Dannielynn & Larry Birkhead Explain Why This Will Most Likely Be Their Last Kentucky Derby

I feel like a vampire, which is the goal every day. I just want people to know that I love my mom and she's so beautiful, but I'm also my own person, obviously, and I hope that's a bit more clear now. Yeah. It is so nice to see both of you today. Danielynn, we got to talk about your new look because you look beautiful, but I also love it because it's a different look. So tell me how you feel in this look with this hairdo. I feel like a vampire, which is the goal every day. Obviously. That's like my life's goal is to look like a vampire every day. What kind of vampire though? Are we thinking Twilight or... Like... interview with a vampire modern-ish. Okay. Okay. Very specific and I love it. Dad, what do you think about this look? Well, actually, you know, I think it's cool. To be honest, when she was getting the haircut and the black dye was going on, I was like kind of pacing around and she was like telling me that, you know, oh, this is cool, this is cool. You don't know what's cool. So I was like, all right. And then I guess her vindication was when we left the salon and every time someone stopped after that, oh my gosh, I love your hair, I love your hair. So then it was like, I told you, Dad, I told you that that was the cool thing and you don't know what's cool. So I was like, all right, I'm not cool. So something she's been wanting to do is kind of have her own style, you know? Yeah. And I think that so many people are quick to compare her to her mom. And obviously last year at the derby, she kind of paid tribute by wearing a dress. But that's not like every day for her. So she's more like, this is more her style. And whereas, you know, the only people see her only one time a year and that's what they think every day is like. But if you looked at her every day, this is more like what every day is. I love though that you did talk about, you know, last year, because yeah, you did wear your mom's dress and you looked beautiful. But I would imagine she would be really proud of you right now embracing your own self. Do you think so? I think so. Larry, I would imagine you think so too. I think so. It's odd because when you look back at all of the derbies and all of the, you know, that's really the only thing that we do and we're seeing. If you go back through when she, her first derby ever, she was barely walking and I was holding her by two arms. And then the second year she wore a dress that her mom put in a hope chest for her that had like little Barbies on it. It was pink and something that she put away for her from years when she was traveling, doing her modeling career. And then as you see the pictures as they progress. So we went from Barbie to Joan Jett or Pat Benatar. So I don't know where we're at now. It's evolved. But it's so fun. We have watched you grow up every year. So what do you want people to know about you now? I just want people to know that I love my mom and she's so beautiful, but I'm also my own person, obviously. And I hope that's a bit more clear now. Yeah. Oh, that's so beautifully said. And you are your own person and your own special person. But like we were just saying, I would imagine your mom would be so proud of you. Larry, I would imagine you're very proud of your daughter. I'm totally proud. I mean, she amazes me every day with something she does or says. And it's good that I think that she can be her own self and have her own style. And it's weird because even after she has her own style, there'll still be some media that will go and try to find a photograph of Anna with something that's similar. It might be Anna in a black dress. There might be Anna with short hair at some time. And they'll put it together to say, oh, the spitting image. You know, it's like a comparison that they're waiting and looking for. And there's a lot of media people that contact me and they have these stories already ready. And they're just waiting to push them out to when they have another appearance. So I think it's good that she has a chance to kind of just have fun with their own style and stuff. And actually, she had a little fun with my style. I was about to say, I'm like, I'm digging this look too. And you're going well together. Well, I mean, here's the thing. She says I have no style. So you tell her. I was about to say, DaniLynn, do we approve? I approve because I picked it out. OK. I had to. OK. There was really no saving him when he picked out his own outfits. So. Yeah, so the thing was, we were talking about this while she was in finals. Because this is finals week. She just got finished with all that. And for the last couple of weeks, because it's a big deal. Because I don't know what it is about the derby and the derby party. People expect for the fashion or whatever the style is to outdo the last year. So the pressure is on me mostly. So this year, I was like, look, I'm out of colors. I'm out of things that we've done. We've been through so many of them. You know, we've done every color in the bag of Skittles, the rainbow, the M&Ms. We've done it. So at this point, it's kind of like, what can we do that's different? And I just said, you know, look, I don't know what to wear. And she's like, well, let me help you with your style. And then she started looking online. And then she basically ordered this on my American Express card. Obviously. And I got the bill for it. And it was pretty expensive. So yeah. My bad. You're like, but you know, Dad, you gotta look good. You gotta look the part. Because she's coming out with an awesome rocker hairdo or vampire hairdo. Should I say? So you gotta look the part. I probably blinded half of America with this jacket. And I'm sorry. The thing is, is that, hey, I'll go along with it. There's not that many times you get at this age of your kids turning older that you get to hang out and spend with them. They want to spend with you. So if she dresses me up and makes me look crazy, it's all her fault. And I'll go along with it. You're like, what? Right, right. Danny Lindo, it's so clear that you two have such this special bond. Talk to me about that and, you know, why it's so special. Be nice. Yeah. I'll try. But my dad is my dad, but he's also my best friend. And we always, like, joke and make fun of each other. I think that's been, like, you can see that a lot happening. It makes me happy that we can be so silly and, like, happy and, like, not just, like, go to your room, do your homework. But I can, like, make fun of him lovingly. And I love joking. Yeah, she definitely jokes with me a lot. I don't get, there's not much that passes by her that she doesn't catch. And, you know, I get, she makes fun of the way I look, my cooking, my everything I do. So she keeps me kind of, you know, on point to where I know I've got a lot of work to do in life. As a 19-year-old does. Sorry, Dad. As a 19-year-old does. And you went to college this year. You're wrapping up your first college year. Congratulations. That's a lot of hard work. Tell me what is the one big thing that you learned about yourself over the past year? I learned to just be myself. Like, and not let anything stop my, like, so I was like, hey, you actually can't do your hair like that. Who cares? I'm doing it. I'm not going to let someone dictate what I want to do or who I want to be because life is short and I think you should be who you want no matter what. That is such an important message. No, thank you for that. That is so important for people like yourself, young people to even my age, your dad's age to like, listen to that. It is really important to be yourself and you're going to be your happiest when you're yourself. So I would imagine you're very happy. Yeah, I probably feel the most confident and happy and like myself I've ever felt right now. What are you studying? Forensic science. Okay, what is it about forensic science that is intriguing to you? I just have always loved kind of like weirdish things and forensics is weird, but in a good way because you can like regarding forensics and the whole umbrella under like under it you can help so much with like murder cases, like figuring out stuff like that. And it's just I've always been interested in that because like why is this person doing this? Why is this murderer a murderer? I want to figure it out. I want to help stop it. And when I was younger, I would always want a dateline with my dad and I think that's what kind of kick-started it. Yeah, I sleep with dateline on now. A lot of people do and I don't understand it. It's like, you know, it's like, you know, if you don't hear Keith Morrison when you go to bed and wake up, something's wrong. So it's like, yeah. So she got the bug from that. I love that. So we got to talk though the Derby, of course. Larry, you said, you know, this is really the only event every year that we see we get to see Danny Lynn. What is it about this event that is the, you know, why you picked this event? I think, you know, obviously for me, I think, you know, I just when she was younger, I chose to limit her appearances in public. But at the same time, that one time a year that we would go, it kind of took away the chase. So people said, oh, they expected to see a picture, you know, and there weren't paparazzi chasing when I moved to Kentucky. So it was kind of like one time I said, all right, let's just give an update here. And this was the update zone to do that. And then after that grew a tradition of like the outfits and things. And from that, we just kind of went on to basically, you know, just something that we got to spend time with each other for. But also because I met her mom at the Derby and the Barnstable Brown Party and that whole event, we like to go back for that reason. And kind of it's a good cause for charity, but it's also a way to pay tribute and to keep, I think, you know, Anna's memory and spirit alive in my heart, at least. And it makes me feel proud when I see her walk up the steps at the same place that I met her mom. And I'm not going to cry about it. But just to be able to share that moment and the tradition, create new memories. It's special. Yeah. It's special that you get to do it with your daughter. And here you've got me in this stupid jacket, making me cry on television. You see what you did to me? You know, it works, though. We're embracing ourselves, remember? Learning what your daughter has taught us. We're embracing our inner self. So I think that it just, but at the same time, I think that, you know, I notice, I know that because, you know, she's almost 20 years old and there's cooler people to hang out with me that, and we've really, we've 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, you know? And so we don't, this could be like the end of our photo book. We don't know. But we have one hell of a scrapbook if we, you know. I was about to say, you got an amazing, an amazing photo album of all your derby looks through the years. And I have to tell you, this is my favorite one, so. Mine too. Yeah. Do you feel that way too? Do you think this is, this chapter might be closing for you? Maybe, possibly. I think there's always a time I might do something with the charity, the diabetes charity. But at the same time, I think that, you know, for the time that we have, and this is always going to hit on finals week, you know, every year. The derby doesn't change. So, you know, the day, it's going to be the day. And so I think that that is something that we'll come up against. But I, you know, at the end of the day, I think that we've had a great time at it. And that if, if we don't do it again, but never say never, but we're out of colors and ideas. Hey, we can just keep this look going. Yeah, well, I can't pull it off. I'm a little too old for this. Larry, I think you can pull it off. I love it, though. But Danny Lynn, do you think, too, you would also want to step away from the spotlight? Because this is the only time that you step into the spotlight. Actually, I kind of want to step away. I just kind of want to focus more on school. And as school ends, career choices, like, hang out with friends and people I love. I kind of, I'm grateful for all the opportunities I've had. And being able to talk with you and share stories. But I'm more of like a stay at home and hide under my blanket type of person. And that is totally okay. I think also that, you know, she goes back and forth. You know, sometimes she says she might want to model and act. And sometimes she says, I don't want to. And I think she's in the phase where she's just trying to figure out in her life, career wise, that will she do forensics? Will she change her major later? Will she want to do that? I think the sky's the limit, because I think she's doing such a great job of what she's doing. But I think that that's a choice she has to make. And if she makes it, then that's fine. You are so young, and you can change your mind so many times. And also, why not do it all? If you wanted to. Right, Dad? Yeah. You can do it all. Just get up earlier. Yeah, just maybe, like, less vampire sleeping. And then get up a little bit earlier. Help with the, you know, the dishes. Your pets that we had to have. All the things that, you know, that you're supposed to help out. Pets? And then also, aren't you really into art? I remember talking to you last year, and you were saying that you love art. So that's another thing, too. Because do you paint? What do you do? I mostly now do digital art on my iPad or, like, on my computer with a drawing tablet. But I think it's just going to stay as a hobby, especially considering there's a lot of job opportunities being lost nowadays regarding art. So I think that'll just be a fun hobby. Because I draw almost every week. Okay, I love it. Well, tonight we have a big night. Our unstable Brown Gala. Are we going to get on the stage and sing? Because I've been told... Oh, somebody said I was getting on the stage? I'm... Danny Lin just said. Danny Lin? You said I was going to sing? I don't know what happened. Do you sing every year? Or... No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't sing at all. I cannot sing at all. If they ask me to, the guests might leave early. But I don't know that I'm going to... I don't know what's going to happen. You never know what's going to happen at that party. It's wild. It's crazy. I mean, I've been there when Pam Anderson was falling and, you know, and Kid Rock and crazy stuff happens. You've got rock, rap. You've got all kinds of things. And now we've got... Tonight we've got Legends with Pay LaBelle and Chaka Khan. So I'm looking forward to it. And you want to... Who did you want to see? I heard Kiyo from Impractical Jokers is going to be here. Here's my favorite. I have to get a picture. I'm going to die. I think we can figure that out. You can help her out. We can definitely figure that out.