In fact, the 53-year-old is vehemently opposed to the release of Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, the upcoming biopic centered on Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the doctor implicated in the 2007 death of Anna Nicole Smith.
“We’re not involved in this production,” Birkhead, dad to Dannielynn Birkhead, 19, with Smith, told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published July 9. “And we absolutely object to any of Anna Nicole's, my life, my daughter’s life being used in a movie and being made characters out of by someone who was a doctor that supposedly people were supposed to trust.”
E! News has reached out to Briarcliff Entertainment, the film’s director Thane Economou and representatives for Kapoor for comment but has not heard back.
Following Smith’s death at the age of 39 from a drug overdose, Kapoor was charged with conspiracy, excessive prescribing of opiates and sedatives to an addict and fraudulently obtaining drugs by using false names.
He was acquitted on all counts and later wrote a memoir titled Trust Me, I’m a Doctor: My Life Before, During and After Anna Nicole Smith in 2017, which serves as the basis for the biopic. In the film, set to premiere on Oct. 16, Kal Penn stars as Kapoor while Abbie Cornish plays Smith.
And the Rainbows actor did not hide his discontent toward this portrayal of the late model.
“I recently saw the actress that is portraying Anna,” Birkhead continued. “I’m sure she’s probably a nice girl and a great actress but I don’t think she quite embodied Anna Nicole.”
But he doesn’t blame Cornish for this, as he believes most actresses who’ve tried to fill the former Playboy model’s shoes have fallen short, explaining, “There’s been a Lifetime Movie. There’s been a Law & Order episode. I have yet to see someone who actually embodies the spirit and the looks and the persona of Anna Nicole.”
Ultimately, Birkhead felt like Kapoor betrayed his trust, as the doctor had promised the photographer that “his days of doing press and being in the spotlight were over.” And now, he’s thinking about what it means for his and Smith’s daughter.
“Fast forward almost 20 years later, and this doctor continues to make the rounds,” the photographer added. “I’ve warned them about the harm and the emotional distress that this puts on not just myself, but also most importantly, Dannielynn.”
And his grievances aren’t limited to interviews, as Birkhead revealed he filed a complaint with the California Medical Board against Kapoor, citing his involvement in this new film.
“I’m just gonna let the process work itself out,” he concluded, “and see what they have to say about that.”