Lily-Rose Depp Called Out A Big Double Standard In The Nepo Baby Debate

For those not in the know, the nepo baby debate has been raging for quite a while now. If you're not sure what one is, a nepo baby is essentially someone working in the entertainment industry who got a major leg-up from those already within it, such as the children of actors. One of the most high-profile nepotism babies of the moment is model and actor Lily-Rose Depp, who is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis and has long been subject to criticism from those who believe she only got her start in Hollywood thanks to her parents.

However, Lily-Rose doesn't quite see it that way. In a 2022 interview with Elle, she stated: "People are going to have preconceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part. 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." As well as addressing her work ethic, Lily-Rose also called out the nuance of potential double standards that exist within the overarching conversation.

During the same chat with Elle, Lily-Rose Depp also pointed out that most of the focus seems to be gender-based too. "I just hear it [the nepo baby debate] a lot more about women, and I don't think that it's a coincidence," the actor noted. She even, somewhat controversially, claimed that the nepo baby debate is strange because it only seems to apply to the entertainment industry and not other professions, seemingly comparing her privileged position to that of the children of doctors also becoming doctors.

Almost immediately after the interview came out, Depp faced massive backlash. Critics couldn't believe she was comparing herself to medical professionals as well as disputing her obvious head start. One particularly notable response came from model Vittoria Ceretti, who expressed frustration on her Instagram Story about how out of touch Depp seemed. Ceretti asked her to "appreciate and know the place you came from." Depp appears to be actively avoiding discussing the nepo baby debate any further.

In a 2023 interview with i-D, Lily-Rose Depp acknowledged that, while the nepo baby debate is ongoing, she's staying out of it. "I'm so careful about these conversations now. I feel like my parents did the best job that they possibly could at giving me the most 'normal childhood' that they could. And obviously, that still was not a normal childhood. I'm super aware of the fact that my childhood did not look like everybody's," she shared. 

Depp also referenced the numerous opportunities she has been given since childhood, acknowledging that she's incredibly fortunate to have been able to stay grounded thanks to being surrounded by people "who value normalcy and who value real life." Though she is a prominent figure in the media, having previously dated Timothee Chalamet and starred in HBO's (also controversial) show "The Idol," Depp's main concern appears to be about staying grounded.

Whether you think she made a point about sexism in the nepo baby debate or is simply trying to deflect from her own position as one, there's no doubt that Johnny Depp's daughter won't be fading into the background anytime soon.