‘That’s Her Twin’: Anna Nicole Smith’s Lookalike Daughter Dannielynn Recreates Her Mom’s Iconic Look, Stuns in Her 21-Year-Old Dress
Social media erupted with emotion and nostalgia as 18-year-old Dannielynn Birkhead, daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith, paid tribute to her mother at the 2025 Kentucky Derby festivities.
Attending the Barnstable Brown Gala in Louisville on Friday, May 2, Dannielynn turned heads in the exact same black gown her mother wore to the event 21 years earlier — a full-circle moment that left fans and media outlets alike stunned by her striking resemblance to the late model and reality star.
Photos of Dannielynn in the dress — a black floor-length halter gown with a plunging neckline, crystal-embellished straps, and an open back — quickly spread across social media.
Fans were quick to point out the uncanny similarities between mother and daughter.
“That’s her twin,” one person wrote next to the “Access Hollywood” Instagram post about the teenager’s day.
Another said, “She has her mom’s mannerisms,” while a third added, “She even sounds a little like her.”
Dannielynn wore her blond hair in a soft updo reminiscent of her mother’s glam era in the early 2000s, completing the timeless look. The appearance was more than just a fashion statement — it was a deeply personal tribute that moved both fans and her father, Larry Birkhead, to tears.
“Dannielynn is wearing Anna Nicole’s dress that she wore 21 years ago to this same event. Life full circle,” Larry wrote on Instagram, sharing a series of photos of his daughter channeling her mother’s iconic look.
He also explained that the gown was “a bit edgier than what she normally wears,” but she chose it because it was her mom’s and she thought it was “super cool.”
The emotional impact of the evening wasn’t lost on Dannielynn either.
Speaking to reporters, the teen opened up about how wearing the dress helped her feel closer to the mother she never got the chance to know.
She said, “I feel good in it. You know. Once again, try not to cry, when I say this, but I can’t know my mom sadly, and this is one of the only reasons and ways I can and this is the closest I’ll be getting from a hug from her. So, I’ve been like on and off tears the whole day.”
For Larry, 52, seeing his daughter wear the same gown he last saw on Anna Nicole was a powerful moment.
“It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,” he told People magazine.
He recalled a memory from when Dannielynn was just a little girl, “She walked over and she put her hand on the dress.”
Years later, seeing her slip into it felt “surreal.”
The Derby weekend tradition is a longstanding one for the father-daughter duo, who have attended the event together annually since Dannielynn was 3 years old. But what began as a happy accident has grown into a cherished part of their lives.
“It was really born out of the babysitter canceling on me the first year I brought her!” Larry joked.
The Barnstable Brown Gala holds special meaning for Larry Birkhead — it’s where he met Anna Nicole Smith in 2003.
Now, over 20 years later, he returns with their daughter, Dannielynn, paying tribute to the past and their bond.
Larry has made it his mission to keep Anna Nicole’s memory alive. He revealed he’s spent “over $200,000 in storage bills” preserving her wardrobe and belongings for the day Dannielynn might want to explore her mother’s world.
“When somebody passes away, you think, ‘Oh, I’m not getting rid of anything,’” he said. “And then you go through the emotions… and you think, ‘If there’s just one thing in there that gives her a sense of who her mom was.’ So it was really special that she picked out the dress to wear.”
Fans on Extra TV’s Instagram praised the moment. “She is totally her mama’s mini me. Beautiful,” one said.
Another added, “These pics every year warm my heart. What a good dad he has been.”
Dannielynn was only 5 months old when Anna Nicole died from an accidental overdose in 2007. A high-profile custody battle followed, and after a court-ordered DNA test, Larry was granted sole custody.
He’s since raised Dannielynn privately in Kentucky. The Derby is one of the few times they step into the spotlight. This year, Larry said Dannielynn is “just now starting to get into the curiosity of some of the fashion in her mom’s world.”
With the extensive wardrobe he’s saved, “She could literally pick out an outfit a day for the rest of her life and never wear the same thing twice,” the New York Post reported.
For Dannielynn, wearing that dress was more than fashion — it was a connection.