This Girl Lost Her Superstar Mom at Just 5 Months Old – Her Dad Took Her to a Small Town to Live a ‘Normal’ Life

Birkhead candidly discussed their relationship several years later during a 2020 interview, sharing he and Smith kept their romance under wraps.

He said he could not utter a word about their relationship because no one knew about it except for them. Moreover, there were hardly photos or videos of the lovebirds suggesting they were an item. Birkhead explained:

“She was supposed to be this kind of available sex goddess. That was her persona that she was supposed to be available and the object of everyone’s desire. It worked against me in so many ways.”

Two years into their relationship, Birkhead and Smith welcomed their only child together, daughter Dannielynn Birkhead on September 7, 2006. Sadly, five months after her arrival, her mother died from a drug overdose on February 8, 2007. She was 39.

In addition, Smith’s eldest child, son Daniel, whom she welcomed with her first husband, Billy Wayne, had also passed away due to an accidental drug overdose at the age of 20. He passed away only three days after his half-sister’s birth.

Birkhead disclosed his child’s health issue in January 2008 and admitted to being nervous about her having the procedure. He stated that the experience of losing Smith, her son, and his father, who had undergone an operation and had lost his life, and her daughter’s health issues, was too much for him to bear.

As for what made the Kentucky native have a change of heart, Birkhead divulged that many parents had given him plenty of support and encouraging words which gave him strength. Still, he believed Dannielynn was “in the best doctors’ hands.”

After Smith passed, Birkhead intentionally decided to raise their daughter away from the limelight since she was an infant. He and Dannielynn spent much of her childhood in a small Kentucky town.

Smith’s Daughter Prompted Comments about Her Look in Mom’s Jewelry

Meanwhile, Birkhead has continued to honor Smith’s memory by attending the Kentucky Derby yearly and creating tradition with their daughter, who usually accompanies him to the historic annual event. He said in a May 2022 interview:

“We had a great time, and it’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year.”

Birkhead stated that if the day came when his child wanted to pursue a career in showbiz and if she desired it, then he would fully support her. He argued that at this present time, she is in 10th grade and is doing well at school, adding her focus in being an ordinary child, which is fine.

When the father-daughter duo attended the 149th Kentucky Derby in May 2023, Dannielynn pulled out all the stops, donning a Leo Lin sunflower print gown. The teenager paid tribute to her late mom through jewelry, accessorizing her look with a crystal necklace and bracelet from Smith’s collection.

Dannielynn, whose father color-coordinated with her outfit in a light blue suit, paired with a yellow tie and sunflower lapel pin, walked the red carpet at Churchill Downs alongside him.

This was not the first time Dannielynn honored her mother through her style. When she attended the 34th Annual Barnstable Brown Gala, she wore a black and white top with a print featuring pictures from Smith’s 1992 GUESS campaign. She also wore pieces from her mother’s jewelry.

As for her recent appearance at the Kentucky Derby, social media users were stunned by the 16-year-old’s outfit choice. One wrote, “She looks so much like her mom, just pure perfection. Beautiful.” Another user lauded Birkead for his role in her life: “My lord, she is beautiful like her mom!! Identical! Thank you, dad, for being there for her always! You rock.”

A third user shared the same sentiments, “[…] You’re doing an amazing job with her, Larry! You all look great!” While the fourth user stated, “Larry, I am so proud of you and your beautiful daughter! You have done an excellent job raising her right. Blessings to you both.”

Dannielynn was lucky to have her father keep some of her mother’s clothing. Although she appreciates having these memories of her mother, she is also not afraid to tell her father that some pieces are not her style. “Some things are a bit more revealing and low-cut. Plus, she was a variety of sizes, so she’s got every size covered that you can imagine,” the father reiterated.

“It’s Tough for Her to Visit the Grave:” Larry on Life as a Single Parent

Nine years after Smith’s death, Birkhead appeared on “The Steve Harvey Show” and spoke openly about being a single parent. He noted that while it required effort to raise his child, there were upsides.

He described their daily life as an adventure . He also admitted that he struggled to be a single dad, and wished he had someone else helping him out. At the time of his interview, Dannielynn was only nine years old, and her dad would help her choose her clothes in addition to helping her with homework.

Birkhead admitted it was difficult bringing up his child without her mother because he always had to make sure he was on track and kept up with things a mom would usually do. He further explained:

“There were days on the playground where she would say that she wants her mom back. It’s tough for her to visit the grave.”

On the fifteenth anniversary of Smith’s death, her former boyfriend penned an emotional tribute to her on social media. He posted a throwback black and white photo of the couple and wrote he was “remembering” her over a decade after her untimely passing.

“She was truly one of a kind. She struggled for love and acceptance. Just when she found a little piece of one or the other, life seemed sabotaged,” he stated, adding the late model was beautiful “both inside and out.”

“There’s days that if I stop and think about it, and you ask me about it, you will see a tear, but every other minute of the day, you will see a smile. That’s just how it goes,” he expressed.

Despite Smith’s tragic death and challenging emotions, Birkhead remains positive for his daughter’s sake. Being a single father has been rewarding. His daughter also knows that she had a famous mother, but the father is doing his best to keep her life as normal as possible.

Dannielynn is now 17 years old and has grown closer to her father. The two posed together in a sweet father’s Day tribute picture, and fans loved to see them together. People said the 17-year-old looked happy. Some thought she was starting to resemble her father more, but another fan said, “She’s beautiful just like her mom.”