Dannielynn Birkhead shares the emotional reason for wearing mom Anna Nicole Smith’s dress
Dannielynn Birkhead paid homage to her late mother, Anna Nicole Smith, during the Kentucky Derby weekend by attending a gala in a dress her mother had worn to the same event 21 years ago.
Though her dad, Larry Birkhead, has largely been raising his daughter out of the spotlight, the duo has attended the horse race together annually since 2010, when she was just 3 years old.
Ahead of the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Larry and Dannielynn attended the Barnstable Brown Gala on Friday, May 2, to kick off the special weekend. To mark the occasion, the 18-year-old wore a black gown that Smith wore to the same event in 2004.
Larry shared the sentimental nature of his daughter’s outfit on Instagram, writing in the caption, “Dannielynn is wearing Anna Nicole’s dress that she wore 21 years ago to this same event. Life full circle.”
“She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool,’” Larry added. “Next up the Kentucky Derby races.”
Larry shared several photos of his daughter wearing Smith’s gown at the gala, adding a note in the caption that the dress was from Smith’s archives.
In the photos, Dannielynn posed in the floor-length black gown. The halter neckline was styled in a deep V-neck in the front, and rows of rhinestone panels connected the bodice.
This panel motif continued on the back of the dress and matched Dannielynn’s sparkling bracelet cuff.
Dannielynn even styled her hair similarly to how her mom did in 2004, wearing an up-do with several pieces framing her face.
In an interview with Access Hollywood at the event, both Larry and Dannielynn described the emotions behind wearing Smith’s archival ensemble.
“I feel good in it. I’m going to once again try not to cry when I say this, but I can’t know my mom sadly, and this is one of the only reasons and ways I can,” Dannielynn explained. “This is the closest I’ll ever be getting to a hug from her. I’ve been on and off tears the whole day.”
Though Dannielynn was only 5 months old when her mom died in February 2007, she’s gotten to honor Smith over the years during Kentucky Derby weekend, which her father previously described as their “‘one day a year’ outing that we do publicly.”
In May 2023, Dannielynn wore an outfit to the Barnstable Brown Gala that featured a long-sleeved black and white patterned top that consisted of photos of her mom’s famous Guess campaigns.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Larry wrote a touching caption about the moment, sharing that it was the 20th anniversary of where he had met Smith at the same exact event.
During an interview with People at the time, Larry said of his daughter, “She’s showing off her fashion sense but at the same time paying tribute to her mom.”
“It came from a Guess collection that sold out and she (Dannielynn) saved it for a special occasion,” he added. “It’s done with photos from some of Anna’s best Guess campaigns.”
