Larry Birkhead shared a rare set of photos on Instagram Sept. 7 to celebrate his daughter Dannielynn turning 20, a milestone tied closely to Louisville through the family’s long-running Kentucky Derby tradition.
Birkhead posted a video collage set to Lenny Kravitz’s “Happy Birthday,” captioned, “Happy 20th Birthday Dannielynn!❤️ Love, Dad ❤️.” The images ranged from recent photos, including one of Dannielynn sitting on steps in a black outfit with sunglasses and another showing her smiling with short red hair, to childhood pictures, including one of her as a toddler in a one-piece bathing suit and another showing her in a pink tutu hugging her father.
Fans reacted with disbelief at how quickly Dannielynn has grown up. “How in the world is she 20 already we cant be getting old we are still young,” one Instagram user commented, while another wrote, “Happy 20th Birthday! I feel so old. lol.”
A Kentucky Derby Tradition
Birkhead’s connection to Louisville dates back to 2004, when he met Anna Nicole Smith at the Kentucky Derby. The couple welcomed Dannielynn in 2006, and Smith died in 2007, after which Birkhead became his daughter’s primary caregiver, raising her largely out of the public eye.
Despite keeping Dannielynn away from most public appearances, Birkhead has continued to bring her back to Louisville for the Derby every year since she was three years old.
In May 2022, Birkhead told Fox News Digital that the annual trip to Churchill Downs has become a meaningful way to connect his daughter to her mother’s memory while building new family traditions.
“It’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year,” he said. “That’s where I met Anna Nicole Smith. And it’s something that I’ve taken my daughter back every year since. She’s old enough to kind of understand what it is.”
He added that the trips began as a way to share memories with Dannielynn about her mother, and have since evolved into something bigger.
“And then it came to kind of people look for my daughter there because I really don’t let her do any public events. And so, in all honesty, the Kentucky Derby is kind of the growth chart for Dannielynn,” Birkhead said.
