Another day, another ‘nepo baby’ trying to convince the world that they worked just as hard to make a career for themselves.
Whether they are models or actors, artists or entrepreneurs, Hollywood is full of the rich and famous’ offspring. And although many talented individuals have famous parents, it’s admittedly easier for them to attain their “big break.” Yet many of them have become seemingly hellbent to prove their built-in privilege and success have no correlation with each other.
Recently, Lily-Rose Depp, the 23-year-old daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis spoke to Elle about being labelled a ‘nepo-baby.’
“I’m familiar,” she said about the accusations, adding, “The internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff. People are going to have preconceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part.”
“It’s weird to me to reduce somebody to the idea that they’re only there because it’s a generational thing,” she continued.
“If somebody’s mom or dad is a doctor, and then the kid becomes a doctor, you’re not going to be like, ‘Well, you’re only a doctor because your parent is a doctor.’ It’s like, ‘No, I went to medical school and trained.'”
Actress Zoë Kravitz, 33, echoed a similar sentiment in an interview with GQ this week. The daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet explained, “It’s completely normal for people to be in the family business.”
“It’s literally where last names came from. You were a blacksmith if your family was, like, the Black family.”
And although they both have valid points, it’s undeniable their parent’s inherent public status gave some sort of drive to the success of their careers. In no way are we saying these famous offspring are not talented – they are, but fans have every right to be confused when these celebrities refuse to acknowledge their own privilege.
What does it mean to be a ‘nepo baby’?
A nepo baby is any actor, singer, or otherwise famous figure whose success has been influenced by their even more famous parents.
Whilst some nepo babies are super talented, others’ success is very clearly reliant on their parent’s fame and wealth.
Does nepotism exist in Hollywood?
Nepotism exists in Hollywood, but it’s nothing new. Many famous celebs are the offspring of other famous celebrities. Although nepo babies are being negatively labelled in the media as of late, you’d be surprised how many successful celebs have some interesting familial connections.
Everyone from Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal to Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow, have parents in the industry. Which leads to the big question. Is everyone who has famous or industry-related parents a nepo baby? Or only the ones who have less talent…
It’s also interesting to note that majority of the famous celebs who get the nepo-baby label thrown at them seem to be women – just some food for thought.
Who are famous ‘nepo-babies’?
Dakota Johnson
Parents: Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson
Lily Collins
Parents: Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman
Willow and Jaden Smith
Parents: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Hailey Bieber
Parents: Stephen Baldwin and Kennya Baldwin
Brooklyn Beckham
Parents: David Beckham and Victoria Beckham
Maude Apatow
Parents: Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann
Maya Hawke
Parents: Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke
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