Larry Birkhead, 53, Shares Sweet 20th Birthday Tribute to Dannielynn — and Her New Look Has Fans Talking — Photos

The proud father opened a family album filled with 20 years of love, but one breathtaking image of his daughter carried an especially powerful reminder of the woman they lost.

Larry Birkhead marked Dannielynn Birkhead’s 20th birthday on September 7, 2026, by sharing photographs that traced his only child’s journey from a beaming little girl into a young woman creating her own identity.

Among those precious memories was a dramatically different look that made the resemblance to her late mother, Anna Nicole Smith, appear almost impossible to miss.

Larry’s birthday video was set to Lenny Kravitz’s "Happy Birthday," giving the collection the joyful soundtrack such a milestone deserved. He kept his caption simple and deeply affectionate: "Happy 20th Birthday Dannielynn! ❤️ Love, Dad ❤️."

The photographs moved between Dannielynn’s childhood and the present, with Larry holding her close in earlier images as father and daughter wore perfectly matched grins. Even without an elaborate written tribute, the years captured in those pictures said plenty about the extraordinary bond they have built together.

That bond has been shaped by circumstances neither of them could have anticipated. Dannielynn was only five months old when Anna Nicole died from an accidental drug overdose in 2007 at age 39, leaving Larry to protect their daughter while her family remained the subject of intense public attention.

He had already been forced to fight for his paternal rights following Dannielynn’s birth in the Bahamas in September 2006. After several people made paternity claims and the dispute spilled into court, a DNA test led a judge to declare Larry her father in April 2007.

From there, Larry made a deliberate choice about the childhood he wanted her to have. He raised Dannielynn in his home state of Kentucky, largely away from Hollywood and the relentless scrutiny that had surrounded her mother.

Twenty years later, the little girl seen smiling in her father’s arms has grown into someone increasingly willing to experiment with how the world sees her. Larry’s birthday tribute offered perhaps the most exciting evidence yet.

In one recent photograph, Dannielynn embraced a full goth look from Hot Topic. She wore an off-the-shoulder black mini-dress with fishnet tights and ruffled black leg warmers, while a platinum-blonde pixie cut gave the outfit an even bolder finish.

It was fun, youthful, and unapologetically dramatic. Yet another image delivered the transformation that left admirers utterly captivated.

Dannielynn had traded the cropped blonde style for bright red hair falling in layers to her neck. This beautifully framed her face, and for many people, the change made her resemblance to Anna Nicole look stronger than ever.

The responses to the video captured both the tenderness and amazement people felt. On Facebook, one commenter wrote, "I see her Mommy And Daddy too in her. She grew into a beautiful , kind, sweet woman. He did a great job raising her [sic]."

Another immediately recognized Anna Nicole in the birthday girl, writing, "Aww happy birthday! She looks so much like her mom!❤️" A third focused directly on the fiery transformation: "The one with the red wig looks exactly like her mother when she was young."

The same emotional comparisons continued on Instagram. One person observed, "In her rebellious faze but she aucha a sweetheart. Her dad definitely seems to have raised her so well and they get interviews alot around the KY derby. Both seem like very kind ,sweet good people [sic]. :)"

Someone else made a passionate choice between the two styles, declaring, "Blonde no Red hairs❤️❤️❤️ [sic]." Another could hardly believe the family resemblance, writing, "Holy cow she's the twin of her mom."

Dannielynn had already explained the deeper meaning behind her changing appearance several months before her birthday. While attending the Barnstable Brown Gala ahead of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2026, she told People that developing her own style was partly about allowing people to see her as more than a famous woman’s daughter.

She remained touched by comparisons to Anna Nicole, telling the publication they "always make me feel good, because I love my mom."

Dannielynn continued, "She's super pretty, and I like being compared to her in the sense of like, 'Oh, I'm pretty too.' But I also like being known as my own person."

"Because it's always like, 'Anna Nicole Smith's daughter,' and never just Dannielynn. So I'm hoping my look right now will kind of help with that in a way."

Larry could not have sounded happier about watching that individuality emerge. "I'm excited that she's just being her own individual self," he said.

Her plans extend far beyond fashion. Dannielynn also revealed during that same interview that she was majoring in forensic science after completing her first semester of college, though her love of baking had also made her consider a possible double major connected to culinary studies.

Larry was ready to support whichever direction ultimately made her happy. "I'm excited for her to just follow any path that she wants," he said.

He acknowledged that some people hope Dannielynn will pursue the kind of public career her mother had, and it remains something she could revisit. For now, however, her attention is on forensic science and criminal studies.

College had tested her, but she finished the semester with good grades and a father bursting with pride. Comparing her final push to the races associated with their beloved Kentucky Derby tradition, Larry said she found the energy she needed and crossed the finish line successfully.

"I’m proud of her in every way," he said.

The Barnstable Brown Gala carries enormous personal meaning for their family. Larry met Anna Nicole at the Kentucky Derby in 2003, and he later turned his annual return into a way for Dannielynn to learn about her mother while creating happier memories of her own.

"We had a really great time, and it's kind of been a tradition that we would go every year," he previously told Fox News about the gala.

As Dannielynn became old enough to understand, Larry began showing her the places connected to Anna Nicole and sharing stories of how they met. Because he allowed so few other public appearances, the yearly event gradually became what he lovingly called "the growth chart for Dannielynn."

Her 20th birthday tribute now adds another beautiful marker to that growth chart. The photographs below carry her story from the baby Larry fought to protect to the red-haired young woman confidently choosing her next look, and together, they capture those years more tenderly than words ever could.

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026 - New Photo!