Larry Birkhead and his daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, whose mother is the late Anna Nicole Smith, resumed their annual tradition of attending the Kentucky Derby after missing out on last year’s event because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dannielynn is now 14, and many found it impossible not to see some similarities between her and her mother. She was born just five months before her mother died on Feb. 8, 2007, at age 39.
Birkhead, 48, shared a trio of photos from Churchill Downs on Saturday. Dannielynn wore a Jovani light blue pantsuit because she wanted to wear something very different from past years. She also wore a sparking facemask and a flowery hat. “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,” Birkhead wrote in the caption. “Dannielynn ‘finished first’ in her [Jovani] pantsuit and a beautiful white-flowered fascinator.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
“She said she wanted to wear something entirely different than she had in the past,” Birkhead continued. “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 included the hashtag “proud dad.”
Hundreds of Birkhead’s followers praised Dannielynn’s outfit. “She is a very beautiful young girl, its so nice to see her be raised by a loving father. I’m sure Anna Nicole would be very proud of the both of you,” one fan wrote. “She’s soooo beautiful! Congrats dad on doing a great job,” another chimed in. “Her mother would be proud of her you’re doing a great job,” one wrote.
Fans have seen Dannielynn grow up through her annual appearances at the Kentucky Derby. The last time they were at the event in May 2019, Dannielynn wore a pink dress with a big pink hat that had a very special meaning. It was the same hat Smith wore to the derby in 2004. In 2018, Dannielynn wore a white-and-blue dress with a white hat that featured blue flowers.
In February, Birkhead marked the 14th anniversary of Smith’s death by appearing in a 20/20 special in which he took Dannielynn to Mexia, Texas, where Smith grew up. They also visited Los Angeles so Birkhead could show Dannielynn memorabilia from Smith’s career that was stowed away in a storage locker. The episode, titled “Tragic Beauty,” is available to watch at ABC.com. Smith’s relationship with Birkhead was also the subject of a 2020 Lifetime documentary series Hopelessly in Love: Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead.
