Happy Birthday, Dannielynn Birkhead!
The daughter of Larry Birkhead and the late Anna Nicole Smith turned 16 on Wednesday and received a sweet message from her father on social media.
“Sixteen years ago my beautiful baby was born. That’s if you really want to feel old. A lot of people thought the odds were against you, but maybe that was aimed more at me than you,” Larry, 49, wrote of a collage of photos from Dannielynn’s childhood, including photos with Smith, who died in 2007.
“Through tragedy, turmoil and a few baby tantrums – today you are shining bright and you are so accomplished,” he added.
The proud father went on to talk about Dannielynn’s bold personality – a trait she must have inherited from her vivacious mother.
“When I told Dannielynn what an amazing baby she was when she was born, she shot back in true Dannielynn style… ‘How do you know you weren’t even there?’ 😂 Ouch,’ he recalled.
‘I said to her, ‘Maybe not, but I’ve been there every day since I took you home.’ It has been a wild ride and Dannielynn has brought joy and laughter into my life.”
Larry closed the post with a joke to his followers to “stay off the road” now that his daughter is behind the wheel. He also assured Dannielynn that her mother “looks down” on her.
The model died of an accidental drug overdose in 2007 when her daughter was just 5 months old. Smith was 39 at the time.
Since her tragic death, Larry has ensured that the actress’s memory is kept alive through various social media posts.
In February, he wrote an emotional tribute to the former Playboy star on the 15th anniversary of her death.
“I still remember this one 15 years after her death. She was truly one of a kind. She struggled for love and acceptance,” Larry wrote on Instagram at the time.
“Just when she found a little piece of one or the other, life seemed to be sabotaging. Today I remember your heart, your soul and your beauty, both inside and out,” he continued.
“Your love still lives to this day, in the form of a truly unique teenager with her mother’s smile, beauty and courage.”
Dannielynn is also continuing her mother’s legacy by re-wearing some of Smith’s iconic looks – and has expressed an interest in possibly becoming an actress herself.