Nepotism Babies: We Hate Loving Them
written by juliana jimenez
If you had the shortcut to becoming rich and famous, would you say “no?” Surprisingly (or not), a lot of our favorite stars come from such privilege. A “nepotism baby” is the name given to a celebrity whose career started because their relative has the power to get them into the show biz’. Nepotism is a term that the internet has been throwing around recently and fans of these celebrities are starting to feel weird about it. On TikTok, there is actually a community of working-class fanbase that exposes celebrities who turn out to be "nepotism babies." As a collective, especially those who consume entertainment, we have a weird love-hate relationship with the rich and famous. We love to get a peek into their glamorous lives via social media and reality TV shows, but we also love to hate the rich and famous simply because they are out of touch with our realities.
Though there is something exciting about feeling like we can connect with our favorite actor from that one Netflix show. By following them on social media, we get an insight to how they really are as a person. We learn about their likes and dislikes, close friends, and even what they’re up to on a Friday night. This transparent view into their world truly makes them feel real and authentic to us. We feel a sense of relatability and they even begin to feel like a friend.
One day, you decide to Google your favorite star's name and immediately their Wikipedia page pops up with their parents name hyperlinked. You find out the dad is a successful screenwriter, director, and producer while the mom is a fashion designer. Suddenly, your heart sinks and you feel like you’ve been fooled this entire time. Your favorite actor suddenly doesn’t feel relatable because you didn’t come from a wealthy background full of connections. And now you feel like your dream of becoming an actor feels unattainable.
This is exactly the dilemma people on the internet are having with “nepotism babies”. Although there is no doubt that many have talent and work hard. We must recognize the privileged backgrounds that got them to where they are.
Lily-Rose Depp
Source: Instagram
Lily Rose-Depp is a French-American actress and model. She is the daughter of Vanessa Paradis, former supermodel and actress & Johnny Depp, actor. She is best known for her role in The King and she was named a Chanel brand ambassador. Lily keeps her image very ‘lowkey’. She is very specific with what she posts on her social media and has mentioned before that she prefers to stay mysterious. The internet loves her wired-headphones moment, it was a moment where we all realized she didn’t care about materialism..
Bella Hadid
Source: Instagram
Isabella Khair Hadid is an American supermodel, signed to IMG Models in 2014. She is the daughter of former supermodel, Yolanda Hadid and wealthy real estate developer, Mohamed Hadid. In 2016, Bella was named "Model of the Year” by the industry. Bella is a feminist and an activist towards Palestine. We feel so close to Bella because she is indeed one of the girlies, liking and feeling all that we do.
Riley Keough
Source: Contentmode.com
Danielle Riley Keough is an American actress and model. Born in Santa Monica, California, to musicians Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, she is the granddaughter of Priscilla Presley and famous singer Elvis Presley. She began her modeling career as a teenager on a runway for Dolce & Gabbana. She has starred in the film, The Runaways, as Marie Currie, and has an upcoming project for book TV series adaptation called, Daisy Jones & The Six as Daisy Jones. Legacy is prevalent in this bloodline and there was no doubt that the granddaughter of Elvis Preseley was made for greatness.
Maude Apatow
Maude Annabelle Apatow is best known for playing Lexi Howard in the HBO drama series Euphoria. She is the oldest child of actress Leslie Mann and director Judd Apatow. Apatow launched her acting career in her father's movies, This Is 40, Funny People, and Knocked Up. Maude feels like the most normal out of all of them, and her character on Euphoria has a lot to do with that. She is perceived as “boring” rather than a drama-filled star.
So many stars portray themselves to feel relatable and authentic, even though they were born with a golden ticket right into the industry. That isn't to imply that all nepo babies lack talent; quite the contrary, many of them are very talented. But in the end, it is impossible to overlook the fact that their families contributed to their success. We must acknowledge these privileges and ask for change within the industries.
