Gwyneth Paltrow has come out in defense of celebrities who come from Hollywood families. The 51-year-old Infinity War alum, herself the daughter of industry legends Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow, has called the term ‘nepo babies’ an ‘ugly moniker’, saying that there is nothing wrong with actors who want to be a part of their family’s business.
The New York Magazine noted in December’22 that Hollywood has had these ‘nepo babies’ thriving for quite some time. The term itself slowly evolved over the course of 2022 to come to mean one thing: children of celebrities. Articles upon articles have since been published, ‘exposing’ the nepotism in Hollywood. Paltrow has voiced her opinion against this rising trend.
There are others who agree with Gwyneth Paltrow
Ever since the debate garnered mainstream attention in December of 2022, there have been numerous opinions about the subject. While some have spoken out against the trend, others have defended the choices of these kids.
According to Paltrow:
“I think it’s kind of an ugly moniker. I just hope that my children always feel free to pursue exactly what they want to do, irrespective of what anybody’s going to think or say.”
In a similar vein, actress Jaime Lee Curtis, who is the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, has said that:
“The current conversation about nepo babies is just designed to try and diminish and denigrate and hurt.”
According to her, not a day goes by without her being reminded that she is the child of someone who made a name in the industry before her.
The argument that is being made by those who defend this phenomenon is that it is no different than other children trying to follow in their parent’s footsteps. The argument has also expanded to tackle the assumption that merit is not a requirement for those who have a famous name to carry them through.
It isn’t perfect, but it is still a meritocracy
Maya Hawke and Lily-Rose Depp weighed in on the argument as well. While the former acknowledged a significant advantage when you have a famous last name, the latter told Elle that she believed the advantage starts and stops with ‘having a foot inside the door’.
It is the belief of many “nepo babies” that they do in fact have an advantage. However, they need to be good at what they do for that advantage to stick. Paltrow not only views the situation as a child of famous parents but also that of a parent. The Iron Man star has 2 children with Coldplay co-founder Chris Martin. While it is unclear whether either of them will be pursuing a career in show business, Paltrow has stated that she would like their kids to have the option to pursue the career of their choice, regardless of what people say about it.
