Nepotism babies: children who were, more or less, born into the spotlight. A hot topic of debate in today’s generation is whether or not nepo-babies deserve their fame. 

Many celebrities have spoken out against having privileges and denying being nepotism babies, while some have acknowledged holding this controversial status. 

Are having famous parents or a hard work ethic the ticket into Hollywood?

In short, it sure does give you a headstart. Having the same manager or agent as one of your parents is certainly easier than having to wait years and years for your big break, let alone even being able to get an agent. 

Having famous parents is like having a fastpass for a roller coaster in which you’re able to get on in under ten minutes, whereas everyone else must wait hours. 

The term “nepotism baby” is arguable in itself. However, when celebrities outright deny or speak out against their clear head start in the industry is when they begin to receive backlash.

Just one case of a celebrity who sparked controversy over her remarks on nepotism is Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of iconic actor Johnny Depp and supermodel Vanessa Paradis. 

In early November of 2022, the young model and actress denied holding the nepotism-baby status, and claimed that “‘If somebody’s mom or dad is a doctor, and then the kid becomes a doctor, you’re not going to be like, ‘Well, you’re only a doctor because your parent is a doctor’” in an interview with Elle Magazine. 

But can the path to becoming a doctor be compared to growing up on the red carpet? Not really.

The path to fame and success is a complicated one, making it difficult to determine who has put in the work and who has not. 

Many nepotism babies, like Lily-Rose Depp, are talented and have worked hard to some degree, but disregarding their advantage in the industry is simply ungrateful to their parents and ignorant of those who have worked their way from the ground up. Whether or not nepotism babies are able to curate the accessible fame they are provided with into something of their own image is what will determine their success.