The 18-year-old paid a heartfelt tribute to her late mother over the Kentucky Derby weekend.&nbsp;

Dannielynn Birkhead, late model Anna Nicole Smith's 18-year-old daughter, stole the spotlight while paying homage to her late mother at the 151st Kentucky Derby over the weekend, accompanied by her father, Larry Birkhead.&nbsp;
The father-daughter duo stepped out at Louisville's Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3, an annual tradition they started when the late model's daughter was just three years old. Birkhead lives a relatively private life, but she catches the world's attention when she attends the Kentucky Derby every year. This year, however, was different as she decided to wear one of her mother's most iconic looks: a black halter dress. Smith wore the floor-length gown 21 years ago at the 2004 Kentucky Derby, creating an unforgettable moment for Birkhead and life coming full circle.&nbsp;
"I can&rsquo;t know my mom, sadly, and this is one of the only reasons and ways I can," she said to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpC12f8Xu8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Access Hollywood</a> during the Barnstable Brown Gala. "This is the closest I&rsquo;ll ever be getting to a hug from her, so I&rsquo;ve been, like, on and off tears the whole day.&rdquo; The festivities were just as bittersweet for her father as they were for her. &ldquo;Just to see her and have it be a full-circle moment for me is special,&rdquo; Larry added.
Birkhead was born on September 7, 2006, in Nassau, The Bahamas, to the late model and actor Anna Nicole Smith and photographer Larry Birkhead. She was just five months old when her mother tragically passed of an accidental drug overdose in 2007 at the age of 39. She had a tumultuous beginning to her life as she was caught in the middle of a highly publicized paternity scandal just months after her mother passed, but the DNA results ultimately confirmed Larry Birkhead as her biological child.&nbsp;

Dannielynn Birkhead, wearing Mac Duggal, and Larry Birkhead at the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Getty Images

During an <a href="https://people.com/larry-birkhead-says-daughter-dannielynn-is-interested-in-this-career-exclusive-11728520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with People Magazine, the 52-year-old photographer revealed that Birkhead is following in her mother's footsteps and has decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, focusing on modeling and acting, and is getting ready to enter the next exciting stage in her life: college.&nbsp;
"She took a year off. She's getting ready to start college. She doesn't really want to talk about what college she's going to, though, because she wants it to be private," he said. "At the same time, she's actually interested now... [in] starting to model and act after all these years of people asking her to do it and saying no. Now, she's actually maybe wanting to put her foot in the water and say, 'Is this something that I really want to do?'" Like any father, he's cautious about her decision, but confirmed that he'll support her and guide for as long as she needs.&nbsp;
The family outing was an opportunity for Birkhead to pay tribute to Smith's fashion legacy and access her iconic wardrobe, which her father, according to the<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/03/entertainment/see-dannielynn-wear-mom-anna-nicole-smiths-iconic-dress-21-years-later/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/03/entertainment/see-dannielynn-wear-mom-anna-nicole-smiths-iconic-dress-21-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>, pays over $200,000 in storage costs to preserve for Dannielynn. According to <a href="https://impactwealth.org/dannielynn-birkhead-net-worth-biography-age-instagram-and-legacy-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> by Impact Wealth, the teen's future is financially secure as she reportedly already has a net worth of $4.5 million. As the daughter of the late model navigates adulthood and everything the arts have to offer, she's someone to keep an eye on as she takes a big step into the spotlight.&nbsp;

Dannielynn Birkhead and Larry Birkhead at the 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala. Getty Images

Who Is Dannielynn Birkhead? Meet Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter

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Who Is Dannielynn Birkhead? Meet Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter

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