Larry Birkhead at the dentist when Anna Nicole Smith collapsed

Larry Birkhead was in a dentist's chair when he learned his ex-lover Anna Nicole Smith collapsed in Florida, he said in an interview in Burbank, Calif.

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His cell phone kept ringing because friends were calling with news or updates on Smith, he said during the interview, excerpts of which began airing Tuesday on "Access Hollywood." The full interview, plus film and photos from Birkhead's collection will air on Bravo.

Birkhead, in a custody dispute over Smith's 5-month-old daughter, Dannielynn, said Smith told him she was pregnant.

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"She also had a different look about her," he said in a segment of the interview that ran on "Today."

Saying he was forced to rely on tabloids to watch the development of his daughter, Birkhead decided to file a paternity suit.

Howard K. Stern, Smith's companion, is listed as the child's father on the birth certificate.

"I think he's doing what he thinks is best and I'm doing what I think is best," Birkhead said of Stern's actions.

Of his custody suit, Birkhead said, "What kind of dad would I be if I didn't fight for my daughter?"