Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, 19, Debuts Goth Look at Kentucky Derby

Nearly two decades after Anna Nicole Smith's death, her daughter Dannielynn Birkhead has stepped into adulthood on her own terms.

Now 19, Dannielynn has grown up largely outside Hollywood's spotlight under the care of her father, Larry Birkhead. Recent public appearances, including a striking look during this year's Kentucky Derby weekend, have renewed interest in her carrying on her mother's legacy despite staying out of the public eye for most of her life.

Dannielynn turned heads at the Kentucky Derby weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, debuting a dramatic goth-rock-inspired makeover alongside her father. On the day of the horse race, she wore a strapless black gown with oversized white floral designs and a black-and-white fascinator, along with platinum blonde hair tipped in jet black.

The day before, at the exclusive Barnstable Brown Derby Eve party, she appeared in a Gothic dress from Punk Rave, an embroidered strapless corset gown with a sheer draped skirt.

Fans continue to note her resemblance to her famous mother, but Dannielynn's story goes far beyond fashion and Derby appearances. Born Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern on Sept. 7, 2006, in Nassau, Bahamas, she was publicly named by Anna Nicole Smith with attorney Howard K. Stern as her father. Larry Birkhead disputed this and sought DNA testing, sparking a public paternity battle.

The story turned tragic three days after her birth when Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel Wayne Smith, died from an accidental overdose while visiting his mother and newborn sister in the hospital. In February 2007, Anna Nicole Smith died at 39 from an accidental drug overdose, leaving her infant daughter at the center of a custody fight.

DNA testing in April 2007 confirmed Larry Birkhead as the biological father. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I told you so," he said after a closed-door hearing. "My baby's going to be coming home pretty soon. I'm the father."

Custody soon went to Larry, who moved Dannielynn to Kentucky and raised her away from fame. "People look for my daughter there because I really don't let her do any public events," he told Fox News Digital. "The Kentucky Derby is kind of the growth chart for Dannielynn."

Outside those appearances, her life stays ordinary with school, family routines and road trips rather than red carpets. She and her father share interests in music and low-key outings like concerts and theme parks. They have seen Janet Jackson and Duran Duran together, moments Larry often documents.

On Father's Day 2023, he posted a photo from a Duran Duran concert, joking he had been trying to school her on good music since she was a baby. In 2021, she joined him for an ABC "20/20" special revisiting Anna Nicole Smith's life, including a visit to her mother's hometown of Mexia, Texas.

"When we talk about Anna Nicole, there were a lot of happy moments for her," Larry said. "There were a lot of highs before there were a lot of lows."

Dannielynn has started forging her own ties to her mother's past. At the 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala, she wore one of Anna Nicole Smith's black gowns, a piece her mother had worn on the same event's red carpet more than two decades earlier. "She said she chose the dress because it was her mom's and 'super cool,'" Larry shared on social media.

The event holds added meaning: Larry first met Smith at the Barnstable Brown Gala in 2002. "That's where I met Anna Nicole Smith," he told Fox News Digital. "It's something that I've taken my daughter back every year since."

Beyond Derby traditions, Dannielynn excels as a scholar. In 2023, Larry praised her as an honor-roll student interested in forensics. She navigates adulthood while handling a legacy she did not choose but now interprets in her own way.