But what is this new controversy that’s rocking the planet so much that Lily-Rose Depp, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and even Tom Hanks have spoken out on the subject?
The term “nepo-babies” is a contraction of “nepotism babies”, i.e. “babies” or rather children whose careers have benefited from the status of their family members, more specifically their parents.
In recent months, the topic has become a “controversy” on social networks, more precisely when netizens, fans of the excellent series “Euphoria”, have realized that Maud Apatow – whose character has gained prominence in season 2 – the was daughter of… Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann. And what about the series’ director, Sam Levinson… son of filmmaker Barry Levinson?
It was enough that the phenomenon quickly became THE topic of the hour for New York online magazine Vulture, which decided a few weeks ago to conduct a review of all “Nepo babies,” say the children of stars who – with varying degrees of success – following in their parents’ footsteps.
And when Hailey Bieber – daughter of Stephen Baldwin – decided last week wearing a crop top that says nepo babyThe argument flared up again, with Gwyneth Paltrow – daughter of Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow – hinting in a comment on the Instagram post, “I might need several.”
The “babies” strike back…
Because today’s “Nepo babies” are yesterday’s “star children” and they were the first to speak out on this subject.
“Nepotism? I don’t care. I look at my kids and I think, we’re a family of storytellers, it’s in our blood. People can call it what they want, it’s not going to change anything. And I also believe that the phenomenon is much more prevalent in other industries than in the cinema,” said Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn, who was raised by Kurt Russell.
Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, grabbed the ball by picking up the pen on her Instagram feed. “I’ve been a professional actress since I was 19, which makes me a real ‘Nepo baby.’ I never understood what qualities made me get hired […] The current conversation about ‘Nepo babies’ is meant to belittle, denigrate and hurt,” she said.
Lily-Rose Depp is one of the first “Nepo babies” to take a stand on the term, which has quickly become an insult. On the pages of the monthly magazine “Elle”, the actress and model for Chanel did not mince her words. “Netizens care more about your family than the people you choose for roles. Maybe that will help get your foot in the door, but that’s it. After that there is a lot to do.”
And the young woman adds: “It’s a term that I hear a lot more for women and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
In force. Maya Hawke? Daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Margaret Qualley? Daughter of Andie MacDowell. Ireland Baldwin? Daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. LilyCollins? Daughter of Phil Collins. Zoe Kravitz? Daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz. Dylan Penn? Daughter of Robin Wright and Sean Penn. Malia Obama writing a series for Amazon? No answer needed.
For parity, we sometimes hear about Jack Quaid, son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, and of course Brooklyn Beckham, son of Victoria and David Beckham, who for his part is definitely not capable of a career. Last week, Tom Hanks stepped out to defend his son Truman Hanks’ casting alongside him in Life After Otto.
“We’ve been doing this job forever. Our children grew up there […] And if we had a plumbing company or a flower shop, the whole family would be involved,” he said.
Proof that the debate won’t die down is The Rightway, a recently-completed short film co-edited by Owen King – Stephen King’s son – and Destry Allyn Spielberg – yes, Steven’s daughter was written by Spielberg – who also directs. And in the leading role we find Hopper Penn… son of Robin Wright and Sean Penn.