Dannielynn Birkhead, Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter, Lives Quietly With Father
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead is the subject of much interest despite Smith's death over six years ago.
The former Playboy model passed away from a prescription drug overdose in 2007 when Dannielynn was just five-months-old.
Today, Dannielynn lives with her father, Larry Birkhead, and the pair appeared on the "Today" show this week to talk about their lives without Smith.
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"I have told her from a young age, 'Mom's in heaven,' she understands that," Birkhead explained during the segment.
The single dad had a relationship with Smith that led to a paternity dispute with Smith's former love interest, Howard K. Stern, but a DNA test proved that Birkhead was the father.
In the wake of Smith's death, Birkhead managed to keep his daughter largely out of the public eye, having understood the struggles Smith has during her life with the extreme attention she received.
However, Birkhead is opening up about his life with Dannielynn today.
"It was nice to be able to tell my story in my own words, without it appearing on a Lifetime movie or the Anna Nicole opera," he said while on the "Today" show, referring to the E! Special "Life After Anna Nicole: The Larry & Dannielynn Birkhead Story," which aired on Monday, Nov. 11.
Despite sharing his story, Birkhead and his daughter live in a "paparazzi-free zone" in Kentucky, where they will remain.
"It's a little more laid back," he said of his home state. "My family is there to support me and to help me with Dannielynn and so that's been a positive. I spend a lot of time with her every day. I'm being both parents, so I think that I just try to give her a good foundation and try to just be there for her at all times."
