Top 10 Celeb Reactions to Being Called Nepo Babies

Mother Lisa Bonet and father Lenny Kravitz aren’t the only big names that this actress shares a link with. She’s also Al Roker’s third cousin once removed. Almost a decade-and-a-half after inspiring her father’s song “Flowers for Zoë,” she made her film debut in 2007’s “No Reservations.” In recent years, her star power has rivaled that of her parents, becoming Catwoman for a new generation. Although Kravitz has experienced “deep insecurity” about being an actor from a famous family, she stood up for nepo babies in a GQ interview, saying “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.”

Lily Collins has been acting since age two when she popped up in “Growing Pains” - not the Kirk Cameron show. When Collins was ten, her father Phil wrote a “lullaby” with her in mind. It was the Oscar-winning “You’ll Be in My Heart” from “Tarzan.” Lily also voiced a baby ape, although she wouldn’t return to film for another decade, playing Sandra Bullock’s daughter in “The Blind Side.” Rather than pursue a singing career, Collins sought to carve her own path as an actress, saying, “I’m proud of my dad, but I wanted to be me, not just his daughter. For that, I was ready to wait to break through.” Despite her name, Collins faced plenty of failed castings before landing “Emily in Paris.”

Maude and sister Iris grew up starring alongside their mother Leslie Mann with family patriarch Judd behind the camera. Since reaching adulthood, Maude Apatow has branched out from her father’s productions as Lexi Howard on “Euphoria.” It’s been argued that the modern obsession with nepotism derived from Twitter user Meriem Derradji, who was shocked to learn that Lexi was a “nepo baby.” Initially, comments like this made Apatow “sad,” feeling that people weren’t judging her performance. Apatow acknowledged that she was born into a lucky position, but she’s determined to prove herself through hard work. Apatow concluded, “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.”

Seeing “Straight Outta Compton” in 2015, we all thought the same thing: either Ice Cube is playing himself using de-aging technology or that’s his son. The latter was correct. Since O’Shea Jackson Jr. portrays his dad in the biopic, you might have preconceived notions about his casting. Jackson Sr did tell his son, “In a perfect world, [you] would play [me] in [Straight Outta Compton].” However, Jackson Jr. didn’t automatically land the role. He had to audition for two years. While it didn’t hurt that he’s related to one of the film’s central figures, Jackson Jr. isn’t intent on letting his father hold his hand going forward, saying, “Once the door was opened, it was up to me to walk through it and thrive.”

This actress is the daughter of Academy Award winner Goldie Hawn and musician/actor Bill Hudson. Kate Hudson’s parents divorced when she was a year and a half old, although she’d gained a high-profile stepfather in Kurt Russell. Her biological father was also married to actress Cindy Williams for almost 20 years. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Hudson received an Oscar nomination for her performance in “Almost Famous” and has several other successful films under her belt. Regarding the nepo baby debate, Hudson doesn’t really care, saying that she comes from “a storytelling family” and “if you work hard and you kill it, it doesn’t matter.” Hudson also argued that while nepotism might exist in Hollywood, it’s probably more common in business and modeling professions.

Most of the celebs on this list have a famous parent or parent(s). Lottie Moss is a slightly different case, being the half-sister of supermodel Kate. This still makes her part of the nepotism conversation and Moss had a lot to unpack on Twitter… before her account was temporarily deleted. Where some have brushed off nepo baby comments, Moss tweeted that she was “so sick of people blaming nepotism for why they aren’t rich and famous or successful.” Although Moss noted that individuals from famous families do get a leg up, she received backlash for tweeting, “Guess what? Life isn’t fair.” Moss followed up with a series of tweets elaborating on her comments, but many felt her heated reaction painted a portrait of privilege.

Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman married shortly after meeting during the production of “Gattaca.” While the marriage didn’t last, it resulted in another future star. Since making her acting debut as Jo March in a 2017 adaptation of “Little Women,” Maya Hawke’s resume has ranged from blockbuster shows like “Stranger Things” to blockbuster films like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” In a Rolling Stone interview, Hawke admitted that having famous parents gave her “massive advantages in this life.” In Hawke’s eyes, though, free chances aren’t infinite. Her philosophy is, “You have to keep working and do a good job. If you do a bad job, the chances will stop.” Hawke plans to not only continue working as an actress, but as a singer-songwriter too.

The daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose commenced her acting career with a small part in “Tusk,” which co-starred her father. She’d reprise her role in a spin-off, “Yoga Hosers,” before starring in other films like “The King” and shows like “The Idol.” Discussing nepotism with Elle, Depp said, “The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. 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.” Depp compared being an actor from a famous family to being a doctor whose parents also practice medicine. You have to train for the job regardless.

It’s no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow grew up surrounded by entertainment royalty, being the daughter of Emmy nominee Bruce Paltrow and Emmy/Tony winner Blythe Danner. If that weren’t enough, she’s the goddaughter of Steven Spielberg, who cast her as a young Wendy in “Hook.” This made it all the more ironic when “Saving Private Ryan” lost the Oscar to “Shakespeare in Love,” which also made Paltrow a Best Actress recipient. Chatting with fellow nepo baby, Hailey Bieber of the Baldwin family, Paltrow confessed that her upbringing gave her certain connections. Yet, she claimed that people in her position “almost have to work twice as hard” to shatter notions of nepotism. That’s probably the most Gwyneth Paltrow thing that Gwyneth Paltrow has ever said.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Elizabeth Olsen
We All Know Her Last Name, But Olsen “Always Wanted to Do it Alone”

Eve Hewson
Bono’s Daughter Considered Getting “Nepo Baby” Tattoo in a Personal Area

Dakota Johnson
She Called Her Upbringing “Privileged,” But Certain Family Dynamics Were “Traumatic”

Lily Allen
Keith Allen’s Kid Thinks We Should Be More Concerned About Nepotism at Legal Firms

Jack Quaid
Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan’s Son Doesn’t Care Because He Knows How He Got to Where Is He

A professional actress since age 19, Jamie Lee Curtis has been in the business for 45 years. And yet, the nepotism conversation keeps returning to her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Curtis has made fun of the “nepo baby” discourse while simultaneously embracing it. On Instagram, she shared a throwback family photo, proclaiming herself to be the “OG Nepo Baby.” Curtis went on to discuss the advantages she had, as well as the struggles she needed to overcome. Upon winning a SAG Award on her way to winning an Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Curtis honored her parents in her acceptance speech. She also said that she gets the nepo baby comments, but that shouldn’t take away from an achievement like this.