Larry Birkhead, the father of Anna Nicole Smith‘s daughter Dannielynn Birkehad, lashed out on Twitter after PEOPLE mentioned that Zsa Zsa Gabor‘s widower, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, once claimed to be Dannielynn’s father. This was not true though, as a DNA test confirmed Birkhead is Dannielynn’s biological factor following a court battle between Birkhead and Smith’s attorney and domestic partner, Howard K. Stern.
On Tuesday, PEOPLE published an interview with Sam Staggs, author of the new Gabor biography Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors Behind the Legend. At the end of the article, PEOPLE mentioned how von Anhalt claimed in 2007 that he was Dannielynn’s father, even though he was still married to Gabor at the time. The article erroneously referred to Dannielynn as “Dannielynn Smith.”
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“[PEOPLE] no such person as ‘Dannielynn Smith,’ and I wish everyone would stop giving this guy credit. I can’t find any evidence he ever met Anna,” Birkhead tweeted on Tuesday, directly to the magazine.
Birkhead’s comment earned praise from his many followers, inclusing some who wondered why PEOPLE mentioned this at all.
“You are her daddy. Everyone knows this without a doubt! There was no need for People to even mention this in the article! Love to you and your little one,” one fan wrote.
“Seriously? How many times are they all going to profile the hangers on? Let her REST ! Her child deserves to know all.. but not made up drivel!” another person wrote.
“If only more Fathers were like you. You’re an exceptional example,” added another follower.
Von Anhalt was Gabor’s ninth and final husband. They married in 1986 and he is 27 years younger than Gabor. Von Anhalt and Gabor’s daughter, Francesca Hilton, often battled over Gabor’s health and money. Gabor died in December 2016 at age 99, and it was later revealed that all Gabor’s assets were put into a trust with von Anhalt as the only trustee.
Staggs claimed von Anhalt isolated Gabor from her family, but he denied those allegations to PEOPLE. He said Gabor married him for “protection” and he looked out for her best interests.
Following Smith’s death in February 2007, a battle over custody of Dannielynn began. In the end, DNA proved Birkhead is Dannielynn’s biological father and he was awarded custody.
Today, Birkhead and Dannielynn are known for their annual appearances at the Kentucky Derby. Since they live in rural Kentucky, they have been making annual visits to the race since 2010. This year, Dannielynn wore the same pink hat her mother wore to the 2004 Kentucky Derby.
Photo credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Churchill Downs
