Larry Birkhead recently celebrated his daughter Dannielynn’s 20th birthday by sharing cherished photos. On September 7, Birkhead revealed a video collage on Instagram featuring rare images of his daughter.
He captioned the post with the message, “Happy 20th Birthday Dannielynn!❤️ Love, Dad ❤️,” accompanied by the song “Happy Birthday” by Lenny Kravitz. The photos include recent pictures and snapshots from her childhood. One shows Dannielynn in a stylish black outfit and sunglasses. Another picture captures her smiling with short red hair. The video transitions to a young Dannielynn in a bathing suit, beaming with joy.
A picture of Dannielynn wearing a pink tutu while hugging Larry was also highlighted. Larry and Dannielynn are seen attending the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026.
“How in the world is she 20 already? We can’t be getting old; we are still young,” commented an Instagram user.
Another remark reads, “Happy 20th Birthday! I feel so old. lol.”
Larry shares Dannielynn with the late Anna Nicole Smith, whom he met at the Kentucky Derby in 2004. Their daughter was born in 2006. After Smith’s passing in 2007, Larry assumed the role of Dannielynn’s primary caregiver, raising her away from media attention.
Larry and Dannielynn have maintained a tradition of attending the Kentucky Derby annually. This custom has been ongoing since Dannielynn was three years old. Larry expressed to Fox News Digital that participating in the event allows them to honor the past while creating new traditions.
“It’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year,” he said in May 2022. “That’s where I met Anna Nicole Smith. And it’s something that I’ve taken my daughter back to every year since. She’s old enough to kind of understand what it is.”
Larry explained the significance of the event, saying, “Since I met her mom there, it started off with me taking her back, showing her around, and sharing stories like ‘this is where I met your mom.’ People now look for my daughter there because I don’t let her attend public events, making the Kentucky Derby a growth chart for Dannielynn.”