Dannielynn Birkhead explores the late mother Anna Nicole Smith’s past on 20/20

Dannielynn Birkhead was just five months old when her mother, the late Anna Nicole Smith, died of an accidental drug overdose. And now, 14 years later, the teenager is exploring her mother’s past with her father, Larry Birkhead, at her side for a new “20/20” special.

Airing Friday, before the 14th anniversary of her death, the new special will feature Dannielynn visiting “the most influential places in Anna Nicole’s life for the first time with her father”, including a trip to her childhood home in Mexia, Texas. According to a press release, they “will find their high school friend and see the places she went before she became famous”.

The trip will also take them to Los Angeles, where the two “will visit various emotional places” and Dannielynn will see, “for the first time, some memories of Anna Nicole from her life and career, kept in a closet after her death.”

A sample clip from the special shows Larry rummaging through the closet and pulling out a number of items from Anna’s past, including a wedding dress, old clothes she wore to meet him and a photo album.

“Dannielynn has no idea that he is going to see these things. This is all a surprise, ”says Larry in the footage. “She has a big heart like her mother’s and I think she could appreciate these things.”

“This is something I’ve had for you for a long time,” he says, as she reacts in shock.

“Anna must be remembered as a huge figure who was really a caring and generous person, a beautiful lady who loved her fans and her family,” he adds in the footage.

A trailer for the special also shows one of Anna’s childhood friends telling Dannielynn that she looks “exactly like her” mother.

“Dannielynn is a teenager now and she doesn’t really know much about her mother,” Larry says in the footage. “As a father who has a son whose mother passed away, I thought, why not travel back to Anna’s early days. To be honest, I didn’t know much about Anna, her early years.”

“To this day, Howard has supported,” said Birkhead. “Almost [as if] the same loyalty he had for Anna has now been transferred to me and Dannielynn. “

“When you talk about Anna Nicole and talk about where she came from … you talk about the legal battles,” he also told ABC News. “In between, there were many happy moments for her. There were many ups before there were many downs.”

According to ABC, the special will also report “the dichotomy between who Anna Nicole was in the limelight and who she was in particular as Vickie Lynn Smith, her rise to fame, life in the spotlight, her tragic death in Florida and which left unanswered questions about his death. “

Anna Nicole passed away in 2007 at the age of 39 after an accidental drug overdose. After a legal battle for custody of Dannielynn, Larry did a good job of keeping his daughter’s life private – giving occasional interviews and annual appearances in the Kentucky Derby.

The “20/20” special will air Friday night on ABC.