Larry Birkhead's daughter, Dannielynn, recently turned 17, and he took to Instagram to share how proud he was, noting that her late mom, Anna Nicole Smith, would be proud, too.
"Happy 17th Birthday Dannielynn!" he wrote. "I am so proud of you in each and every way. Wishing you the best day ever ! You are funny, crazy smart, pretty and just about everything I could ever imagine. Your Mom would be so proud of you, I sure am." Anna Nicole Smith, a model and actress, died from an accidental overdose when Dannielynn was 5 months old.
According to Today, following the death of Anna Nicole, Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead both believed they were Dannielynn's father, but a DNA test later revealed that Larry was her biological father.
Larry has been raising Dannielynn as a single dad and he spends a lot of time with her. For Father's Day this year, Dannielynn and her dad went to a Duran Duran concert together. He also shared pictures of his daughter taking the "worst pics of [him] ever taken" and laughing in the background of his selfies. In the same Instagram post, he congratulated his daughter for finishing 11th grade and making the honor roll.
For her birthday this year, Larry created an Instagram reel using images of Dannielynn from each stage of her life so far. He also shared a heartfelt message for her 16th birthday in 2022.
"Sixteen years ago my beautiful baby was born," he wrote at the time. "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!"
More from LittleThings: Judge Orders Kevin Costner’s Child Support Payment To Be Cut In Half To $63K A Month
When she was 17, Anna Nicole married Billy Smith, and they had a son together, Daniel, in 1986. In 2006, Anna Nicole had Dannielynn. Daniel died while visiting her at the hospital after she gave birth to Dannielynn. Anna Nicole died at age 39 after taking multiple prescription drugs.
In one of his Instagram posts, Larry wrote about how Dannielynn was "a great baby" from the moment she was born.
"She shot back in true Dannielynn style … 'How do you know you weren’t even there?' Ouch," he wrote. "I told her 'maybe not, but I have been there every day since I brought you home.' It’s been a wild ride and Dannielynn has brought joy and laughter to my life."
