Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter Looks Like Her While Happily Posing with Dad 15 Years after Her Death, Fans Say

Late former model Anna Nicole Smith passed away, leaving her infant child Dannielynn motherless and fatherless until a court judgment proved otherwise.

It has been 15 years since actress Anna Nicole Smith died, leaving her only daughter, Dannielynn as an infant. Her child's future seemed bleak at the time because she was left behind without a publicly proven father.

It took Los Angeles-based photographer, Larry Birkhead, to fight and prove that he was the biological father of Dannielynn in court.

Smith and Birkhead had been dating while she was pregnant. He revealed that he used to accompany her to doctor's appointments. However, following a "minor disagreement," that couple parted ways.

Smith gave birth to her daughter in September 2006 at a Bahamian hospital. Around the same period, she was dating lawyer Howard K. Stern.

After welcoming her baby, Stern was listed as Dannielynn's father on the birth certificate. Smith later tragically died, leaving a full-blown court dispute concerning who fathered her child.

Birkhead and Stern went head-to-head in court to prove who was the father of the said child. Both men had high hopes that each of them could be the father.

The same month Dannielynn arrived into the world, Stern told CCN's "Larry King Live" that he and Smith were confident that the baby was his:

"Based on the timing of when the baby was born, there really is no doubt in either of our minds."

Even Zsa Zsa Gabor's ninth husband, Fredric Prinz Von Anhalt, believed he could also be the father. Still, that needed to be proven first, so the court ordered a swab be taken from the then-7-month-old Dannielynn for DNA testing.

Dr. Michael Baird, who performed the test, revealed to the court that the results confirmed Birkhead as the biological father of Dannielynn with 99.9 percent certainty.

Stern, who had been living with the child in Nassau in the Bahamas, accepted the results and

he would ensure that Birkhead received full custody of his daughter:

"I am not going to fight Larry Birkhead for custody. We're going to do what we can to make sure that the best interests of Dannielynn are carried out. And I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure he gets sole custody."

The California-based attorney also suggested that Birkhead visit his home anytime and spend some time with his only daughter.

Meanwhile, the entertainment reporter said in April 2007 that there was no need to share custody of Dannielynn after he was declared the birth father. That statement came after an attorney for Smith's estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, implied that she might fight for custody.

But Birkhead had already had enough of the legal battles and said he no longer wanted to fight in court. The Louisville native stated he had no issue with relatives with good intentions to visit the baby and become part of her life.

Birkhead told the "TODAY" show that he would draw the line when it came to custody because it would come across as if he was "unfit" for the parenting role:

"It would imply that I'm unfit as a parent, which I'm not. I'm looking forward to giving Dannielynn everything that she needs and all the love and support."

His former girlfriend died from an accidental drug overdose on February 8, 2007. At the time, Smith and Birkhead's daughter was to inherit millions of dollars from the estate of her mother's late husband, oil tycoon Howard Marshall II.

The former Playboy Playmate had been involved in a legal suit over the said inheritance until she suddenly passed away.

DANNIELYNN PURSUED A DIFFERENT CAREER THAN HER MOM

Though Smith pursued modeling and acting in Hollywood, her daughter found a different passion within the arts. Birkhead told TMZ in May 2021 that Dannielynn had been offered countless movie roles and modeling gigs over the years but had turned them down.

The proud dad revealed that he received a call asking if he and his daughter were interested in featuring in an upcoming horror movie. Although he and the teenager had not declined the offer, they planned to because she was simply uninterested in acting.

Birkhead said his daughter does not even have a manager or modeling portfolio, proving that she was not considering any offers from leading brands or film producers.

Dannielynn wants to forge her own path in music. Notably, she and her dad are big fans of Janet Jackson. The father and daughter duo attended the singer's concert in Ohio in July 2022 and managed to take a photo with the award-winning star backstage.

Dannielynn also met Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora at the Kentucky Derby in May 2022, who offered to give her free guitar lessons whenever she visited LA.

A source told People that the teen passed out when the guitarist offered to give her private lessons. Moreover, she is practicing the musical instrument because she wants to be a professional musician one day:

"Dannielynn loved Richie – she was trying to get her dad to buy the guitar that was being auctioned off, but it got up to $75K. She fainted when Richie offered to give her guitar lessons."

According to Birkhead, his daughter has the same taste in music as her mother. "Dannielynn has a very eclectic taste in music like her mom had. She likes everything from country, to rap and rock. She’s kind of like an old soul when it comes to her taste in music. Anna’s taste in music was just as wild," he explained in an interview with Rolling Stone.

FANS SAY DANNIELYNN LOOKS JUST LIKE HER MOM

When Birkhead and his daughter attended the Barnstable-Brown Gala in Cincinnati, he shared images from the event, and fans quickly noticed how much she looked like her mother. They also pointed out that she and her dad had a bond.

"Heading out to Dannielynn's second Janet Jackson concert (my millionth) in Cincinnati as we sit here arguing which one of us is the bigger Janet fan," the father of one wrote.

Instagram users commented on the post, writing that Dannielynn had a combination of her parents' features. "She looks so much like you, but she sure does have Anna's features too. Great job raising her dad," said one person.

Another complimented Dannielynn, saying, "She's so beautiful and looks just like her mom!" Another noted that she looks like her dad. While one social media user said the youngster is growing nicely, "She looks cute in her outfit. She is definitely growing into a lovely young lady."

In addition, one individual mentioned the bond between the father and daughter: "Beautiful bond. Enjoy the concert." And another person complimented Dannielynn's outfit and said she might be a "future fashion designer."

Following the event, Instagram followers commented on Birkhead's snapshot alongside Jackson and Dannielynn. "Wonderful! You're the best dad! Anna is smiling down on you both," said one user.

Another raved about Dannielynn's appearance, "Iconic, strikingly beautiful like Anna." One individual echoed the same sentiments, saying, "So glad you all could get together! She looks more and more like Anna!"