Celebs Whose Take On Being Nepo Babies Had Us Cringing

The nepo baby debate has seen some polarizing takes over the years. Some celebrity offspring have taken the more socially acceptable path and acknowledged their privilege. For instance, when The Times asked Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's daughter, Maya Hawke, if she "deserves" to have her fame, she candidly answered, "'Deserves' is a complicated word ... there are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don't, but I think I'm comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway." 

The "Stranger Things" star further asserted that she wasn't doing the world any favors by choosing a different career path. Even Gigi Hadid, the daughter of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum Yolanda Hadid, acknowledged her privilege when she spoke to The Times in 2023. Still, the Victoria's Secret model credited her parents with instilling a strong work ethic in her. 

Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan's son, Jack Quaid, had a similar take when he appeared on The Daily Beast's "The Last Laugh" podcast in 2024. "I am an immensely privileged person, was able to get representation pretty early on, and that's more than half the battle," "The Boys" actor stated. After getting his start in the industry, all Jack wanted to do was to work so hard that nobody doubted his place in Hollywood. However, not all nepo babies are comfortable with admitting that they have a leg-up from day one. While Zooey Deschanel denied she's a nepo baby, another celeb child believed that their famous last name made things even harder for them.

Emma Roberts comes from a family of actors. Julia Roberts is her aunt, and her father is the iconic character actor Eric Roberts. While most Hollywood hopefuls would love to have such strong connections in the industry, the "Scream Queens" star told Flaunt that she saw her famous last name as more of a curse than a blessing. "I've lost more jobs than I've gained from being in the business," Emma asserted, per USA Today. 

She tried to point out another downside by stating that industry folks could have a negative perception of their famous connections that could unfairly carry on to the nepo babies. Of course, Emma failed to acknowledge what happens with favorable connections. Instead, she claimed that her famous roots hadn't ever landed her a gig. Likewise, when Emma appeared on the "Table For Two" podcast in 2024, she had another cringey take. 

After the "American Horror Story" star stated that everyone constantly pointed out the privilege that nepo babies had, she said, "The other side to that is, you know, you have to prove yourself more," (via The Hollywood Reporter). Emma believed that people didn't like to celebrate the success of people who came from privilege because they preferred stories of people from small towns who beat the odds. "People kind of only see your wins because they only see when you're on the poster of a movie. They don't see all the rejection along the way," the "Nerve" actor stated.

Lily Rose-Depp shared a controversial albeit typical response to the nepo baby label in her 2022 Elle interview. "The Idol" actor stated that people would always focus on her famous connections without truly acknowledging the fact that they actually landed gigs from casting agents. "I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part," Lily asserted. She later shared another common but controversial defense used by celebrity offspring, saying, "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." 

The model took another page out of the nepo baby book of excuses, as she said that it was rare to see a doctor's child criticized for following in their footsteps because they worked hard to earn their degree and build their career. Lily-Rose also tried to point out a double standard in the nepo baby debate by stating that she had seen the controversial label bestowed on far more women than men. 

Needless to say, the interview wasn't well-received. Redditors labeled the "Nosferatu" star out of touch for thinking she wasn't privileged and stated that comparing actors to doctors was like comparing apples to oranges. But to Lily's credit, she understood why her remarks offended people. When she spoke to i-D in 2023, she stated that she was more cautious about weighing in on the debate and acknowledged her privileged upbringing, per E! News.

Hailey Bieber is frequently labeled a "double nepo baby" because she is the niece of Alec Baldwin, the daughter of Stephen Baldwin, and Justin Bieber's wife. Of course, even New York magazine included her in their iconic nepo baby piece in December 2022. In the following month, the Rhode Skin founder stepped out wearing a white crop top with the words "Nepo Baby" written on the front. Redditors weren't pleased with the cheeky top, with one commentator writing, "They've ruined the entire conversation. Absolutely SPOILED a very nuanced and important discussion about privilege. Completely proving the point that they don't get it and they never will." Meanwhile, others snarked that the shirt would have better-suited someone with a bold personality like Miley Cyrus.

Hailey explained the meaning behind the polarizing fashion choice in her interview with The Sunday Times in 2023, saying, "That was me being, like, 'I'm very aware of the situation ... I'm going to wear it loud and proud because you are already labeling me as such and it's true.'" When the model spoke to Bloomberg Originals, she stated that the shirt was only meant to be her subtle response to the controversial label and she wasn't trying to make a self-aware joke about it. Further, the entrepreneur stated that she knew the outfit choice received mixed reactions since some people understood her thought process, and others called her out for donning the label without truly deserving it.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's daughter, Kaia Gerber, initially tastefully addressed nepotism during her Elle interview in 2023. The "Bottoms" actor admitted that she was privileged because her mom knew the ins and outs of the industry and could always nudge her in the right direction. Kaia even happily confessed that she had worked with Crawford's connections in the world of fashion. 

However, the model believed that things were a bit different with acting, asserting, "No artist is going to sacrifice their vision for someone's kid." While Kaia was on the right track throughout the segment, she derailed herself in the end by saying, "Yes, nepotism is prevalent, but I think if it actually was what people make it out to be, we'd see even more of it." Of course, if nepotism wasn't a glaring problem in Hollywood, Kaia wouldn't have been having that conversation at all. 

Despite everything, the "Babylon" actor still gets points for candidly and respectfully speaking about her experiences — which isn't something that Dakota Johnson, daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, wanted to do. The "Madame Web" star poked fun at the label while appearing on "Saturday Night Live" in 2024 by having a "nepo truce" with other actors. Then, when she appeared on "Today," she urged journalists to avoid writing about the nepo baby discourse because she found it tiring. Maybe Dakota could have solved that problem by offering a nuanced perspective herself. 

Lily Rose-Depp's mother, Vanessa Paradis, made an odd comment about the nepo baby discourse in her 2023 Madame Figaro interview. Granted, the French model made some valid points about how her daughter's famous last name didn't save her from the rejections that everyone in Hollywood experienced, and she had to work hard to build her career. However, she lost us when she said, "Doors open for these "children of," but they are not always the right doors." 

Needless to say, most Hollywood hopefuls would prefer having the incorrect doors opened for them than none at all. While Paradis' defense went largely unnoticed, the same cannot be said for Tom Hanks' comments about his four children who are all actors. Speaking to Reuters in 2023, the self-made star defended his kids' decision to follow in his footsteps, saying, "This is a family business. This is what we've been doing forever. It's what all of our kids grew up in. We have four kids, they are all very creative, they are all involved in some brand of storytelling," (via Business Insider). 

The beloved actor tried to make his point by pointing out that the children of mom-and-pop shop owners frequently lent a hand to the business. Of course, the big difference is that millions of people aren't vying to work in a small business quite like they are in Hollywood. Ultimately, Hanks' remarks had most Redditors wishing he never said anything and labeling him out of touch.