me up."
In 2014, Larry appeared on "Millionaire Matchmaker" in the hopes of being shot by
cupid's arrow, courtesy of host Patti Stanger. But he hadn't dated anyone since Anna Nicole,
and Stanger wasn't sure he had totally moved on. In the Birkheads' home,
Anna Nicole is everywhere. Larry admitted,
"It's been hard trying to find that balance of what's enough for Dannielynn to know her mom,
but what's also the limit to where I can move on."
Larry did end up going on a date, but he returned home a single guy.
Devoted to keeping Anna Nicole's memory alive for his daughter,
Larry and Dannielynn took a trip to the Bahamas for what would have been her 50th birthday.
On their trip, the two visited Anna Nicole's grave, the hospital where Dannielynn was born,
and the courthouse where Larry was confirmed to be her father.
"Gimme the phone. This is all you think about is the phone."
In 2021, Larry even took Dannielynn to Anna Nicole's hometown in Texas.
And he had a major reveal in store for his daughter as part of their visit. For years,
he had been keeping Anna Nicole's prized possessions in a storage locker for Dannielynn.
Amongst the heirlooms were family photographs, red carpet gowns, and the wedding dress Anna
Nicole wore for her wedding to oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II in 1994.
It's clear that Dannielynn holds her mother's memory close,
keeping her iconic legacy alive while also creating her own.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).