Anna Nicole Smith died nearly 10 years ago, which means her daughter has gone almost a decade without her. Dannielynn Birkhead lost her mom at five months of age, and Inside Edition filmed snippets of the 10-year-old and her dad Larry Birkhead's life in honor of the anniversary.
In a preview, we see them watching TV and doing other normal dad-daughter stuff in their Kentucky home. He also defends himself against the accusation that he kept Dannielynn separated from her grandma Virgie Arthur.
"The problem is that people think that I’m a bad guy because I don’t want Anna’s mom to see Dannielynn and that’s actually not the truth," he says. "Anna’s mom has seen Dannielynn, and she’s seen her a few times. I say that only because I want the story to stop."
Dannielynn modeled for Guess, like her mom, when she was six, but mostly, she's been out of the spotlight. Birkhead, who's been raising her primarily on his own, said on the Today show last year that she's in high demand as an actress and model, but he doesn't pursue these opportunities.
"I'd say no, she's not interested. She's just a regular kid. She's into technology now, and she's into games and these YouTube videos," he said. "I'm not the best dad — I have my faults — but I do the best I can with what the situation is. We make the best of it, and I think Dannielynn's best days are still to come. She's got such a bright future in front of her, and I try every day to keep a little bit of the memory alive of her mom."
The full special airs Thursday on Inside Edition.
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