Nepo babies you didn't know they were nepo babies

Nepotism or, in other words, “children of”, has been prominent in Hollywood since its conception, and many actors, singers and models have been gaining ground in the industry thanks to their well-known and powerful families. We tell you about some of the most mediatic and controversial cases.

If you’re not familiar with the term, nepotism babies are celebrities who have risen to stardom through the back door of Hollywood, opened by their relatives with money or recognition. This is not a current phenomenon: film director Sofia Coppola, whose father was Francis Ford Coppola; actress Kate Hudson is the daughter of actor Goldie Hawn; or Miley Cyrus, whose father is singer Billy Ray Cyrus.

While many nepo babies have surpassed their parents’ fame, or have been praised for their own talent – it may be genetic, after all – there is a widespread opinion that has been sparked by TikTok as to whether or not it is “fair” for these people to be offered more job opportunities or have easier access to certain projects because they have someone in their family who is respected in the industry, be it film, modelling, music or art.

Due to the current crisis and the lack of job opportunities among young people, the idea of someone getting a lucrative job simply because their father, mother or uncle is famous is something that Generation Z is not at all keen on. Moreover, in the age of the Internet, finding out who the parents of any of the celebrities who are making it big now are is as simple as looking it up on Wikipedia or asking Artificial Intelligence.

Nepo babies include: Lily Collins, daughter of musician Phil Collins and actress Jill Tavelman; Zoe Kravitz, daughter of actor and musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet; Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of actor Johnny Depp and model Vanessa Paradis; Timothée Chalamet, his mother was a Broadway dancer Nicole Flender, his uncles worked in film and TV and his grandfather was a screenwriter; Billie Eilish, her parents are well-known actors Patrick O’Conell and Maggie Baird; Zoe Deschanel, daughter of director Caleb Deschanel and actress Lisa Deschanel.

Kaia Gerber is the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford; Blake Lively, her father was actor Ernie Lively and her manager mother Elaine Lively; Emma Roberts, niece of actress Julia Roberts and daughter of actor Eric Roberts; Bella and Gigi Hadid are the daughters of former model Yolanda Foster and billionaire Mohamed Hadid; Model Lourdes Leon, daughter of Madonna; model Lila Moss, daughter of Kate Moss; Kendall and Kylie Jenner, of the Kardashian-Jenner clan; Margaret Qualley, daughter of actress and model Angie MacDowell and model and musician Paul Qualley; Jaden and Willow Smith, children of actor Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett.

Lilly Collins, daughter of composer Phill Collins and Jill Tavelman; Dakota Johnson, daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson and granddaughter of film diva Tippi Hedren; Hailey Bieber, daughter of Stephen Baldwin and niece of Alec Baldwin; Paris Hilton is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels & Resorts; George Clooney, son of famed television host Nick Clooney; Kate Hudson is the daughter of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and actor, comedian and musician Bill Hudson; and actress Drew Barrymore, a member of the Barrymore family of actors.

Being linked to another Hollywood celebrity is not a bad thing. Many of them even say they have to work twice as hard to get projects, as is the case with Kendall Jenner, the world’s highest paid model. Although we rather doubt it, she herself revealed that unlike other models, she could choose the brands she wanted to model for. Not recognising the opportunities and privileges that come with nepotism can be a mistake for all those who arrive without help.