Larry Birkhead (53) is taking a confrontational stance. The photographer and ex-partner of Anna Nicole Smith (1967-2007) is publicly opposing the upcoming film biography "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor", which is about doctor Sandeep Kapoor. Kapoor treated the model until her death in 2007.
Film based on book
Speaking to "Entertainment Tonight", Birkhead left no doubt about his position: "We strongly oppose anything from Anna Nicole's life, my life, or my daughter's life being used in a film." The project is based on Kapoor's 2017 book, in which he describes his time as Smith's treating physician up until her fatal overdose at the age of 39. Kapoor once stood trial himself. He was accused of illegally providing the Playboy model with excessive amounts of prescription medications. He was acquitted in 2010. In the film, Kal Penn takes on his role.
Birkhead was in a relationship with Smith from 2003 to 2006 and is the father of their 19-year-old daughter Dannielynn. According to his own statement, he tried to dissuade Kapoor from the production. "I actually had conversations with this doctor and his representatives." He said he warned those involved about the damage and emotional burden that would particularly affect Dannielynn. Furthermore, a doctor should actually be someone people can trust, Birkhead criticized.
Complaint to the Medical Board
It didn't stop at words. Birkhead has taken legal action to stop the release. "I filed a complaint with the California Medical Board against Dr. Kapoor's involvement in this film", he said. Now he wants to let the process take its course and wait to see how the Board responds.
He's also not convinced by the casting. Abbie Cornish plays Smith in the film, but Birkhead doesn't think that's a good choice. "I'm sure she's a nice girl and a great actress. But I don't think she really embodies Anna Nicole", he explained, adding that this wasn't meant as criticism of her. "I haven't seen anyone who really embodies Anna Nicole's spirit, appearance, and personality."
Daughter Dannielynn also speaks out
According to her father, Dannielynn has expressed "some strong words" about Kapoor exploiting her mother's story. "I don't want to speak for her here, but she had some strong words for this doctor and this project." While his daughter is of legal age, his job as a father remains to protect her every day.
A cinematic treatment of Smith's turbulent life is nothing new. Birkhead pointed out that her story has already been told multiple times, including in an episode of "Law & Order" and in a 2013 Lifetime film starring Agnes Bruckner in the lead role. "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 16.
Anna Nicole Smith was successful as a model before marrying 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall in 1994, who died a year later. A legal battle over his estate ensued. Through her reality show "The Anna Nicole Show", which ran from 2002 to 2004, she became known to an even wider audience. In September 2006, her firstborn son Daniel died at age 20, three days after the birth of her daughter Dannielynn, from a fatal medication cocktail. Smith herself passed away just five months later, also from a medication overdose.
