Latest news with #AnnaNicole
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn, 18, stuns in late mom's jewelry after iconic dress moment
Anna Nicole Smith 's daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, was the spitting image of her late mom as she rocked the star's jewelry at the Kentucky Derby on Sunday. The 18-year-old beauty arrived with her dad, Larry Birkhead, continuing their beloved annual tradition at the famous horse race. Dannielynn wowed in a pale green strapless tulle dress by Mac Duggal, accessorized with a gold pendant necklace, gold watch, stacked bangles, and a feather-trimmed fascinator — all pulled straight from Anna Nicole's personal collection. In his Instagram post, Larry revealed the sentimental connection, writing, 'Jewelry: Anna Nicole archive.' He also joked about his Derby-day makeover, adding, 'She made me cut my hair because she said I looked like a low-rent Keith Urban! Ouch Betting on a great time and good weather for a special family tradition.' The touching tribute came just houss after Dannielynn turned heads at the Barnstable Brown Gala, where she dazzled in one of her mom's iconic backless, floor-length dresses. The fitted ensemble also contains a plunging neckline as well as a small slit on the front. Sparkling silver embellishments offer a flashy flare to the look on both the front and the back of the dress. Dannielynn pulled her blonde locks up into a messy up do, allowing her side bangs to border the sides of her face - which was similar to Anna's hairstyle when she made an appearance at the gala in 2004. While posing with the teenager as she wore her late mother's gown, the photographer called the moment 'full circle.' In the caption of the post, he penned: 'Kicking off @kentuckyderby weekend with Dannielynn. First up, The Barnstable-Brown Gala. 'Dannielynn is wearing Anna Nicole's dress that she wore 21 years ago to this same event. Life full circle. She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom's and "super cool."' He added, 'Next up the Kentucky Derby races. We are glad to spend time with my niece Chloe (pictured). I am going to try not an embarrass them with my dance moves.' And while walking the red carpet, Dannielynn revealed why she opted to wear her mother's iconic dress for the night and expressed to reporters: 'This is the closest to a hug I can get from her.' Before attending the gala on Friday, Larry told People that it was 'emotional' to see his daughter wearing her late mother's gown. Anna Nicole passed away at the age of 39 in February 2007 - and her death was later ruled as an accidental drug overdose. 'It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,' Birkhead explained to the outlet, before recalling how Dannielynn 'walked over and she put her hand on the dress' when she was younger. 'And now that she's actually old enough to wear it, it just seems surreal that we're at this moment.' Dannielynn pulled her blonde locks up into a messy up do, allowing her side bangs to border the sides of her face - which was similar to Anna's hairstyle when she made an appearance at the gala in 2004 'It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,' Birkhead explained to the outlet, before recalling how Dannielynn 'walked over and she put her hand on the dress' when she was younger The teen picked out her mother's dress to wear to the event and her father believes that 'she's doing a fashion experiment for herself. Also, I think it's really meaningful for her to wear.' Larry continued, 'I'm just glad she's going through and starting to wear some of [Smith's clothes] because she could literally pick out an outfit a day for the rest of her life and never wear the same thing twice with everything.' He currently is storing clothes that belonged to Anna in case his daughter wants them in the future. 'She's just now starting to get into the curiosity of some of the fashion and things in her mom's world.' Dannielynn has attended the Barnstable Brown Gala with her father since she was a little girl. Last year, the pair flashed cheerful smiles while stopping by the event - and the teen donned a stylish Gianfranco Ferre dress which had previously been worn by Janet Jackson. And in 2023, Anna's daughter sweetly paid homage to the model by wearing a Guess shirt that had black and white images of the late star. She additionally wore a black, layered tulle skirt as well as a thick belt with a shimmering silver bow embellishment on the front. During a past interview with in 2019, Larry opened up about raising his daughter after Anna lived a life in the spotlight. Smith welcomed her daughter to the world in September 2006 - less than one year before her tragic passing. After her death, multiple individuals stepped forward to claim that they were Dannielynn's father - including Larry. Following DNA tests, it was revealed that Birkhead was the biological father. 'People always say, "Is she going to be an actress? Is she going to be a model?" And I never push her in a certain direction,' he stated. 'Actually, I get calls all the time and I say "no she's not interested in doing that kind of stuff." Right now she's just being a kid.' Larry - who resides in the state of Kentucky with his daughter - also shared at the time, 'She surprised me because last year she took an acting class. 'I got an email from a teacher and she said Dannielynn gave one of the most believable performances of the whole, whole entire school. So, if she wants to do something like that when she's see when we get there.' Anna also welcomed a son named Daniel in 1986 with ex-husband Billy Wayne Smith. 'People always say, "Is she going to be an actress? Is she going to be a model?" And I never push her in a certain direction,' he stated However, at the age of 20 in September 2006 - Daniel passed away in Anna's hospital room due to an accidental drug overdose. Days earlier, Smith had given birth to daughter Dannielynn. Larry explained, '[Dannielynn] knows just really that her mom was famous and she knows about Daniel. I try to incorporate both of them because sometimes Daniel gets forgotten. 'We try to talk about him and I shared a birthday with him, so we always celebrated together.' He added, 'You know, I tell her stories about them and I try to not make it heavy, because she's just now becoming a teenager and I think some of that stuff will come...' And while also speaking with in 2023, Birkhead was asked if his daughter did anything that reminded him of Anna - whom he first met in 2003. 'Yeah she can spend my money like her mom. And she loves to do that,' he humorously stated. He later expressed, 'I've created such a foundation for that I've given the tools to say, look, this. Life is normal now. 'I'm very picky and selective. She's very grounded and very humble. She is not one of these entitled celebrity kids. She's gone to a public school all her life. That's what she chose. She said I want to go to public school and not to private.' Birkhead further gushed, 'Dannielynn is on the honor roll and she makes great grades. She is taking college level classes. Anna would be very, very proud of her. I know I am.'
News.com.au
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Playboy twins go public about ‘traumatic' experiences with Hugh Hefner
At 19 years old, former Playboy playmates – and twins – Karissa and Kristina Shannon's lives took a drastic turn after moving into Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion. In a new interview, the twins, now 35, open up about the troubling experience they shared while living in the mansion with Hefner, who died in 2017, and fellow playmates, explaining how it led them down a dangerous web of addiction and sharing the steps they took to eventually find peace. 'We always say 'Playboy' will always be a part of our lives. We were 'Playboy' fans and we still are 'Playboy' fans. Even though it turned out to be very traumatic for us, there were also a lot of high points,' Karissa told People magazine. From the get-go, the Florida natives said they were met with bouts of 'extreme jealousy' from other playmates after Hefner showed favouritism toward them. 'We got a lot of jealousy from the other playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest playmates and the youngest girlfriends,' Kristina said. 'When we're taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture. Or he would be like, 'Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them.' So the girls started getting really jealous,' Karissa noted. 'It made Kristina cry. Kristina literally cried and wanted to leave the mansion when we were shooting. And I told her, 'These girls are older. They know how to play the game better. But we're pretty. We're here. We've made it this far.' And so we ended up staying and Kristina got through it, but there was so much bullying,' she added. During their four-year stay at the mansion, Karissa said the experience 'left a huge hole in both of our hearts and our spirits.' 'It really crumbled who we are, especially when [Hugh] took our religion away,' she explains. 'Our believing in Jesus became a big problem, and losing that was just really big trauma that we dealt with. We had no family that was there to back us up like a lot of the girls.' After moving out, the twins faced another wave of challenges, including substance abuse. 'When we moved out, we had a couple of years where we went through this individuality phase,' Karissa said. 'I feel like every set of twins goes through it, particularly in your early 20s. We were both into different things and trying to be individuals, because Hef really did force the twin thing on us, more than anyone else had ever. But we've always been extremely close. I believe we're twin flames, closer than most twins.' 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase,'' Kristina said. 'We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' After hitting rock-bottom, the duo decided to move back to their home state of Michigan. 'We drove the whole way without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air … it was just different,' Karissa said. 'Being in nature desensitised us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down.' 'We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus,' she added. 'We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up.' 'I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us,' Kristina noted. 'He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us, and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves.' 'We're still the playful twins who did Playboy, but we care about other things now. We are all about organics. Everything we eat, all our food is organic. All our water's alkaline, our sheets are organic,' she added. These days, the twins continue to prioritise their mental and physical health the best way they can. 'We meditate every day together, and we're into meal-prepping and not eating out, really self-care and just taking time for ourselves and learning how to be selfish, learning how to say no,' Karissa said. 'We went in our hearts, we went through our healing era, which took years. I didn't think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work,' Kristina added.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Playboy twins feared they'd end up dead like Anna Nicole Smith after lives 'crumbled' following 'traumatic' years in Hugh Hefner mansion
Karissa and Kristina Shannon - who were former Playboy playmates - got candid about being left with 'trauma' by life while residing at Hugh Hefner's mansion. In 2008 - and when they were only at the age of 19 - the twins moved into the Playboy mansion and began an 18-month relationship with Hefner, who passed away in 2017. Back in 2022 in the A&E docuseries Secrets Of Playboy, the sisters - now 35 - detailed how they both contracted chlamydia and Karissa emotionally opened up about secretly getting an abortion after Hefner got her pregnant. The pair have now sat down with People Magazine for their first interview in six years to talk about dealing with 'bullying' during their time at the mansion. They also detail how they feared they would end up dead while going through an 'Anna Nicole phase' where they struggled with weight gain, pills and alcohol use. Karissa and Kristina had been fans of the E! News reality show Girls Next Door before their life as playmates - but Kristina said, 'what they show on TV and on the show was a 100 percent different from what was going on behind the scenes.' 'It was such a culture shock for us,' Karissa jumped in to add. 'We didn't grow up with a young mother, so we didn't know about hair and makeup. The pair have now sat down with People Magazine for their first interview in six years to talk about dealing with 'bullying' during their time at the mansion - and how they feared they 'were going through our "Anna Nicole phase"'; seen in 2009 in Monaco 'We didn't know much about fashion or style. And we're a lot younger than Bridget [Marquardt], Kendra [Wilkinson] and Holly [Madison] - we're teenagers.' Kristina further expressed that there had been tension between the twins as well as the other playmates. 'We got a lot of jealousy from the other Playmates because we were twins,' she stated. 'We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made history. We were the youngest Playmates and the youngest girlfriends.' Since the twins were still only teenagers at the time of moving into Hefner's mansion, the others were able to go out and party - which they could not do. Karissa claimed that the jealousy from the others stemmed from Hugh giving them more 'special attention.' She explained, 'When we're taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture. Or he would be like, "Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them." So the girls started getting really jealous.' Kristina would 'cry' because 'there was so much bullying' - but the twins decided to stay. She also shared that 'Playboy opened so many doors, but the obligations for the reality show and being girlfriends limited our opportunities.' Karissa told People, 'We always say Playboy will always be a part of our lives. We were Playboy fans and we still are Playboy fans. Even though it turned out to be very traumatic for us, there were also a lot of high points.' Once they hit their early 20s, the twins had moved out and Karissa said that they both temporarily embarked on their own individual paths. However, the pair soon came to terms that Playboy had 'left a huge hole in both of our hearts and our spirits.' Karissa added, 'It really crumbled who we are, especially when he took our religion away. Our believing in Jesus became a big problem, and losing that was just really big trauma that we dealt with. We had no family that was there to back us up like a lot of the girls.' After leaving the mansion, the former playmates struggled with substance abuse and in 2014 were notably involved in a car accident which resulted in Kristina being cited for misdemeanor DUI. Kristina recalled, 'Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'. We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us, trying to figure it out after losing ourselves.' The twins understood they needed a change and moved away from Los Angeles to eventually settle in Michigan. 'I didn't think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work.' Kristina added that they both have been 'hiding' since the 2022 A&E documentary Secrets Of Playboy released. In an episode of the docuseries, the twins recalled how they were forced to have a threesome with Hefner on their 19th birthday. 'We had never done a threesome together before, we would never want to,' Kristina expressed, and her twin sister added, 'And that was our 19th birthday. You're never gonna forget that.' Karissa said at the time, 'Every time I've done it with him, it's assault. For me, it's like rape. He used control mechanisms completely through everything, so I'm happy that I had the abortion.' Elsewhere in the episode, Karissa expressed that Hefner 'has so much power. It's like a cult. The isolation that I had from the outside world.' Kristina added that, 'You lose yourself being there' and compared life at the mansion to 'being in prison and have someone breaking you.' After leaving, the Shannon twins were later diagnosed with PTSD and went to therapy. Karissa said, 'I don't think that that part is ever gonna go away, that part of us that was taken,' while her twin also shared they have had difficulties dating since. 'We can't emotionally connect like that.' But three years later, she told People during their latest interview: 'We're healing and listening to our inner selves and keeping God first. 'We transformed our mental and now you can physically see how much better we are. It starts from within and it's all really connected. We're excited to work hard, have fun and continue protecting our peace.'
Sky News AU
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Playboy twins' troubling experience with Hugh Hefner 'crumbled' their identities, led to substance abuse
At 19 years old, former Playboy playmates - and twins - Karissa and Kristina Shannon's lives took a drastic turn after moving into Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion. In a new interview, the twins, now 35, open up about the troubling experience they shared while living in the mansion with Hefner, who died in 2017, and fellow playmates, explaining how it led them down a dangerous web of addiction and sharing the steps they took to eventually find peace. "We always say 'Playboy' will always be a part of our lives. We were 'Playboy' fans and we still are 'Playboy' fans. Even though it turned out to be very traumatic for us, there were also a lot of high points," Karissa told People magazine. From the get-go, the Florida natives said they were met with bouts of "extreme jealousy" from other playmates after Hefner showed favoritism toward them. "We got a lot of jealousy from the other playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest playmates and the youngest girlfriends," Kristina said. "When we're taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture. Or he would be like, 'Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them.' So the girls started getting really jealous," Karissa noted. "It made Kristina cry. Kristina literally cried and wanted to leave the mansion when we were shooting. And I told her, 'These girls are older. They know how to play the game better. But we're pretty. We're here. We've made it this far.' And so we ended up staying and Kristina got through it, but there was so much bullying," she added. During their four-year stay at the mansion, Karissa said the experience "left a huge hole in both of our hearts and our spirits." "It really crumbled who we are, especially when [Hugh] took our religion away," she explains. "Our believing in Jesus became a big problem, and losing that was just really big trauma that we dealt with. We had no family that was there to back us up like a lot of the girls." After moving out, the twins faced another wave of challenges, including loss and substance abuse. "When we moved out, we had a couple of years where we went through this individuality phase," Karissa said. "I feel like every set of twins goes through it, particularly in your early 20s. We were both into different things and trying to be individuals, because Hef really did force the twin thing on us, more than anyone else had ever. But we've always been extremely close. I believe we're twin flames, closer than most twins." "Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'" Kristina said. "We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us trying to figure it out after losing ourselves." After hitting rock-bottom, the duo decided to move back to their home state of Michigan. "We drove the whole way without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air ... it was just different," Karissa said. "Being in nature desensitized us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down." "We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus," she added. "We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up." "I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us," Kristina noted. "He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us, and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves." "We're still the playful twins who did Playboy, but we care about other things now. We are all about organics. Everything we eat, all our food is organic. All our water's alkaline, our sheets are organic," she added. These days, the twins continue to prioritize their mental and physical health the best way they can. "We meditate every day together, and we're into meal-prepping and not eating out, really self-care and just taking time for ourselves and learning how to be selfish, learning how to say no," Karissa said. "We went in our hearts, we went through our healing era, which took years. I didn't think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work," Kristina added. Originally published as Playboy twins' troubling experience with Hugh Hefner 'crumbled' their identities, led to substance abuse
Fox News
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Playboy twins' troubling experience with Hugh Hefner 'crumbled' their identities, led to substance abuse
At 19 years old, former Playboy playmates - and twins - Karissa and Kristina Shannon's lives took a drastic turn after moving into Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion. In a new interview, the twins, now 35, open up about the troubling experience they shared while living in the mansion with Hefner, who died in 2017, and fellow playmates, explaining how it led them down a dangerous web of addiction and sharing the steps they took to eventually find peace. "We always say 'Playboy' will always be a part of our lives. We were 'Playboy' fans and we still are 'Playboy' fans. Even though it turned out to be very traumatic for us, there were also a lot of high points," Karissa told People magazine. From the get-go, the Florida natives said they were met with bouts of "extreme jealousy" from other playmates after Hefner showed favoritism toward them. "We got a lot of jealousy from the other playmates because we were twins. We were the first twins to each get our own months, which made Playboy history. We were the youngest playmates and the youngest girlfriends," Kristina said. "When we're taking pictures, he would want to get in the middle of the twins to take a picture. Or he would be like, 'Can you move the twins toward the front of the table? I want to sit next to them.' So the girls started getting really jealous," Karissa noted. "It made Kristina cry. Kristina literally cried and wanted to leave the mansion when we were shooting. And I told her, 'These girls are older. They know how to play the game better. But we're pretty. We're here. We've made it this far.' And so we ended up staying and Kristina got through it, but there was so much bullying," she added. During their four-year stay at the mansion, Karissa said the experience "left a huge hole in both of our hearts and our spirits." "It really crumbled who we are, especially when [Hugh] took our religion away," she explains. "Our believing in Jesus became a big problem, and losing that was just really big trauma that we dealt with. We had no family that was there to back us up like a lot of the girls." After moving out, the twins faced another wave of challenges, including loss and substance abuse. "When we moved out, we had a couple of years where we went through this individuality phase," Karissa said. "I feel like every set of twins goes through it, particularly in your early 20s. We were both into different things and trying to be individuals, because Hef really did force the twin thing on us, more than anyone else had ever. But we've always been extremely close. I believe we're twin flames, closer than most twins." "Everyone was saying we were going through our 'Anna Nicole phase'" Kristina said. "We gained weight. There was alcohol and pills. We were really unhealthy and lost and, even at points, suicidal. We had no one. It was just us trying to figure it out after losing ourselves." After hitting rock-bottom, the duo decided to move back to their home state of Michigan. "We drove the whole way without stopping until we got to Michigan. I remember getting into Colorado and smelling that fresh air ... it was just different," Karissa said. "Being in nature desensitized us. We ended up being diagnosed with manic depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Being outside the city helped us slow down." "We were totally just ready to be selfish for the first time. And we were all about God and praying constantly to Jesus," she added. "We were literally praying and just trying to change our lives. And I feel like this is when we really grew up." "I feel like out of all of this, God was humbling us," Kristina noted. "He was humbling us and letting us know, 'I have another plan for you.' He's restoring us, and that's what we feel like now. We are completely different people, but still ourselves." "We're still the playful twins who did Playboy, but we care about other things now. We are all about organics. Everything we eat, all our food is organic. All our water's alkaline, our sheets are organic," she added. These days, the twins continue to prioritize their mental and physical health the best way they can. "We meditate every day together, and we're into meal-prepping and not eating out, really self-care and just taking time for ourselves and learning how to be selfish, learning how to say no," Karissa said. "We went in our hearts, we went through our healing era, which took years. I didn't think we would ever come out of it. But Michigan changed us. We love being in Michigan and then going to L.A. or Vegas for work," Kristina added.
