"I've never had a person take off and run away from me, especially to another country," Birkhead told "Entertainment Tonight."

"I found out through friends" that the baby was born, Birkhead said. "I've had to stay glued to the TV."

Smith is still in the Bahamas, reeling from her son's death in Nassau's Doctors Hospital.

The hospital where Smith gave birth is not far from where she recently purchased a home on the island - a purchase Birkhead thinks was calculated.

"The reason why, I was told, she went to the Bahamas was, I guess if a baby is born in the Bahamas and the mother is a resident of the Bahamas, I think it would be harder for a father who wanted to participate in a baby's life to be able to do so," Birkhead said in the interview.

The two met a few years ago at the Kentucky Derby, when Birkhead was assigned to snap photos of the former Playboy Playmate.

"For about 21/2 years, our relationship was personal," Birkhead said. Then Smith broke the news that he was to be a dad - and everything changed, he recalled.

"I've been told that I was the father from Anna. She said, 'We're having a baby,' and ever since then, my life has been totally different," he said.

Birkhead said he spoke to Smith the day before the baby girl, Hannah, was born and was hopeful that at the last minute, she'd change her mind and allow him to witness the birth.

In the early stages of Smith's pregnancy, Birkhead said, he was involved in everything from selecting a name to seeing the ultrasounds to listening to the baby's heartbeat. Then, at some point, Smith decided to cut ties.

"If it's proven I'm the father, like I feel in my heart that I am, then I just want to be a part of the baby's life," Birkhead said.