Janet Jackson was clearly flattered to see that Dannielynn Birkhead wore the same outfit that the singer did to a Kentucky Derby pre-party in 2003. A source close to Janet, 55, told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that she was “blown away” by Dannielynn, 15, paying homage to her look at the annual event on Friday, May 6. It was clearly a super sweet moment for the two to share at the derby.
The source revealed that Janet was surprised but also really happy to see Dannielynn wear the same outfit as she did to the Barnstable Brown Gala over the weekend. “Janet was blown away when she saw Dannielynn wearing her iconic outfit. She couldn’t believe her eyes and she thought Dannielynn looked absolutely stunning,” they explained. “Janet felt like it was so meant to be that she ran into them at the derby and thought that they couldn’t have been kinder.”
Janet was excited to share both her own experiences with Dannielynn and her dad Larry, while also learning about the teen’s own experiences with the Derby. “Seeing Dannielynn in that look brought back so many wonderful memories from nearly 20 years ago and it left Janet feeling truly touched. Larry and Dannielynn explained to Janet how the Kentucky Derby has always been a special tradition for them because that’s where Larry met [Dannielynn’s mom] Anna [Nicole Smith],” the source said, before saying how Dannielynn decided to wear the outfit. “They explained how Dannielynn typically went with something bright and colorful, but this year she wanted to change things up a bit, and since Janet was performing again, she couldn’t have imagined a better way of celebrating. Janet was so honored that Dannielynn would pay tribute to her in such a special way and she was moved by the sweet gesture.”
Dannielynn and Larry shared that she and Janet met in the classic outfit on her Instagram on Saturday. “Janet was so gracious and complimentary of Dannielynn in her outfit. She made Dannielynn so happy and even graciously posed for a photo with us,” the dad and daughter wrote in a caption.