If you were around in 2007, you remember the circus. It was everywhere. Every tabloid, every nightly news cycle, and every supermarket checkout line featured that grainy footage of a Florida courtroom. At the center of it all was a soft-spoken photographer from Kentucky named Larry Birkhead. He was fighting for a baby girl while the whole world watched, mostly because nobody could quite agree on who the father actually was.
Honestly, the Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead story is one of those rare Hollywood tales that didn't end in a total train wreck for the child involved. It started in the most "Anna Nicole" way possible: at a Kentucky Derby party in 2004. Larry was there to take photos; Anna was there being, well, Anna. They ended up in a secret, somewhat volatile romance that Larry later described as "on and off." It wasn't exactly a Hallmark movie.
The Paternity Battle That Stopped the World
When Anna Nicole Smith gave birth to Dannielynn in September 2006, the birth certificate didn't say "Birkhead." It said Howard K. Stern. Stern was Anna’s longtime lawyer and companion, and for a few chaotic months, he was legally the father.
Then everything broke.
Anna’s 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in her hospital room just three days after Dannielynn was born. It was a tragedy so heavy it’s hard to even wrap your head around. Five months later, Anna herself was gone, victim to an accidental overdose in a Florida hotel room.
Suddenly, you had this tiny infant, Dannielynn, left in the middle of a multi-nation legal war. Larry Birkhead wasn't just fighting Stern; he was up against a line of men claiming paternity, including Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt. It felt like a parody, but the stakes were $500 million—or so everyone thought, given the ongoing battle over J. Howard Marshall’s estate.
The Moment of Truth
On April 10, 2007, a DNA expert stepped out of a Bahamian courthouse. He uttered the words that changed Larry's life forever: "He is the father."
🔗 Read more: Jeremy Renner Accident Recovery: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Larry walked out to a sea of cameras and said, "I hate to be the one who told you so, but I told you so." It was a rare moment of triumph in a story that had been defined by death and lawsuits. But the real work was just starting. Larry had to take a baby who had lived her entire short life in the Bahamas and bring her home to Kentucky.
Life After the Cameras: Raising Dannielynn
You’d think a guy who became famous through a tabloid frenzy would try to milk it. Plenty do. But Larry did something kinda unexpected. He took Dannielynn back to Louisville and basically disappeared from the Hollywood "scene."
He didn't get a nanny. He didn't sign her up for a reality show.
Instead, he focused on giving her a "normal" life, or as normal as it can be when your mom is an international icon. Larry has been open about how difficult it was. He was a single dad who had never changed a diaper before he was thrust into the spotlight. He has joked in interviews about how he had to learn everything on the fly while grieving the woman he loved.
Maintaining the Connection
Even though they live a quiet life, Larry makes sure Anna’s memory stays alive. They have this tradition—they go to the Kentucky Derby every single year. It’s their thing.
- 2023: Dannielynn wore an outfit featuring her mom’s Guess campaign images.
- 2024: She showed up in a dress that honored Anna’s classic style.
- 2025: For her 18th birthday year, she wore her mother’s actual jewelry to the Derby.
It’s a sweet, albeit public, way of acknowledging where she came from without letting the "celebrity" part consume her.
💡 You might also like: Kendra Wilkinson Photos: Why Her Latest Career Pivot Changes Everything
Where Are They Now in 2026?
As of early 2026, Dannielynn is officially an adult. She’s 19. For years, Larry kept her off solo social media to protect her from the trolls and the "creepy" side of the internet. But now that she’s older, she’s starting to find her own voice.
Recently, there’s been talk about her interests shifting toward the family business—sorta. She’s expressed an interest in acting and modeling, but Larry has been very vocal about his "mixed feelings" on that. He’s seen the dark side of the industry firsthand. He knows what it did to Anna.
But he’s also a supportive dad. He’s helped her navigate her first few college applications (she reportedly has an interest in forensics, which is a wild pivot from modeling) and has guided her through her first "grown-up" decisions.
Financial Reality vs. Tabloid Fiction
People always ask: "Is she rich?"
There’s a common misconception that Dannielynn inherited hundreds of millions from the J. Howard Marshall estate. The truth is actually much dryer. After years of litigation, the courts eventually ruled that Anna Nicole’s estate wasn't entitled to the Marshall billions.
Dannielynn is doing fine, though. Larry has managed her finances carefully, and she has her own earnings from various projects and her mother's residuals. Her net worth is estimated to be around $3 million to $5 million. Not "oil tycoon" money, but definitely enough to live comfortably and go to any college she wants.
📖 Related: What Really Happened With the Brittany Snow Divorce
Why This Story Still Matters
We see a lot of "celebrity kids" go off the rails. It’s almost expected. The fact that Larry Birkhead managed to raise a seemingly well-adjusted, private, and focused daughter in the wake of such a public tragedy is actually kind of a miracle.
He didn't sell her out. He didn't turn her into a brand.
He just became a dad.
Insights for those following the legacy:
If you’re looking to understand the real impact of the Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead saga, look at the legal precedents it set regarding fathers' rights and DNA testing in paternity cases. It changed how these things are handled in the Bahamas and influenced similar cases in the US.
For fans of Anna Nicole, the best way to honor her legacy is to respect the privacy she never had—and that Larry worked so hard to give their daughter. Dannielynn is her own person now, not just a "mini-Anna," and watching her carve out her own path in 2026 is the best ending this story could have had.
Keep an eye out for her potential debut in the film or fashion world, but don't expect it to be a tabloid-heavy launch. If Larry’s history is any indication, it’ll be handled with a lot of caution and a lot of heart.
To stay updated on their annual appearances or to learn more about the legal history of the Marshall estate, you can follow verified entertainment news outlets that focus on factual reporting rather than tabloid speculation. Always check sources like court documents or direct interviews to avoid the misinformation that often plagues this specific topic.