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Dannielynn Birkhead: 5 Things About Anna Nicole Smith’s Daughter Ahead Of The Kentucky Derby
Dannielynn Birkhead has been a source of fascination for many as the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith. Living a relatively private life, the teen makes one annual appearance at the Kentucky Derby.
From the time Dannielynn Birkhead was five years old, people could not get over the similarities between the little girl and Anna Nicole Smith. Between their blonde hair and winning smiles, observers couldn’t help but see Anna Nicole — the famous Playboy magazine model who tragically died from an accidental overdose in 2007 — in little Dannielynn.
Since tragic incident, Dannielynn has lived a relatively quiet life with her father Larry Birkhead in his native Kentucky. The now 14-year-old makes one public appearance each year with dad Larry at the Kentucky Derby, and has looked more and more grown up each time! The 2021 event is scheduled to happen on Saturday, May 1 but the blonde — who is a spitting image of her gorgeous mother — already got to check out the venue a day early. Larry posted a photo of Dannielynn looking so glam in a turquoise Jovani suit with ’80s inspired buttons, revealing that this year looks a little different due to the pandemic. The event is particularly sentimental as it’s the place Larry and Anna Nicole Smith first met.
“It’s that time of year again. The @kentuckyderby weekend is here! Even though our favorite event The Barnstable-Brown Party won’t be back until next year, we decided to head out on this beautiful day to Churchill Downs racetrack in preparation for The Kentucky Derby,” Larry wrote in his caption. “Dannielynn ‘finished first’ in her @jovanifashions pant suit and a beautiful white flowered fascinator. She said she wanted to wear something entirely different than she had in the past. I guess that means no more ‘little girl’ dresses?? She cleaned out the chocolate brownies, ice cream and nachos while at the same time critiquing my outfit,” he quipped. Below, we’ve gathered five things to know about Dannielynn ahead of the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
How Old Is Dannielynn Now?
Dannielynn was born on Sept. 7, 2006. That makes Anna Nicole’s daughter 14 years old now.
Who Is Dannielynn’s Father?
Dannielynn’s father is Larry Birkhead, a celebrity photographer who’s now 48 years old. He met Anna Nicole at the Kentucky Derby in 2004, but the romance that happened afterwards was hush-hush. “No one ever knew one time that I was her boyfriend,” Larry said in an older 20/20 special, which aired in 2017. “The whole time we dated, if you look at all the video, I’m in the back carrying my camera bag … she didn’t want me in the spotlight.”
However, confusion over the true identity of Dannielynn’s father ensued after her birth in 2006. In his 20/20 interview, Larry claimed that he had a fight with Anna Nicole five months into her pregnancy and that she left him for the Bahamas. When the baby was delivered, Dannielynn’s father was listed as attorney Howard K. Stern (Anna Nicole’s partner at the time) on her birth certificate, which Larry challenged with a lawsuit. After a DNA test, Larry was confirmed as Dannielynn’s real father in April of 2007.
Larry has been a devoted father ever since, and even takes Dannielynn to the Kentucky Derby (where her parents met) as a yearly tradition. Although they had to watch the Kentucky Derby from home in 2020 due to the pandemic, you can see a photo of them at the 2019 horse racing event above.
How Old Was Anna Nicole When She Had Her Daughter?
Anna Nicole was 39 years old when she welcomed Dannielynn into the world, just about a month away from her 40th birthday. The 1992 “Playmate of the Month” was only 17 years old, however, when she welcomed Dannielynn’s half-brother Daniel. He sadly died of an accidental overdose in the very same hospital room where his mother gave birth to Dannielynn. This was the same cause of death that claimed Anna Nicole’s life just five months later.
Larry never wanted to gloss over Anna Nicole’s troubled past and has kept the memory of Dannielynn’s mother alive. The pair even visit Anna Nicole’s grave together. “We visit, and I tell Dannielynn stories about her mom. I don’t sugarcoat it. I say there are some things that your mom did and you know I try to make her learn from it,” Larry once told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. “My goal was always to keep Daniel and Anna in her mind and let her know who they were without overdoing it.”
What Is Dannielynn Up To Now In 2021?
Surprised Dannielynn with @HamiltonMusical tickets for 7th grade graduation. I think she is happy! #Hamilton #hamiltonmusical #graduation #kycenterforthearts pic.twitter.com/Lj8rjNc9sN
— Larry Birkhead (@larrybirkhead) June 4, 2019
Like mother, like daughter! Anna Nicole was once the face of Guess in the ’90s, and in 2013, Dannielynn made her modeling debut with the very same brand for a Guess Kids campaign.
These days, Dannielynn is living life as a normal teenager. “She goes to school like every other kid, she’s a Girl Scout,” Larry said on The Steve Harvey Show during the summer of 2016. Dannielynn’s dad admits that it can be a struggle and said, “I make it as normal as I can.” The father-daughter duo do the normal things like catching a movie and rushing to school late. Dannielynn graduated from the seventh grade in the summer of 2019, which Larry proudly posted about (you can see the photos above).
Dannielynn is often hanging out with her father, whether that be going to Walt Disney World or catching a movie together.
What Is Dannielynn’s Net Worth?
While Dannielynn’s exact net worth is not public information, she was named as the sole heir to her late mother’s estate in 2008. However, lawyers representing Dannielynn lost an attempt to win $44 million from the vast fortune that Anna Nicole’s ex-husband J. Howard Marshall left behind, BBC News reported in 2014. After the oil tycoon billionaire passed away in 1995, he left his $1.6 billion fortune to only his son E Pierce Mashall, who is also now deceased.
“If Dannielynn is to inherit anything via her mom that she was entitled to, so be it, but it’s not like we’re sitting around waiting for one thing to happen,” Larry said about the financial ordeal in his 20/20 interview in 2017.
