Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn, turns 16: 'Mom is looking down'
Dannielynn's father, Larry Birkhead, took to Instagram to celebrate his daughter's big day
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, turned 16 on Wednesday.
Her father, Larry Birkhead, took to Instagram to celebrate his daughter’s milestone birthday.
"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. So proud to be your Dad!" his caption began, alongside a collage of photos of Dannielynn.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When I told Dannielynn what a great baby she was when she born, she shot back in true Dannielynn style … ‘How do you know you weren’t even there?’ Ouch. I told her ‘maybe not, but I have been there every day since I brought you home.’ 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! Happy Birthday. Rock. On," he wrote.
ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S DAUGHTER DANNIELYNN BIRKHEAD IS ALL GROWN UP DURING KENTUCKY DERBY APPEARANCE
"Mom is looking down," Birkhead concluded his caption, adding an angel emoji.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shortly after Smith’s death, Birkhead was faced with a very public custody battle where he had to prove Dannielynn was indeed his child. Smith’s former lawyer, Howard K. Stern, had been listed as Dannielynn’s father on the birth certificate and had been fighting for custody, the New York Times reported. Frederic van Anhalt, the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, had also claimed he was Dannielynn’s father.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead attended the 148th Kentucky Derby in May. (Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images)
The father-daughter duo often spend a lot of time together and bond over their shared love for Janet Jackson. In July, Dannielynn and Larry attended Jackson’s concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, and following the performance, the pair enjoyed time backstage with Jackson.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Heading out to Dannielynn's second Janet Jackson concert (my millionth) in Cincinnati as we sit here arguing which one of us is the bigger Janet fan," Larry wrote on Instagram.
In May, Dannielynn wore the exact dress that belonged to Jackson in 2003 at the Barnstable-Brown Gala.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead joined Janet Jackson backstage after her concert in Cincinnati. (Photo by Larry Birkhead)
"Betting on a great time with Dannielynn today at this year's @kentuckyderby, then off to the @janetjackson concert!" Larry captioned photos of the two on Instagram.
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Larry added a photo of the late Smith, who passed away in 2007, at the end of the post and noted in the caption that Dannielynn looked just like the model.
Birkhead first met Smith briefly in 2003 for the Kentucky Derby festivities in his home state. However, it wasn’t until 2004 — after Smith’s dramatic weight loss transformation — that the pair bonded in private.