There must be a phase in nearly every person’s life where they would trade nearly anything to live the seemingly lavish life of a celebrity. Private jets, posh hotels, and extravagant parties appear to be the backbone of our society’s famous counterparts, and rightfully so seeing that most of them earned their place on the throne of fame. 

   Some celebrities like Selena Gomez and Oprah Winfrey grew up in households with single parents who could barely make ends meet, where they would consolidate loose pennies to pay for instant meals and gasoline. 

   However, unbeknownst to some people, there are some rising celebrities who are no stranger to the world of fame and fortune. These aforementioned individuals have been crowned with the title of “nepo babies.”

   “A nepo baby, in case you haven’t heard, is the offspring of a famous person who follows their parent into the creative industries, and often is met with success despite the competition,” Today website contributor Linsday Lowe defined. 

The creative namesake of “nepo baby” is derived from the word “nepotism,” and the second part of the phrase is simply referring to the fact that the respective nepo baby is the child of a famous parent or parents. 

   For reference, Miley Cyrus, Colin Hanks, Zoë Kravitz, and Lily Collins are just a few of the individuals who fall under the title of a nepo baby. 

   “New York Magazine recently declared 2022 the ‘year of the nepo baby,’ publishing an ‘all but definitive guide to the Hollywood nepo-verse’ through its pop culture publication, Vulture,” Lowe described. 

Throughout the course of this past year, many  offspring who have followed in their parents footsteps have earned their big break, and from that point, the term “nepo baby” was born. 

   Some people absolutely adore celebrated nepo babies like Maude Apatow and Maya Hawke for the roles they play in hit televisions series like “Euphoria” and “Stranger Things.” These supporters believe that there is no harm in a celebrity’s child tagging along in the spotlight with their parents. Not to mention, many of the nepo babies featured in current movies and TV shows have their own fair share of talent to offer. 

   On the contrary, others see nepo babies as societal cheats who piggyback on their parents fame to keep the family name in Hollywood circulation. Most nepo babies have, “likely benefited from their parents’ fame or connections while launching their own career,” Lowe reported. Because of this, the question is brought to the table whether these so-called “nepo babies” rightfully earned their place on center stage.  

   The assumption that nepo babies only have their fame from their parents’ stardom has caused some of them [nepo babies] to clapback in rebuttal.

 “It’s weird to me to reduce somebody to the idea that they’re only there because it’s a generational thing,” Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp, explained.

 In an interview with Elle fashion magazine and website, Depp expressed her adamant beliefs that labeling someone with the nepo baby title is degrading in most cases and also potentially sexist as well. 

   Furthermore, Zoë Kravitz took a similar position to Depp in her separate interview with GQ. 

“It’s completely normal for people to be in the family business,” she urged. 

   Perhaps the latest addition to the ongoing debate about nepo baby culture was contributed by Hailey Bieber, the daughter of Stephen Baldwin, niece of Alec Baldwin, and wife of the international popstar, Justin Bieber. Hailey was seen in early January of this year sporting a cropped white t-shirt with bold black letters that read ‘nepo baby.’ 

“Teamed with vintage denims and a shoulder bag, the t-shirt appeared to be her acceptance of both: the phrase and the privilege that came with it,” Vogue content creator, Hasina Khatib presumed.

   Besides the innumerable emerging nepo babies that have recently taken their first steps onto the Hollywood scene, two new classifications of nepo baby celebrities were created to classify the nepo babies that have done their due diligence in the spotlight. 

   Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, and Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson are two prime examples of “platinum grade” nepo babies. This unofficial classification of nepo babies is characterized by the fact that these individuals may have hailed from famous parents, but they definitely hold their own in their chosen industry. Child actress turned international pop-music singer, Miley Cyrus has been nominated for countless awards across multiple platforms. Among her numerous wins, she is a two time Billboard Music Award winner and an iHeartRadio Music Award winner as well. Needless to say, her hard work and dedication has earned her a spot on the platinum nepo baby list without a doubt. 

   At the top of the pyramid are A-list celebrities like Laura Dern and George Clooney. Both of these skilled actors have a combined 12 Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards between the two of them, which is no easy feat. The parents of both these celebs have had their stardom in the entertainment industry and passed it along to their children, however, they cannot be merely described as nepo babies anymore because they are such veterans in the industry themselves.

   With phenomena like the nepo baby trend, it is incredibly easy to think that Hollywood’s entire lineup consists of interrelated family members and acquaintances. A surprising number of the models, actors, movie directors, and influencers we see and admire in today’s media have relatives in the social spotlight. It might be worth a try to see if your favorite celebrity has hailed from a celebrity lineage. 

   For more inquiries about societies favorite nepo babies, please visit https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/entertainment/nepo-baby-vulture-new-york-magazine-cec/index.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNepo%20baby%E2%80%9D%20refers%20to%20the%20kid%20of%20successful,media%20are%20two%20of%20the%20other%20big%20ones%29.