Nepo baby

Nepo baby, short fornepotismbaby, is a term referring to someone whose career is similar or related to the career their parents succeeded in. The implication is that, because their parents already had connections to one or more specific industries, the child was able to use those connections to build a career in those industries.It is usually used pejoratively to indicate a celebrity or politician whose fame and success are unearned or undeserved.
The term "nepotism baby" was first popularized in the early 2010s, after years of being used, and was first shortened to "nepo baby" in 2020.According to Nate Jones ofVulture, "One of the earliest instances of nepotism baby being shortened to 'nepo baby' appears in a 2020 post from the blogPop Culture Died in 2009, which describesOlivia Jadeas our era's answer toBling RingiconAlexis Haines."
The shortened term became popular in 2022 onTwitterwhen a user tweeted aboutMaude Apatow, daughter of directorJudd Apatowand actressLeslie Mann, starring in the television seriesEuphoria.This led to the term "nepo baby" trending onTikTok, as users pointed out numerous celebrity nepotism babies.The term gained further popularity afterNew Yorkmagazine published a list of nepo babies, and called 2022 "The Year of the Nepo Baby".They explored which celebrities were nepotism babies and assessed their opportunities in life.Other publications that have covered the topic includeThe New York Times,Vox,Forbes,andCNN.
Some celebrities have commented on their status as nepotism babies, such asZoë Kravitz,Kaia Gerber,Lily-Rose Depp,Hasan Piker,Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck,Gwyneth Paltrow,Jamie Lee Curtis,Jack Quaid,Ben PlattandGracie Abrams.
In 2023,Hailey Bieberof theBaldwin familyembraced the term, wearing a shirt reading "nepo baby".Hopper Pennhas reportedly said that he rejects being labeled as such.Allison Williams, who worked withLena DunhamonHBO'sGirls, stated in regards to Dunham and others being labelled by many as "nepo babies": "It doesn't feel like a loss to admit it. If you trust your own skill, I think it becomes very simple to acknowledge."Rachael Maddux ofBuzzFeed, however, disputed that Dunham could be classified as a "nepo baby".
In aVoxarticle on the subject,Columbia Universityprofessor Shai Davidai considered the discourse around nepotism babies to be rooted in the way they deconstruct the American faith in equality, even in Hollywood. He explained that the concept of nepotism babies who utilize family wealth and connections to achieve success "deprive us of that feel-good 'American dream' story".
Users of the term often claim that nepotism babies, as well as those who came from wealth in general, are over-represented in media, when compared to those ofworking classor otherwise "normal" backgrounds. For example, in a December 2022 humor piece about "nepo babies" byThe New Yorker, actorAdam Driver, who came from humble origins, was noted as a "self-made talent...in a sea ofLily-Rose Depps, be an Adam Driver".In anotherVulturearticle, Kevin Lincoln noted that Driver had been discovered through luck, as well as his own merits.Such examples are deemed proof by proponents that ameritocracydoes not exist, and hard work alone is not enough to be successful.
Some publications, includingBuzzFeedand thefeministpublicationJezebel, have criticized the terms "nepo baby" and "industry baby" as too loosely applyingsocial privilege, or special advantages conferred on certain groups at the expense of other groups, to certain public figures.
In November 2022,Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of actorsJohnny DeppandVanessa Paradis, as well as the lead actress in the 2023 television seriesThe Idol, criticized the terms "nepo baby" and "industry baby" assexistandmisogynistic.Arwa Mahdawi ofThe Guardiandisputed Depp's claim, stating, "I haven't done detailed data analysis ofgender-based applications of the term, but I can think of plenty of men who have been called a 'nepo baby',Brooklyn BeckhamandJaden Smithbeing two very high-profile examples."
In 2023, magiciansPenn & Tellersaid that they believed the term was "another way for the Internet to be resentful".Penn Jillettesaid he disliked that the term was being applied to his daughter, Moxie.
Following herGolden Globewin in January 2025, actressFernanda Torres, the daughter ofFernando TorresandFernanda Montenegro, criticized the negative perception surrounding nepotism babies, stating: "I really hate this idea because this is ancient, that people learn in their environment. The dining table of my house was the place where my parents were rehearsing. It doesn't mean when you are a nepo baby that your life is solved. On the contrary, you have to invent yourself. You have other issues." She further described the debate as "the wrong fight", arguing that "inequality is not based on the chances that a nepo baby can have. You can kill all the nepo babies in the world, and you won't solve the inequality problem."
TheNew Yorkmagazine issue also used the term "industry baby" (also known as "industry plant") to refer to a number of other celebrities.The publication defined an "industry baby" as "a celebrity who had a parent or relation that may not have been extremely wealthy or famous, but had achieved some success in the industry, often behind the scenes, which provided their children with connections and opportunities".Vulturedefined the term as "[a celebrity who] didn't inherit a famous name, but did inherit connections and knowledge of the business".
Examples of industry babies cited includeBillie Eilish,Meghan Markle,Lena Dunham,Chris Pine, andDaisy Edgar-Jones.