Dannielynn looks just like any normal 12-year-old Kentucky girl. She has a room decked out in a Tinkerbell theme, she’s learning how to play the violin, and she enjoys a good dance party with friends. The only thing that would set her apart is her striking resemblance to one of the 1990s and early 2000s biggest model and media star: Anna Nicole Smith.
Back in 2006, Anna Nicole Smith gave birth to the daughter she’d always wanted. She had written down her wish in her secret diary back in 1993, as she was skyrocketing to fame as a model. She’d written, “I want more children. I want a girl I can dress up.” When the rumors began to circulate, Smith released a home video to confirm the news, saying she was feeling “very happy about it.”
She gave birth to her daughter Dannielynn down in the Bahamas at a hospital. What was supposed to be a purely joyous moment was marred by tragedy as Smith’s son, Daniel Wayne Smith, passed away following an alleged overdose in the very room where his mom had given birth. Anna Nicole Smith passed away herself only a few months after, leaving her daughter behind in the care of Larry Birkhead – Smith’s photographer and biological father of Dannielynn.
While Dannielynn’s first months in this world were marked by significant tragedies in the form of her mother and half brother passing away, her father Larry Birkhead did his best to give Dannielynn a normal life. He moved her away from the Bahamas and to a home just outside Louisville, Kentucky. There, he was able to get her away from the media circus and give her a chance at a real childhood.
In 2017, Larry took Inside Edition on a tour around his stunning 10,000-square-feet house, which was complete with a self-portrait of Anna Nicole Smith. She left behind as a momento to her daughter. It came with the following message: “To my baby who is in my belly right now. Seven-and-a-half months. I love you. July 31, 2006.” While Dannielynn was too young to have been able to form any lasting memories of her mother, Larry did his best to keep her memory alive for Dannielynn.
Back in 2004, Anna Nicole Smith made a huge splash when she appeared at the Kentucky Derby – which is famous not only for its nail-biting races, but also for its iconic fashion moments, particularly hats.
Earlier this month, Dannielynn paid tribute to her mother and wore her hat. While it was a bit too big for the 12-year-old, it was still incredibly beautiful. The lovely gesture was accompanied by a gorgeous pink dress designed by European fashion house Junona. Her father Larry matched, wearing a light-pink suit.
Father and daughter have made it a family tradition to attend their Derby, their attendance going on 10 years now. “She’s a good kid,” he told E!Online, “and we laugh and have the best times and she wears me out.”
While Dannielynn has shown no signs of being interested in modeling – or fame in general – there’s no denying she’s inherited her mother’s beauty as well as her sense of determination and fearlessness.
Larry told E!Online, “I’m going on amusement park roller coasters doing 200-foot drops holding on to her and she says, ‘I told you the last time, do not hold on to me!’” After having an early beginning marked by loss, it’s nice to see that Dannielynn has had a chance to have a normal childhood.
