Dannielynn Birkhead

Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead (born Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern, September 7, 2006) is an American child model, tabloid sensation and reality television personality. Her most notable modeling campaign was as the face of Guess Girl's Spring 2013 line, a company for which her late mother Anna Nicole Smith had also modeled. She is the daughter of Smith and Larry Birkhead, and was the focus of the Dannielynn Birkhead paternity case.

Dannielynn is the younger half-sister of the late Daniel Wayne Smith (1986–2006) and the niece of Donna Hogan. Dannielynn's mother had previously been married to Billy Wayne Smith (1986–1993) and J. Howard Marshall II from 1994 until his death in 1995.

Early life and paternity

Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern was born to Anna Nicole Smith on September 7, 2006 in Nassau, Bahamas. Almost immediately, questions over Dannielynn's paternity began to arise, quickly followed by the death of her half-brother, Daniel Smith, three days after her birth.^[1]

Initially, Howard K. Stern, Smith's lawyer and longtime partner, was listed on the birth certificate as Dannielynn's father. His paternity was disputed, however, by:

• Smith's former partner, Larry Birkhead;
• Smith's bodyguard, Alexander Denk;
• Smith's former boyfriend Mark Hatten;
• and Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, with whom Smith had a longstanding affair.

Birkhead was a Kentucky native and celebrity photographer who brought his challenge to court to legitimize his claim. After DNA testing, Birkhead was formally established as being Dannielynn's father.^[2]

When Dannielynn was five months old, her mother died of a prescription drug overdose at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. This left Dannielynn as heiress to Smith's estate, then estimated at $700,000. Smith's death, and Dannielynn's inheritance, preceded the paternity claims from rival claimants Mark Hatten and Prinz von Anhalt. After gaining custody of Dannielynn, Birkhead changed her last name from Stern to Birkhead.^[1]

At 16 months old, Dannielynn went through surgery to correct the strabismus she was experiencing in one of her eyes. Birkhead wore a patch as well so he could "play pirates together" with Dannielynn instead of her wearing one alone.^[3]

Modeling and media focus

At age six, Dannielynn started modeling for Guess Kids, the children's line for Guess clothing. Paul Marciano, the co-founder of Guess, stated "Dannielynn has the same playful spirit that her mother had on a set."^[4] The campaign, followed by the Spring 2013 line, was Dannielynn's modeling debut.^[5] With the fame of her mother, Dannielynn has been the focus of media attention since her birth. The attention Dannielynn has received, even as a toddler, has been described as the media "circling like vultures."^[3] Each year, Dannielynn and her father attend the Kentucky Derby, where Birkhead and Smith had first met. Dannielynn's appearance at the event regularly draws headlines from many media outlets.^[6][7][8]

In August 2014, federal court judge David O. Carter ruled Dannielynn Birkhead will not receive $44 million from the estate of the late E. Pierce Marshall, the son of J. Howard Marshall. Larry Birkhead, Dannielynn's father was hopeful his legal team would receive a substantial amount of money in sanctions. Judge Carter, however, denied the request and declared the case over. Judge Carter ruled that there was "just no evidence before the court that justifies awarding sanctions against Pierce Marshall's estate."^[9]

Filmography

References