The achievements of nepotism (nepo) babies are not less admirable than those who have come from nothing. Nepo babies notoriously receive hate due to their easy road to success and their fame granted to them by some already famous family member.
Nepotism is extremely common in the entertainment industry, although it may seem it is not — typically because it remains under the radar. And although these children used to be praised and loved just simply for being the product of their parents, they have recently been “reduced to a catchy buzzword: nepo baby.”
Some examples of nepo babies are Hailey Bieber, niece of Alec Baldwin; Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke; Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis; Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz; and Sofia Richie Grainge, daughter of Lionel Richie. They have all had easier ways up the ladder of success, their family members guiding their way up. Vulture’s “How a Nepo Baby Is Born” highlights the “head start” that children of celebrities have among their competitors, calling to celebrity parents and asking them to keep their children humble.
Nepo babies have claimed to be upset by this attention to their family tree. Many of these celebrities claim this booming term has become a new insecurity, as fans have discredited them online, saying they don’t deserve their fame. Of course, there will be differences in these nepo babies’ comings of age, as some parents will help them achieve fame, but some will not allow their children to use their name, making them earn fame and success on their own.
At only sixteen years old, Lily-Rose landed her first campaign with Chanel, the same brand that her mother, Vanessa Paradis, has worked with. The year prior, Lily-Rose made her film debut alongside her father, Johnny Depp. The connections she has made due to her parents are clear, but she has since brushed off suggestions claiming that her path was cleared for her, saying that it “just doesn’t make any sense.” She compares her following in her parents’ acting footsteps to a child who becomes a doctor because their parents are — it’s not surprising. Online, critics told Lily-Rose to “shut up and stop being delusional.” But Lily-Rose makes a good point in the Elle interview, saying: “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.”
One nepo baby currently receiving a lot of attention is singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams upon her recent Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. This year, she released her debut album, “Good Riddance,” and opened for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Having only released her debut album in February 2023, fans were perplexed by her sudden rise to the top, touring alongside Swift not even a month later. Although she has gained lots of success in her career at only twenty-four years of age, fans are skeptical due to her “leg up.” A leg quite literally biologically related to renowned filmmaker J.J. Abrams. Yes, Gracie Abrams is the daughter of J.J. Abrams, the filmmaker and composer most notoriously known for directing two “Star Wars” films.
Now, does Gracie owe all her success to her father? Entertainment journalists seem to think so. They claim this due to the amount of worthy artists not nominated for any awards, shocking a large crowd of music listeners. For example, Reneé Rapp’s Snow Angel was the biggest debut solo album from a female artist this year, and yet she did not receive any Grammy nominations. So is it Gracie’s connections that have made her so successful and popular?
Sure, this is entirely a plausible possibility. But just because nepo babies have had an easier road to success does not mean they do not deserve the acclaim they receive. Nepotism can only bring one so far — if they do not have the talent, they will not go far in their fame. Also, nepotism may not carry over fans from parent to child. For example, I’m sure that many “Star Wars” fans are not fans of Gracie. Therefore her father isn’t giving her fans, mostly only the money and recognition for resources to create music and gain connections.
Nepotism is often used as a device to discredit celebrities for their achievements, but we should recognize the talent and success of an artist while reconciling that they had a much easier road to success than others. Although Gracie may have had an easier way of getting access to the industry, it is still admirable that she received a Grammy nomination. Her father is not a pop star, he’s in an entirely different field. Therefore, it should not discredit her Grammy nomination. When nepotism is in the same field, however, things may get blurry, such as child actors of actors. But we then also must remember that sometimes talent does run in the family.
And hey, we can’t ask all children of talented parents to not use their own talents or resources to gain fame as well. If your parents were already famous, wouldn’t you do the same?
Sophie Maselli, FCRH ’26, is an English major from Milford, Conn.
