Getty Anna Nicole Smith.
Dannielynn Birkhead, the daughter of late Guess model Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead, looked all grown up at a 2023 Kentucky Derby party – and the event also marked a big anniversary for her dad.
Birkhead has been taking his only child to Kentucky Derby events every year since she was a little girl. For 2023, “The Millionaire Matchmaker” alum revealed that he took Dannielynn to the famous Barnstable-Brown Derby Eve gala on the 20th anniversary of the first time he met her mom at the very same party.
Smith died of a drug overdose in 2007 when Dannielynn was just a few months old.
Dannielynn Birkhead Paid Tribute to Her Mom at the Barnstable-Brown Derby Eve Gala
On May 5, 2023, Birkhead posted photos to Instagram after posing with his teen daughter at the high-profile Barnstable-Brown party. Birkhead wore a black suit with a tie that featured images of Anna Nicole on it. His daughter posed beside him with a shirt adorned with similar black and white images of the late model on it. Dannielynn also wore a long, tiered black tulle skirt and a glittery collar-style necklace. Her blonde hair was pulled up and she wore full makeup.
Birkhead captioned the photo to reveal that the night at the annual Barnstable-Brown Derby Eve Gala marked the 20th anniversary of when he met Anna Nicole at the same event. “Dannielynn is wearing a shirt with her Mom’s @guess pics on them,” he added of his daughter’s Guess shirt. He also revealed that Dannielynn’s jewelry belonged to her late mom.
Birkhead told People that his daughter’s outfit was “from a Guess collection that sold out” and that his daughter had saved it for a special occasion. “It’s done with photos from some of Anna’s best Guess campaigns,” he said, noting that the outfit was the perfect way to pay tribute to her late mom.
“We’re both paying tribute because it’s the 20th anniversary of our first meeting,” he added.
Birkhead posted a second, close-up pic and noted that he “can’t believe Dannielynn is almost 17.” Dannielynn will celebrate her 17th birthday In September 2023.
Fans reacted to say how grown-up Dannielynn is now – and how much she looks like her mom.
“Omg I thought it was Anna Nicole. WOW spitting image of her mum,” one fan wrote.
“She is so beautiful! 😭 looks just like Anna!” another agreed.
“She is so freaking beautiful!! Her shirt is such an amazing tribute to Mama Bear,” another wrote.
Larry Birkhead Revealed Why He Takes Dannielynn to the Kentucky Derby Party Every Year
GettyDannielynn Birkhead and Larry Birkhead attends the 145th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Birkhead previously explained why he chose to raise his daughter in rural Kentucky. “I think here in Kentucky is as normal as you can get,” he told Inside Edition of his decision to keep Dannielynn out of Hollywood.
And because they live in Kentucky, it was a no-brainer to keep up the Kentucky Derby tradition with Dannielynn.
“It’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year,” Birkhead told Fox News Digital of the Barnstable-Brown Gala, per Hello. “That’s where I met Anna Nicole Smith. And it’s something that I’ve taken my daughter back every year since. .. it started off just kind of me taking her back and showing her around and kind of letting her know the stories that, you know, this is kind of where I met your mom and things.”
Birkhead added that he doesn’t allow his daughter to do any other type of public events, so the annual trek to the Derby gives fans a yearly update on how she’s doing. Each year, Birkhead posts photos of Dannielynn’s Kentucky Derby attire.
“And so, in all honesty, the Kentucky Derby is kind of the growth chart for Dannielynn,” he said.