Dannielynn Birkhead Teases 2026 Kentucky Derby Party May Be Her Last

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Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter Dannielynn Birkhead Debuts "Goth-Rock" Look at Kentucky Derby 2026

Dannielynn Birkhead may be stepping away from the spotlight.

The daughter of Larry Birkhead and the late Anna Nicole Smith has made it a tradition to make her singular public appearance every year at the Kentucky Derby alongside her father, but the duo hinted that they may be closing that chapter.

"She’s almost 20 years old and there’s cooler people to hang out with [than] me," Larry told Access Hollywood May 2. "We’ve really done this, and it’s been a tradition and I think it’s something that we don’t know if we’re going to do it again, ever. So this could be, like, the end of our photo book. We don’t know. But we had one hell of a scrapbook if we [don't come back]."

Dannielynn, 19—who just finished her freshman year of college, majoring in forensics—added that forgoing the Derby is a very real possiblilty in the future.

"I kind of want to step away," she shared. "I just kind of want to focus more on school and as school ends, career choice, hang out with friends and people I love."

“I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and being able to talk with you and share stories,” she continued, “but I’m more of like a stay at home and hide under my blanket type of person."

Larry, 53, added that his daughter's final exams falling around the same time as the Derby is something that they'll "come up against" for the next several years.

Instagram/Larry Birkhead

"At the end of the day, I think that we’ve had a great time at it," he reflected. "Never say never, but we’re out of colors and ideas."

As for why the father-daughter duo appears at the horse race every year, Larry pointed to the fact that he met Anna Nicole at the Barnstable Brown Gala, a charity event held annually during Kentucky Derby weekend.

He added that, by giving the media the assurance that they'd attend every year, it "took away the chase" that might've otherwise occurred around trying to get a peek at Dannielynn as she grew up.

Getting emotional, he added, "It's a good cause but it's also a way to pay tribute and keep Anna's memory and spirit alive in my heart."

Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images

As for their appearance at this year's Kentucky Derby, Dannielynn debuted a bold new silver and brown pixie cut that she hoped demonstrated to people that she's not just her mom's mini-me.

"I love my mom and she's so beautiful," she shared, "but I'm also my own person, obviously, and I hope that's more clear now."

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

And that's a statement that Larry fully supported.

"She amazes me every day with something she does or says," he gushed, "and it's good that she can be her own self and have her own style."

Keep reading for more stars who stepped out for the 2026 Kentucky Derby...