Dannielynn Birkhead found an “emotional” way to honor her late mother, Anna Nicole Smith, at the 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala on Friday.
The 18-year-old attended the annual event, which is held on the eve of the Kentucky Derby, wearing the same dress her mother did when she attended the gala 21 years ago.
Dannielynn looked the spitting image of Anna Nicole in the backless, black gown that boasted a plunging neckline and crystal-embellished straps across the bodice.
Her dad, Larry Birkhead, shared a carousel of photos on Instagram, calling Dannielynn’s dress choice a “full circle” moment.
“Kicking off @kentuckyderby weekend with Dannielynn. First up, The Barnstable-Brown Gala. Dannielynn is wearing Anna Nicole’s dress, which she wore 21 years ago to this same event. Life full circle.”
He added: “She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool.'”
© InstagramSpeaking to reporters at the event, Dannielynn shared another heartbreaking reason behind her outfit choice, saying: “This is the closest to a hug I can get from her.”
Larry has kept all of Anna Nicole’s clothes for Dannielynn, and he said seeing her in her mom’s dress was an “emotional” experience for him.
© FilmMagic“It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,” he told People, recalling that when Dannielynn “was a little girl, she walked over, and she put her hand on the dress.”
He continued: “And now that she’s actually old enough to wear it, it just seems surreal that we’re at this moment.”
Larry said that the dress is “a little edgier for her than most dresses she wears”, but he’s glad that Dannielynn is starting to wear some of her mother’s clothes.
© Instagram“I think she’s doing a fashion experiment for herself,” he said. “Also, I think it’s really meaningful for her to wear. I’m just glad she’s going through and starting to wear some of [Anna Nicole’s clothes] because she could literally pick out an outfit a day for the rest of her life and never wear the same thing twice with everything.”
Family tradition
The Kentucky Derby holds a special meaning to both Dannielynn and Larry, and they attend the event every year after starting the tradition when Dannielynn was just three years old.
Larry met Anna Nicole at the Barnstable Brown Gala in 2003 when he was a photographer sent to cover the annual event, which benefits the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at the University of Kentucky.
© Getty ImagesLarry previously revealed that he takes his daughter every year to both honor the past as well as create new memories with her.
Talking to Fox News Digital about the annual affair, he explained: “It’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year.
© Instagram“Since I did meet her mom there, it started off just kind of me taking her back and showing her around and kind of letting her know the stories that, you know, this is kind of where I met your mom and things.”
Larry added: “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.”
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