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Is there hope for Dannielynn?
Filed under: Celeb Kids, Celeb Parents, Media
They're already comparing Anna Nicole Smith to Marilyn Monroe. I don't know how accurate that is. But both women were blond bombshells and both were tragic examples of how the media eats its own.
But one glaring difference: Marilyn didn't leave any children behind.
Upon hearing about Anna Nicole's death today, the first thing I thought about was her five month old daughter, Dannielynn Hope. Who's going to raise her, and how will she be raised -- meaning: Does this baby girl get a chance at a normal childhood out of the media glare now that her infamous mother has left the building?
Already there's a paternity suit -- imagine, two men fighting over which one of them fathered the child, and according to Celebrity Baby Blog and CNN, one of the two contenders, Larry Birkhead, has filed an emergency custody order for the child. Sorry to be such a terrible cynic, but I have to wonder which of these two men want the baby out of paternal love and not for the celebrity (and attendant dollars) she'll bring.
The whole story is made more tragic because this poor child's entire family has fallen victim to the glare of infamy. Her 20-year-old brother died days after she was born, due to a toxic mix of anti-depressants and methadone. I remember a younger Daniel defending his mom's low-brow Anna Nicole Smith Show on the E! channel. He didn't get the chance at a normal childhood of any kind. Now her mother has died, too. It's all just too sad.
But there's a glimmer of hope. With any luck Dannielynn has a shot of a regular childhood outside of the limelight. Maybe the real father, whoever he is, will get custody and take her far away and let her grow up with dolls and grubby jeans and backyard swings. Less affluence and glam, more security and love. Maybe once this media frenzy dies down this baby girl will be able to grow up in obscurity and get the self-esteem she needs to not follow in her mother's sordid footsteps. Maybe she'll grow up with a healthier female role model.
If that happens for little Dannielynn, then there's hope for her future after all.
But one glaring difference: Marilyn didn't leave any children behind.
Upon hearing about Anna Nicole's death today, the first thing I thought about was her five month old daughter, Dannielynn Hope. Who's going to raise her, and how will she be raised -- meaning: Does this baby girl get a chance at a normal childhood out of the media glare now that her infamous mother has left the building?
Already there's a paternity suit -- imagine, two men fighting over which one of them fathered the child, and according to Celebrity Baby Blog and CNN, one of the two contenders, Larry Birkhead, has filed an emergency custody order for the child. Sorry to be such a terrible cynic, but I have to wonder which of these two men want the baby out of paternal love and not for the celebrity (and attendant dollars) she'll bring.
The whole story is made more tragic because this poor child's entire family has fallen victim to the glare of infamy. Her 20-year-old brother died days after she was born, due to a toxic mix of anti-depressants and methadone. I remember a younger Daniel defending his mom's low-brow Anna Nicole Smith Show on the E! channel. He didn't get the chance at a normal childhood of any kind. Now her mother has died, too. It's all just too sad.
But there's a glimmer of hope. With any luck Dannielynn has a shot of a regular childhood outside of the limelight. Maybe the real father, whoever he is, will get custody and take her far away and let her grow up with dolls and grubby jeans and backyard swings. Less affluence and glam, more security and love. Maybe once this media frenzy dies down this baby girl will be able to grow up in obscurity and get the self-esteem she needs to not follow in her mother's sordid footsteps. Maybe she'll grow up with a healthier female role model.
If that happens for little Dannielynn, then there's hope for her future after all.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-08-2007 @ 8:38PM
LB said...Julie, this is a stinkin' load of sick judgemental crap, (so much worse than even Dear Uncle Roger could ever write.)
To start with, there is always hope.
Also there is a lot to a happy life, affluenec may or may not add or detract from it.
As for Daniel's childhood, he was teen on her reality show and there is no evidence to show that he was ever denied a chance to play outside or with regular toys.
Even if Anna and Daniel had an unconvential relationship, she loved him, LOVED him and they seemed very well bonded.
Anna had guts and self esteem. She marched up the steps of the Supreme Court! How many of us have the nerve to do that.
Depression and addiction are diseases, your crack about her self esteem is something Bill O'Reilly would say.
Sordid??? WTF? Is this the 21st century?
Do you dare assume Danilyn would rather grow up without a mother, with an as of now phantom "healthier role model" He mother is dead! Have you NO shame? Did you have a mom growing up? If so you seriously don't know what the hell you are talking about.
This BB post is exactly the kind of $hit I wrote about below. I would have hoped that BB writers would have been above such a hatchet job, an attack on a woman, a mother who dared to go against the grain.
Shame on you.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:27AM
Suzanne said...The whole paternity-thing is so odd.... Can't they just do a paternity test and settle it once and for all??
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 6:31AM
Amy said...Suzanne, that is exactly what I was going to say. What's the big deal? I bet if she would have still been a stripper they would not have been lining up to claim paternity. Only in the world of the rich and famous can you refuse to get a DNA test because it may not come out the way you want it to. I feel so sorry for everyone involved. I think she had no will to live after her sons death. Hopefully she's at peace now.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 10:13AM
Yvonne said...Julie: No need for a hyphen between 'anti' and 'depressant.' Just.One.Word.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:42PM
Stephanie said...Geez, such an emotional response!
I agree with Julie, this poor girl is going to go through hell while her 2 alleged dads duke it out. Another problem is that Anna Nicole's marriage to Howard K. Stern may not have been legal. So if Anna died without leaving a will, her spouse would normally inherit her estate, but since there is a question of the marriage's existence, I forsee a battle for the estate between Howard and 5 month old Dannielynn. Plus her claim on her ex-husband's 88 million estate is still in the courts on a challenge. So that lawsuit will go to her daughter as well. What a mess!
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 1:46PM
Christine said...I wonder why there is all this speculation that anna may not have a will... she has like 50 lawyers.. why would she not have a will??
I also thought the post was inappropriate. They dont seem to be duking it out right now. They are both grieving and the lawyers are speaking for them.
Reply
2-10-2007 @ 1:08PM
Nancy Toby said...I'm sad for the child. I wonder if there would be such a custody battle if the infant weren't worth - what, half a billion dollars? Who knows?
I think it's going to end up a lot like Gloria Vanderbilt's childhood:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Vanderbilt
Reply
2-12-2007 @ 9:33AM
Sharon said...LB - I think if I had a shot at getting $88 million, I'd have the guts to march up the stairs of the Supreme Court too. Cause she earned it, right? Such an angel to that rich husband of hers, I'm sure it was true love.
Sordid is exactly the word I'd use to describe her life, from her stripper days to her last days. Never a moment without controversy and sex.
And unfortunately, there are children out there who are or would be better off without the parents they had. Sounds terrible, but its true. See any of the posts about mothers who help men molest their children, or beat their kids. Not saying that's what AS did, but she sure wasn't a role model I would ever consider for any child.
Reply