Anna Nicole Smith’s Ex Larry Birkhead Slams New Netflix Documentary About Late Model

Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead
Jason KirkOnline USA/Getty; Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Lifetime

Larry Birkhead, the ex-partner of the late Anna Nicole Smith, has spoken out against the new Netflix documentary about the late model and actress, which started streaming Tuesday, May 16.

Speaking to ET Online, Birkhead said he refused to participate in the documentary for several reasons, the main one being to protect the couple’s daughter Dannielynn from being part of a “poorly reviewed cesspool of a project about her mother.”

“We declined to participate as I did not want my daughter in an overwhelmingly poorly reviewed cesspool of a project about her Mother, where some people were allowed to invent things and rewrite history,” the photographer said.

He added, “I am looking forward to a true definitive Anna Nicole project where her truth can be heard from her own perspective and by those that truly knew her the best and not just another ‘wash, rinse and repeat’ Anna Nicole project. Anna truly deserved better and that day will come.”

Dannielynn Birkhead and Larry Birkhead attend Kentucky Derby 149 at Churchill Downs

Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs

Netflix’s Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me is directed by Ursula Macfarlane and described as “an unflinching and humanizing examination of the life, death and secrets of Vickie Lynn Hogan, better known as model and actress Anna Nicole Smith,” who ascended to fame following her first appearance in Playboy in 1992 and was “brought to a tragic halt with her untimely passing in 2007.”

The documentary covers Smith’s relationship with her billionaire husband, J. Howard Marshall, her struggles with drug addiction, and the tragic death of her son Daniel Smith.

Ahead of the documentary’s release, Birkhead deleted all of the photos of himself and Dannielynn from their joint Instagram account. The only photo that remains is of a beach, with the caption, “Waiting for some of the waves to pass…. then will return.”

 

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A post shared by Larry Birkhead (@larryanddannielynn)

Fans praised Birkhead for this move, with one commenter writing, “You are an excellent father. I have a lot of respect for you and the choices you have made in raising your daughter. Removing all of the photos on your Instagram was the best decision you could’ve made, considering what is happening right now. You’re doing a great job.”

“You are putting your child first and people don’t do that today. You are and have been doing an excellent job raising your child,” said another, while one fan added, “Is this because of the documentary that’s about to drop on Anna? If so, I don’t blame you for shutting down the noise for your child. I hope she’s okay.”

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me, Streaming, Netflix