Happy birthday to Dannielynn Birkhead! The teen’s dad Larry, 49, celebrated his daughter’s 16th birthday with a photo collage and a moving tribute to her in the caption, which he with a touching reference to Dannielynn’s late mom Anna Nicole Smith: “Mom is looking down!”Larry shared a series of photos of Dannielynn through the years, along with one photo of her with her mom. Larry emphasized how “proud” he was of his daughter, as she hit the milestone birthday.
The photos sweetly showed Dannielynn at different ages, smiling wide, posing, and playing. There were also three shots of her and Larry having adorable dad and daughter moments. He pointed to all that Dannielynn has overcome in her 16 years as he wished her well for the future. “Sixteen years ago my beautiful baby was born. That’s if you want to feel really old. Many people thought the odds were stacked against you, but maybe that was geared more towards me than you. Through tragedy, turmoil and a couple of baby tantrums-today you shine bright and are so accomplished,” he wrote. “So proud to be your Dad!”
He did briefly mention the paternity drama surrounding Dannielynn’s early childhood, but he quickly highlighted just how much he loves his little girl, before joking about her being eligible for her driver’s license. “It’s been a wild ride and Dannielynn has brought joy and laughter to my life. Stay off your local roads because Dannielynn is 16,” he wrote. “Happy Birthday. Rock on.”
Dannielynn was born in 2006, but her birth was subject to much controversy, as lawyer Howard K. Stern was listed as her father on her birth certificate. Anna died of an accidental drug overdose at age 39 in February 2007, and a paternity test proved that Larry was Dannielynn’s father in April of that year.
Since Anna’s death, Dannielynn and her father have clearly been inseparable. Earlier this year, the dad and daughter duo have were spotted attending the Kentucky Derby together, in May. During the event, they had tons of celebrity run-ins, like when they saw Janet Jackson, whose classic 2003 look from the derby Dannielynn imitated. They also saw former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who offered her guitar lessons.