15 Celebrities Who Addressed Their Nepotism Privilege
“Everybody in LA is a cousin or a daughter of someone!”
Plenty of people grow up wanting to follow in their parents’ footsteps. Certain career paths pass strong connections down from generation to generation — most notably, the entertainment industry.
A lot of these so-called “nepotism babies” don’t like to acknowledge the privilege their “celebrity’s kid” status offers — or they insist that having a famous last name made establishing a career harder for them.
Others, however, are more open about the special advantages that come with having family members who can help you get your foot in the door.
Here are 11 nepotism babies who said it’s harder for them to make it in Hollywood:
She made her film debut in the TV movie High, which her father wrote and directed.
On Hailey Bieber’s YouTube show, Who’s In My Bathroom?, she said, “As the child of someone, you get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way. However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good.”
She continued, “People are ready to pull you down and say, ‘You don’t belong there’ or ‘You are only there because of your dad or your mom.'”
2.
Hailey Bieber is the daughter of actor/director/producer Stephen Baldwin and the niece of actors Alec, Daniel, and William Baldwin.
However, she followed more closely in the footsteps of her model cousin Ireland Baldwin and her model sister Alaia Baldwin.
In her interview with Gwyneth, Hailey said she “need[ed] to hear” the actor’s advice for fellow nepotism babies: “It shouldn’t limit you because what I definitely believe is that nobody in the world, especially anybody that doesn’t know you, should have a negative impact on your path or the decision that you make.”
In 2016 — before she married Justin Bieber and changed her name — she told Grazia, “I want to do everything on my own without my name being a factor. … I try to keep myself separate from it.”
She continued, “Kids that already have a famous background are just following in their families’ footsteps. My dad and all of his brothers have done this. This is my family business.”
3.
Hailey’s cousin, Ireland Baldwin, is the daughter of actors Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin.
She told Red Table Talk, “I don’t think I ever would’ve been scouted as a model if it weren’t for who my parents are. … You have a lot more to prove because you’re always going to have that comparison to your parents.”
She continued, “Nothing makes me want to peel my fingernails off more than doing a Basinger Baldwin spread in a magazine and then facing the criticism and the comparisons.”
He made his onscreen debut in an episode of Kate McShane, the legal drama his mom starred in.
When the upcoming short film The Rightway was criticized for filling the lead actor, director, and writer slots with the children of very famous people, film producer Franklin Leonard tweeted, “Hollywood’s a meritocracy, right?” to point out the obvious nepotism — but Ben didn’t agree.
He replied, “Too easy…People, working, creating. Everyone has their path. Wish them all the best.”
After a bit of back in forth in which the producer reminded him of the importance of acknowledging such privilege, Ben tweeted, “Just speaking from experience, and I don’t know any of them, I would bet they all have faced challenges. Different than those with no access to the industry. Show biz as we all know is pretty rough, and ultimately is a meritocracy.”
Natasha’s first role was a small part in Make It or Break It, on which her mom played Summer Van Horne. For her…
Read More: 15 Celebrities Who Addressed Their Nepotism Privilege