My 2022 word of the year is definitely “nepo baby.”
In 2022, no nepo baby was safe from interviewers asking them about their privilege.
And for those who weren’t part of the discourse, a “nepo baby” is a famous person who has famous parents/family.
Because nepo babies are all the rage, I’m curious what you think about the comments these 14 nepo babies had to say about having famous parents…
1. Lily Rose Depp is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Elle): “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.’”
2. Zöe Kravitz is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via GQ): “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.”
3. Dylan and Paris Brosnan are Pierce Brosnan’s sons.
What they think about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via E! News): “I think we need to just be grateful for our blessings. It’s always gonna be there, and we got to recognize it.”
4. Hailey Bieber is Stephen Baldwin’s daughter.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Grazia): “Kids that already have a famous background are just following in their families’ footsteps. My dad and all of his brothers have done this. This is my family business.”
5. Maya Hawke is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via People): “I think I’ll get a couple chances on their name and then if I suck, I’ll get kicked out of the kingdom. … And that’s what should happen. So I’m just going to try not to suck.”
6. Willow Smith is the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Rolling Stone): “I don’t focus on how other people feel about me. If you love me, amazing. If you hate me, fantastic. That’s none of my business. I was put on this planet to be someone who uplifts the lives of people with my art and my words and that’s it. That’s pretty much how I feel. Anyone can feel how they feel, and I don’t mind.”
7. Lourdes Leon is the daughter of Madonna and Carlos Leon.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via the Cut): “I want to feel like I deserve things and not just like I’ve been given things. And, yes, there’s undeniable privilege that I’d be stupid to not realize. Nepotism babies are pretty awful usually, and my mom and my father raised me to be so much smarter than that.”
8. Gigi Hadid is the daughter of Yolanda and Mohamed Hadid.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Vogue Australia): “I know I come from privilege, so when I started there was this big guilt of privilege, obviously. … I’ve always had this big work ethic, because my parents came from nothing and I worked hard to honor them.”
9. Gwyneth Paltrow is the daughter of Blythe and Bruce Paltrow.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Hailey Bieber’s YouTube): “As the child of someone, you get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way. However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good.”
10. Jack Quaid is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.
What he thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Thrillist): “I knew that people would constantly say, ‘Oh, I know how he got that job. And they’re still going to say that. It’s fine. But as long as I knew how I got there, that would be enough.”
11. Leni Klum is the daughter of Heidi Klum.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via People): “It’s just a fact. My parents are famous. I did get help starting off, and I know that people would dream to start off with what I had. … But I am doing the work and putting in the time. Now I’m working on my own, traveling alone, going to school. My mom and I just have the same love for the same thing.”
12. Maude Apatow is the daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Net-A-Porter): “At first, I was sad. I try not to let it get to me because I obviously understand that I’m in such a lucky position. A lot of people [in a similar position] have proven themselves over the years, so I’ve got to keep going and make good work. It’s so early in my career, I don’t have much to show yet, but hopefully one day I’ll be really proud of the stuff I’ve done by myself.”
13. Colin Hanks is the son of Tom Hanks.
What he thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via Armchair Expert): “When I was starting off, I was sort of lovingly naive, thinking that [being the son of Tom Hanks] wasn’t as big a deal as it is…that I would get the benefit of the doubt that I was my own person…and that doesn’t happen.”
14. Rashida Jones is the daughter of Quincy Jones.
What she thinks about having famous parents/the whole nepo baby thing (via NBC New York): “Because my parents are in entertainment, people were like, ‘Well, obviously, people are just giving her jobs. She’s using her connections.’ It’s followed me since the beginning. I totally would have taken handouts. I didn’t get any. I wish! No, I’m just kidding. Listen, I went to college, I had a great upbringing, I’m privileged, I wanted for nothing my entire life, but I definitely did not get career handouts. It took fifteen years to build a career which is what it should take.”
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