Larry Birkhead's Sister: "Grandmother Will be Involved in Dannielynn's Life"  4/11/07

Anna Nicole Smith's former lover Larry Birkhead will allow Smith's estranged mother access to her granddaughter Dannielynn, because he has a strong belief in family.

Photographer Birkhead was confirmed as the seven-month-old baby's father yesterday (10APR07), after a lengthy paternity battle with Smith's longtime companion, Howard K Stern, who is listed on Dannielynn's birth certificate.

And the tragic model's mother Virgie Arthur - who "just wants to be a grandmother" - is likely to play a part in the upbringing of the young tot, Birkhead's sister Judy told US chat show host Larry King on Larry King Live last night.

She said, "We are a very close family, and we believe in family. And that is Dannielynn's family. It's her grandmother, and she has a whole other side of the family that is Anna's.

"And so hopefully whoever has the best interest of Dannielynn and wants to be a part of her life, if their motives are good and their feelings are pure, I know that he doesn't have a problem with that. And I believe that she is sincere."

But Judy Birkhead isn't so sure about Stern's future involvement in her niece's life.

She adds, "I really can't speak for Larry on that. He will have to do that himself. We don't really talk about that. We talk about how he feels and about the baby, and what she means to our family and what we can do to make things better for him. We really don't discuss him and Howard."

Smith died earlier this year (FEB07) from an accidental drugs overdose.