There’s been a lot of talk about nepotism in the entertainment industry lately. In case you aren’t familiar, some celebrities are being called nepo babies, accused of only successful because their famous parents helped them get their foot in the door.
While some have genuinely thoughtful responses to the whole thing, others refuse to acknowledge they even benefit from nepotism. Here are 17 different famous people who have been hit with the nepo baby label, and what they had to say.
She was recently praised for her response to nepo baby criticism. “There are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don’t, but I think I’m comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway,” she told the London Times. “It’s okay to be made fun of when you’re in rarefied air. It’s a lucky place to be.”
Fans may know Allison Williams for her roles in Girls and Get Out. She is the daughter of journalists Brian Williams and Jane Stoddard-Williams.
Allison told Vulture her opinions on the topic. “To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous,” the actress said. “It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me.”
Maude Apatow is most known for her character in Euphoria, and she’s the daughter of film director and screenwriter Judd Apatow.
When asked how she feels about being ‘outed’ as a nepotism baby, Maude explained that she tries to remain positive. “I try not to let it get to me because I obviously understand that I’m in such a lucky position,” the actress told Net-a-Porter in 2022. “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.”
Kendall, the daughter of Caitlin and Kris Jenner, has appeared on the cover of several international Vogue editions and now owns 818 Tequila.
The model and business owner revealed her thoughts on being a nepo baby last year. “I’m one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to live the life that I live,” she told WSJ Magazine. “But I do think that it’s challenging for me a lot more than it’s not.”
Hailey Bieber is the daughter of Stephen Baldwin and niece of Alec Baldwin. She has walked the runway for numerous high-fashion brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino, and now owns the cosmetics brand Rhode.
She made headlines last year for wearing a shirt that said “nepo baby,” which she told The Sunday Times all about. “When you’re out and about and people are stopping your dad or uncle and asking for pictures, you start to understand why,” she said. “That was me being, like, ‘I’m very aware of the situation [and] I’m going to wear it loud and proud because you are already labeling me as such and it’s true.’”
Lily is the daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. When she was just 16-years-old, she became an ambassador for high-fashion brand Chanel, and most recently appeared on The Idol.
She told Elle in 2022 that she didn’t agree with the nepo baby label placed on her. “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,” she said. “Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”
Zooey Deschanel is the daughter of six-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actor Mary Jo Deschanel. She is best known for her roles on New Girl and 500 Days of Summer.
During an interview with the School of Greatness podcast, the actress denied benefitting from nepotism. “It’s funny because people be like, ‘Oh, nepotism’, I’m like no. My dad’s a DP [director of photography]. No one’s getting jobs because their dad’s a DP. It’s definitely not.” However, she did mention that her parents gave her “creative help” with reading lines and offering direction.
Dakota Johnson, whose parents are Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, is famous for her work on Madame Web and the Fifty Shades of Grey movies.
While on The Today Show, the actor shared her thoughts on nepotism discourse. “When that first started I found it to be incredibly annoying and boring. If you’re a journalist, then write about something else. That’s just lame.”
Ben Platt is the son of Marc and Julie Platt. He is best known for his roles in Dear Evan Hansen and Pitch Perfect.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2023, the actor was asked, “You were on the cover of New York Magazine‘s Nepo Baby issue. I’m curious, what was your response to that? And what do you make of that whole discourse?” In response, Ben simply said, “We’re going to skip right over that if we can.”
Gwyneth Paltrow is the daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner. She is best known for her work on Shallow Hal and The Royal Tenenbaums, in addition to running her wellness brand Goop.
The actor has always called the term “nepo baby” an “ugly moniker.” She added, “I just hope that my children always feel free to pursue exactly what they want to do, irrespective of what anybody’s going to think or say.”
Zoe Kravitz is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. She’s well-known for her acting in The Batman and High Fidelity.
In an interview with GQ in 2022, she pushed away the idea that actors who have famous parents are any different from actors who don’t. “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.”
Kaia Gerber is the daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. She was named “Model of the Year” in 2018 and recently played a role in Bottoms.
In an interview with Elle in 2023, the model shared her perspective on nepotism. “I won’t deny the privilege that I have. Even if it’s just the fact that I have a really great source of information and someone to give me great advice, that alone I feel very fortunate for,” she said of her mom. However, mentioning acting specifically, she added, “No artist is going to sacrifice their vision for someone’s kid. That just isn’t how art is made, and what I’m interested in is art.”
Ben Stiller is the son of actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He’s known for starring in Meet the Parents and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
He made headlines in 2021 for claiming that “showbiz is pretty tough” but is “ultimately a meritocracy.” However, in 2023, he starred in a Superbowl Pepsi commercial that poked fun at his nepo baby status.
Drew Barrymore, the daughter of John Drew Barrymore, is known for her work in Charlie’s Angels and Never Been Kissed. She’s also the host of her own talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show.
On her show, she addressed being a nepo baby. “One part of me is like, ‘I’m a nepo baby! Who cares,” she said. However, she added, “My fear is that I don’t want people who are trying to make it feel bad because everyone thinks, ‘Oh, it’s just because of your parents you got here.’ Again, that would be in any family business. If you came from a family of lawyers, and someone said, ‘Oh well her dad runs the firm.’ It’s like well, she still took the bar and got here of her own volition so as long as we’re not catty about it and celebratory of it, that’s the tone I want.”
As the daughter of Will and Jada Smith, Willow “Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I’m never going to deny that I have, you’re still Black,” she told Allure. “And I love being Black. People would look at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she still is like me. She still has brown skin.’ And we all know that that doesn’t exempt you from anything, and that’s a place of connection.”
Emma Roberts is the niece of Julia Roberts and daughter of Eric Roberts. She’s best known for her work in American Horror Story and Scream Queens.
On the Table For Two podcast, the actor shared her thoughts on “nepo babies.” “People like to say, ‘Oh, you know, you have a leg up because you’re a family in the industry,’” she said. “But then the other side to that is, you know, you have to prove yourself more. Also, if people don’t have good experience being to be with other people in your family, then you’ll never get a chance.”
Gigi is the daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid. She’s walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and has been featured in various fashion magazines.
“Technically I’m a nepotism baby,” she told The Times in 2023. She later added that her parents “came from very little.” “I’ve always acknowledged that I come from privilege… My parents told me, ‘Just because you have parents who were successful, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t walk into the job being as nice and as hard-working as you can be,'” she said.
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Read More:10 Nepo Babies Who’ve Genuinely Acknowledged Their Privilege And 7 Who Haven’t