Key Points
- The term 'nepo baby' has gone viral online, and even made Macquarie Dictionary's Word of the Year shortlist.
- It refers to celebrities, usually in the entertainment industry, who may have benefitted from having famous parents.
- Celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Charlie Sheen, and Miley Cyrus can all be classified as 'nepo babies'.
What do Lily Collins, Scott Eastwood and Angelina Jolie all have in common?
Not only are they famous, but they also have famous parents.
Collins, an actor and model, is the daughter of English singer Phil Collins, actor Eastwood is the son of United States actor and director Clint Eastwood and actor Angelina Jolie is the daughter of US actor Jon Voight.
If names like these - or others such as Kate Hudson and Jaden Smith - have been popping up on your social media feeds recently, it has probably been in conjunction with the term 'nepo baby'.
The label hasn't been around long, but has quickly gained traction online, and now it seems everybody on the internet is talking about 'nepo babies'.
But what does the term actually mean, why is it getting so much interest, and is it a bad thing?
What is a 'nepo baby'?
The term 'nepo baby' gained popularity on Twitter and is , the practice of a person being favoured (usually in professional circumstances) due to having a relative in a position of power.
While nepotism is prolific across businesses and media, the term 'nepo baby' is generally used in relation to the entertainment industry and illustrates the fact that many successful actors and musicians also have parents in the industry.
The term 'nepo baby' is often used to describe young people with famous or successful parents in the entertainment industry. Source: SBS News
Who are some famous 'nepo babies'?
US actor Kate Hudson, daughter of actor Goldie Hawn and actor and musician Bill Hudson, can be classified as a 'nepo baby'.
Willow and Jaden Smith, children of US actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, have both been working in entertainment from a young age, with Jaden starring alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness when he was eight years old.
Stranger Things star Maya Hawke, daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, also falls into the category.
daughter of singers Beyonce and Jay Z, is only 10 years old but has been featured in her mother's music since she was a baby, and won a Grammy in 2020 for her involvement. She is a 'nepo baby'.
Brooklyn Beckham, son of English fashion designer and former singer Victoria and former footballer David Beckham, is not an actor or singer, but is still a 'nepo baby'. He has dabbled in numerous careers including photography, social media, modelling, and more recently cooking.
He has no formal qualifications, but was hired to photograph a Burberry campaign when he was 16, has released a photography book, and launched a cooking web series in 2022.
Is being a 'nepo baby' a bad thing?
The term 'nepo baby' is not necessarily an insult, but is often viewed negatively and suggests a person's high profile is a result of a relative's fame or connections rather than purely their own talent and hard work.
Criticism of 'nepo babies' and nepotism in Hollywood often centre on the argument that children of celebrities have an automatic advantage through their familial connections, while those who do not know the 'right people' often struggle to be considered for auditions.
In an industry where connections are immeasurably valuable, 'nepo babies' have a significant privilege, but many actors or musicians who have been given this label do not appreciate it.
Maude Apatow (second from left) is one of the stars of hit show Euphoria, and the daughter of actor Leslie Mann and director Judd Apatow. Source: Getty / Tibrina Hobson
"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,” she said.
“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.”
Depp's first role was in the 2014 movie Tusk, where she acted alongside her father.
On Tuesday, English singer and actor Lily Allen - daughter of an actor and a film producer - tweeted about the concept of 'nepo babies', criticising the focus on the entertainment industry.
"The nepo babies y’all should be worrying about are the ones working for legal firms, the ones working for banks, and the ones working in politics, If we’re talking about real-world consequences and robbing people of opportunity," she wrote.
she clarified that her upbringing had created opportunities for her, and said she had been trying to make a point about inequality in society more broadly.
"I am nearly 40 years of age and am more than happy, in fact I think it’s important to disclose what a privileged upbringing I’ve had and how that has created so many opportunities for me," she wrote.
"I do feel that nepo babies are being somewhat scapegoated here though, there is a wider, societal conversation to be had about wealth inequality, about lack of programs and funding, and I guess that was the point I was trying to make, maybe badly."
