E!News : ANNA NICOLE SMITH's ex-lover LARRY BIRKHEAD has opened up about the tragic model's battle with prescription drugs, revealing his fears for their unborn daughter as she appeared impaired during the pregnancy.

The photographer gave a candid interview on U.S. breakfast programme Good Morning America on Monday (30Aug10), opening up about being a single parent to three-year-old Danielynn.

He revealed: "Until I got my daughter back, I worried every single day. But once I got her back and took her to the doctors and took her to all these different specialists to make sure everything is OK, they all assured me, 'Your daughter's healthy, she's happy...' I got lucky."

Birkhead also spoke candidly about being a witness in the ongoing trial of Howard K. Stern - Smith's former boyfriend and lawyer - and two doctors who are accused of illegally supplying Smith with drugs that led to her 2007 overdose death.

He previously faced off with Stern in a 2007 paternity case, which proved Birkhead to be Danielynn's father. But now he's stepped to the defense of his former love rival, calling the charges against Stern "unfair".

He explains: "Howard's being held, in my opinion, to the same standards as the doctors, almost as if he prescribed the medications."


Now, Birkhead says he's trying to move past the scandal, and focus on raising a healthy little girl. But the dad admits he'll struggle to explain Smith's tragic legacy to the youngster, and he's scared she'll be bullied about her mum.

He says, "I do worry that kids in school might say something .. and some of those things could be cruel at times.

"I just hope that I get the opportunity to explain some of the things before she gets to the point to where people come and tell her. There's so many (things) that I have to worry about telling her. She's running but I'm still taking baby steps." (yahoo)