Nearly 20 years after her tragic death, an upcoming movie about Anna Nicole Smith’s doctor is making waves with her family.

Larry Birkhead, the father of the late pop culture icon’s daughter Dannielynn, stressed that they ‘absolutely object’ to Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, which premieres on October 16, based on Dr. Sandeep Kapoor’s 2017 book of the same name about his controversial friendship with Smith while also serving as her prescribing physician.

‘We’re not involved in this production,’ Birkhead told Entertainment Tonight. ‘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.’

Dr. Kapoor, played by Kal Penn in the film, is accused of prescribing Smith methadone, which she died from in 2007. The California Medical Board investigated Dr. Kapoor after Smith’s death and cleared him of all six counts against him in 2010. However, Birkhead is not satisfied with this outcome.

‘I was promised by this doctor and his representatives that his days of doing press and being in the spotlight were over,’ said Birkhead. ‘But here we are. Fast forward almost 20 years later, and this doctor continues to make the rounds. I’ve warned them about the harm and the emotional distress that this puts on not just myself, but also most importantly, Dannielynn.’

Birkhead has filed a complaint with the California Medical Board over Dr. Kapoor’s involvement in the film. ‘I’m just gonna let the process work itself out, and see what they have to say about that,’ Birkhead added. Deadline has reached out to Dr. Kapoor and the California Medical Board for comment.

Birkhead also had thoughts on Abbie Cornish’s casting as Anna Nicole Smith in the movie. ‘I’m sure she’s probably a nice girl and a great actress but I don’t think she quite embodied Anna Nicole,’ he said.

‘And that’s not really an attack on her. This has been done several times,’ added Birkhead. ‘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.’

Following Smith’s death at age 39 on February 8, 2007, the California Medical Board investigated Dr. Kapoor after he prescribed her methadone, which he defended at the time as ‘medically sound and appropriate.’ In 2010, Dr. Kapoor was cleared of all six counts against him after an autopsy determined the methadone was not a contributing factor in Smith’s death.

Directed by Thane Economou, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor is set against the height of the early 2000s tabloid era, chronicling Dr. Kapoor’s fight to clear his name with the guidance of respected attorney Ellyn Garofalo (Linda Hamilton) after Smith’s death from an accidental drug overdose.

The film also stars Abbie Cornish as Anna Nicole Smith and Kal Penn as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. The movie is based on Dr. Kapoor’s 2017 book of the same name.

Birkhead’s concerns about the movie are not just about Dr. Kapoor’s involvement, but also about the potential harm that it could cause to his daughter Dannielynn. ‘I’ve warned them about the harm and the emotional distress that this puts on not just myself, but also most importantly, Dannielynn,’ he said.

It remains to be seen how the California Medical Board will respond to Birkhead’s complaint and whether Dr. Kapoor’s involvement in the film will be affected.

However, one thing is certain: the controversy surrounding Trust Me, I’m a Doctor is not going away anytime soon.

The movie is set to premiere on October 16, and it will be interesting to see how the public reacts to it.