The Media’s Latest Obsession: Nepotism Babies

   New York Magazine’s December 2022 cover heavily looks into and examines Hollywood’s Nepotism baby boom. A Nepotism baby is the child of an actor, musician, producer or other industry insider who has the advantage of their parents’ fame or connections while launching their own career. For example, someone like the now 23 year old daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Lily Rose Depp, highly benefited from her parents popularity to get to where she is now. That is, an actress and model who landed many roles in Hollywood and became the face of Chanel while still being in high school. 

         According to the New York Magazine, the media and our culture has an evident love/hate obsession with these nepotism celebrities. Lila Moss, the 20 year old daughter of iconic fashion model Kate Moss who certainly owned the runway in the 90s, has been walking fashion show after fashion show despite her “short for the runway” height of 5 ‘6. Of course, most of the media would agree that Lila has only been given these opportunities because of her mother’s success in the fashion world. New York Magazine claims that “fashion loves a familiar face.”

         What makes the media rage at the concept of the children of Hollywood’s favorite icons gaining so much attention solely through the connection from their parents is when these so-called nepo-babies deny their success and fame stems from their parents. Lily states in a recent interview with Elle Magazine, “the internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff. 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.” Social media users claim that Lily’s denial for her privilege is insensitive and out of touch, and how she was only allowed the opportunity to star in various Hollywood films and receive invitations to the Met Gala because she was Johnny Depp’s daughter.

         Most of current day Hollywood is full of nepotism babies, in fact. The internet is only now starting to realize this as they shame this generation’s nepo-babies for not properly knowing how to model or act and they’re only awarded these opportunities through their parents. If you look into the media’s favorite newest celebrities, chances are it did not take them much to get to where they are in Hollywood.