The new Netflix documentary Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me revisits the life and tragic death of former Playboy bunny turned media sensation Anna Nicole Smith. Smith died at the age of 39, just a few months after the death of her son Daniel and the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead.
Dannielynn's birth was followed by a high-profile paternity case. While the birth certificate initially stated that the child's father was Smith's partner at the time, attorney Howard K. Stern. However, Smith's ex-boyfriend, photographer Larry Birkhead, claimed that he was Dannielynn's father, having received a text message from Smith prior to her death which told him the baby was his.
Following a DNA test, it was determined that Birkhead was Dannielynn's real father, and he was granted sole custody.
Where is Dannielynn Birkhead now?
Dannielynn Birkhead, now 16, lives with her father in Louisville, Kentucky, where she attends high school and is, according to Birkhead, on the honor roll.
"Sixteen years ago my beautiful baby was born," Birkhead wrote on Instagram while celebrating Dannielynn's 16th birthday in September 2022. "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!"
Dannielynn and her father regularly attend the Kentucky Derby together, as well as the Barnstable Brown Gala which takes place the day before. At the most recent gala, Dannielynn paid tribute to her late mother by wearing an outfit emblazoned with photos from Smith's ad campaign for Guess.
Philip Ellis is Sex & Relationships Editor at Men's Health, and author of the novels We Could Be Heroes and Love & Other Scams. His other work has appeared in Teen Vogue, British GQ, and The Independent.
