A famous model and actress tragically died from an overdose, leaving behind her five-month-old daughter. Now, 18 years later, that little girl is stunning fans with her striking resemblance to her mother, calling her “beautiful.”
This female celebrity lived a life filled with controversy — rising from a humble start to becoming a Playboy model and marrying a man over six decades her senior. She welcomed a daughter and tragically lost her son before her own life ended abruptly.
The famous model and actress, circa 1993. | Source: Getty Images
Since then, her little girl has lived mostly out of the spotlight, raised by her father with a sense of normalcy. But as she recently celebrated a major milestone, social media users marveled at her beauty, many struck by how much she resembles her iconic mother, Anna Nicole Smith.
Anna Nicole Smith on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 1992. | Source: Getty Images
The Rise and Fall of Anna Nicole Smith
Born Vicki Lynn Hogan, Anna was raised in poverty in Mexia, Texas. She dropped out of high school at 15 and took a job at a local chicken restaurant.
Anna Nicole Smith circa 1992. | Source: Getty Images
In 2017, Larry Birkhead, who dated the late actress, opened up about their romantic but tumultuous relationship and revealed that when Anna talked about her childhood, they “were not the happiest of stories.” “[She was] poor, abused,” he said.
Larry Birkhead attends the world premiere of Columbia Pictures’ “Hancock” in Hollywood, California, on June 30, 2008. | Source: Getty Images
In her early twenties, after a brief marriage that left her raising her son Daniel alone, Anna began working as a dancer in Houston. It was there that she met James Howard Marshall, an 89-year-old billionaire oil tycoon.
Anna Nicole Smith showing off the wedding ring given to her by billionaire J. Howard Marshall in 1994 in Las Vegas. | Source: Getty Images
Their 1994 marriage, when Anna was just 24, sparked controversy, with many accusing her of marrying for money. According to reports, the billionaire spent millions on Anna, showering her with gifts.
However, the famous blonde credited James for providing her and Daniel with a stable life and taking care of them, something she deeply loved him for.
Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel in Beverly Hills, California, in 1993. | Source: Getty Images
“That was no act. She genuinely has some kind of a deep love for him. Now, I don’t know if it was the kind of, you know, physical type of thing, but it was what he did for her and what he did for Daniel, and that he changed her life,” Larry revealed.
Around this time, Anna’s modeling career took off. She appeared in Playboy in 1992, quickly rising to fame as Playmate of the Year and securing a modeling contract with Guess.
Anna Nicole Smith, circa 1992. | Source: Getty Images
Her Marilyn Monroe-inspired look made her a cultural sensation, and she began landing minor roles in Hollywood. “She was living the dream. Here she is, a little girl from Texas, went from working in a chicken shack to making movies with big stars in Hollywood,” Larry shared.
However, following James’ death in 1995, just 14 months after they said “I do,” Anna was left with nothing. Even after her passing, an ongoing legal battle to claim a stake in James’ estate for her daughter was unsuccessful. Instead, his estate, estimated to be worth $1.6 billion, went to his son, E. Pierce Marshall.
Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel, circa 1997. | Source: Getty Images
Amid her career’s highs and lows, the iconic model struggled with dependency on prescription medication, which she used to manage pain from surgeries and other health issues.
In 2006, she became pregnant with her daughter, but never publicly confirmed Larry as the father. Five months into her pregnancy, after a significant argument with Larry, she abruptly left for the Bahamas, distancing herself from him.
Anna Nicole Smith at the U.S. Supreme Court on February 28, 2006, in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
In June 2006, the blonde icon announced her pregnancy publicly through a video on her website, leaving Larry concerned about the medications she was taking and their potential impact on their unborn child.
On September 7, 2006, Anna gave birth to their daughter in a Bahamian hospital, filming and selling the footage. Just days after the bundle of joy’s arrival, Daniel, who went on to become an actor and producer, came for a visit but tragically died in Anna’s hospital room.
Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel at an event in Los Angeles, California, in 2004. | Source: Getty Images
According to reports, the 20-year-old had accidentally overdosed on a combination of two antidepressants and methadone. Six months later, on February 8, 2007, Anna herself passed away in a Florida hotel room from an accidental overdose of nine prescription medications.
A poster for Anna Nicole Smith, part of a makeshift memorial in 2007 following her death. | Source: Getty Images
In her final days, she reportedly suffered from the flu, a high fever, and a painful infection from repeated injections. Refusing hospital treatment, she spent her final hours in a suite filled with medication bottles, soda cans, and remnants of her attempt to self-medicate.
Her untimely death at 39 marked the tragic end of a life lived in the spotlight, leaving behind her infant daughter, just five months old.
Anna Nicole Smith photographed in 2005 in Hollywood, Florida. | Source: Getty Images
Anna Nicole Smith’s Daughter’s Life Away from the Spotlight
After Anna’s passing, Larry fought to secure custody of their daughter, Dannielynn. Competing against the model’s former partner and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, he ultimately proved through a DNA test that he was Dannielynn’s biological father.
Larry Birkhead attends Pamela Anderson’s New Year’s Eve party in Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007. | Source: Getty Images
Once granted full custody, Larry dedicated himself to giving the little girl a life far removed from the chaotic world of fame that had defined her mother’s life.
Larry and Dannielynn moved to a quiet community outside Louisville, Kentucky, where he sought to provide stability and protect her from the media spotlight.
Holding onto a few of the baby clothes that Anna had lovingly purchased, he kept her mother’s memory alive but focused on raising Dannielynn with a sense of simplicity.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead arrive at the Launch celebration party for The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 17, 2008, in Universal City, California. | Source: Getty Images
In 2013, he allowed her to participate in a Guess modeling campaign, a nod to her mother’s legacy. However, he turned down all other offers that followed, saying Dannielynn showed no interest in modeling and preferred a normal childhood over fame.
Larry Birkhead and his daughter Dannielynn are in Los Angeles, California, on February 14, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
“She doesn’t show any interest in it. And some parents might say, ‘Oh my gosh, you know, Anna Nicole was her mom? This is the gravy train. Let’s roll with this.’You know? But it’s nothing that she wants to do…she wants to be a kid,” he shared.
Larry and Dannielynn Birkhead appear on NBC’s “Today” show | Source: Getty Images
To support them, Larry found a livelihood in photography and house flipping, noting they received no support from Anna’s estate. He often emphasized to Dannielynn the importance of integrity, teaching her values he hoped would keep her grounded.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead at the 141st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2015, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source: Getty Images
“Excess is not always the best. Be careful who’s around you. Be good, be caring. Give back. You don’t have to be a star to shoot for the stars,” he told her.
Dannielynn and her father at the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source: Getty Images
As Dannielynn grew up, her father made a conscious effort to shield her from the media. Though her curiosity led her to social media, particularly to creating YouTube videos, Larry remained “overly protective.”
“Dannielynn is more interested in wanting to be a YouTuber and make her own videos, so those are the types of things that she’s interested in,” he said.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead at the Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala on May 3, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source: Getty Images
“I still have to warn her that, you know, your friend might have a YouTube account, but if you have a YouTube account that’s different, because people know who you are,” Anna’s ex added.
Larry Birkhead attends the BET Awards after-party in Hollywood, California, in 2007. | Source: Getty Images
Fatherhood has been a blend of roles for Larry, who joked that he went from protector to chauffeur. “It depends on what the day is. But my job is dad and I think I’ve done a pretty good job. She’s adjusted to it and she’s just a normal kid,” he shared.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead at the 145th Kentucky Derby on May 4, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source: Getty Images
Larry has also tried to preserve Anna’s legacy within their home. Small mementos and tokens honoring her are scattered throughout their house, and he speaks with Dannielynn about who her mother was and the career she had.
Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead attend the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 2023. | Source: Getty Images
Though it’s been over a decade since Anna’s death, Larry has been open about the challenges of guiding Dannielynn through her mother’s complicated legacy, especially in an age where social media can make such personal details widely accessible.
Dannielynn Birkhead at the Kentucky Derby 150 at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source: Getty Images
In September, Dannielynn celebrated her 18th birthday, a milestone the father-daughter duo shared on their joint Instagram account, where Larry wrote in part, “Dannielynn had a great time celebrating her 18th birthday with friends […].”
Following the milestone, social media users were quick to comment on her beauty, many noting how much Dannielynn looked like Anna.
“Wow looks so much like her mom..happy 18th birthday I remember when she was a baby,” one person commented. Another shared, “What a beautiful young lady. Blessings…Your mama would have been proud.”
Another social media user typed, “Omg she look like her mama [sic.]” A fourth added, “She is beautiful like her Mom. Happy Birthday young lady,” and a fifth noted, “So much like Anna Nicole. Happy Birthday beautiful young lady!”
Larry and Dannielynn’s bond shines through in the glimpses they share online, documenting their outings, family moments, and close-knit relationship. In early May, the father-daughter duo wore bright smiles as they shared a snap of them attending the Barnstable-Brown Gala in Kentucky.
Larry and Dannielynn Birkhead attend the 149th Kentucky Derby Barnstable Brown Gala at Barnstable-Brown Mansion on May 5, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. | Source Getty Images
Another post showed the pair dressed to the nines as they headed to the Kentucky Derby. A day later, they shared a selfie on the plane ride home. In August, Dannielynn posed by her father’s side in costume. The Instagram post revealed that they had an “awesome time” at The Official Power Morphicon Convention.
Larry’s unwavering dedication has given Dannielynn a grounded life far from the tumultuous fame that shaped her mother, Anna Nicole Smith. At 18, she carries her mom’s legacy through her beauty.
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