The 13 Nepo Babies Defining Hollywood’s New Generation

As the son of Hollywood’s power duo, Jada Pinkett and Will Smith, Jaden Smith is widely believed to have benefited from his famous parents in securing major fashion deals. 

The 27-year-old rapper was recently appointed as the first creative director for Christian Louboutin, in a newly created role for the luxury brand (per WWD). The unexpected appointment sparked outrage among fans who argue that Jaden is unworthy of the role.
“Imagine having over 15 years of experience in fashion design, and then Jaden Smith takes your job,” one fashion designer vented in a TikTok following the news (per Daily Mail).

Beyond fashion, the avant-garde artist also ignited heated online debates about nepotism regarding his allegedly undeserved music career. A critic complained on Reddit, “One day Jaden said ‘I want to be a rapper,’ and his daddy made it happen.”

Jaden landed his first acting role at the young age of eight in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness.

Actress Kate Hudson first gained fame with her breakthrough role as Penny Lane in the 2000 comedy-drama film Almost Famous, earning a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and receiving an Oscar nomination in the same category (per PEOPLE). 

It’s well known that the 46-year-old comes from one of Hollywood’s most famous families, but she insists her success in the entertainment industry isn’t merely because of that. “The nepotism thing, I mean… I don’t really care,” Hudson told The Independent. “I look at my kids and we’re a storytelling family. It’s definitely in our blood. People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it.”

Many still believe that the allegedly untalented actress made it to Hollywood thanks to her family of stars. “They can never just own it [nepotism],” one commenter joked on Instagram, while a second added, “It's so much cuter when people acknowledge their privilege.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger is considered both a “nepo baby” and a “great actor” by the often-critical online community.
While the White Lotus heartthrob might technically be a nepo baby, he definitely has put in work.

“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” Patrick, who attended the Met Gala 2025 red carpet earlier this year, told The Sunday Times.

The 32-year-old actor added, “They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes, performed in school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end, or dealt with hundreds of rejected auditions.”

Actress and model Dakota Johnson reignited the debate over nepotism in Hollywood during her challenging career. “When I think of talentless Nepo Babies, she's always the first that comes to mind,” commented one user on Reddit.

Unlike other celebrity “nepo babies” who defend their privileged backgrounds, 36-year-old Dakota has been surprisingly honest about her nepotism. The Madame Web star admitted she asked her famous parents for financial help early in her career.

“For a couple of years it was hard to make money,” she shared in a May interview with ELLE. “There were a few times when I’d go to the market and not have money in my bank account or not be able to pay rent, and I’d have to ask my parents for help — I’m very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me.”

The daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford faced a huge backlash after landing a high-profile role in the upcoming TV show The Shards (per Daily Mail).

Kaia, 24, was notably the first star announced for the highly anticipated Ryan Murphy project, based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel and currently in development at FX.

On social media, angry fans quickly pointed out Kaia’s ineligibility for the starring role. “I have yet to see Gerber in anything that shows she should be starring in a TV show…she did absolutely nothing to prove that she could work as an actress without nepotism,” one user wrote on Reddit.

“Nepotism: The Series,” a second snarked.

“This nepo baby Kaia Gerber can't act to save her life,” a third expressed. 

Fashion model and aspiring musician Lennon Gallagher is among the most talented and even hottest nepo babies this year. The son of iconic singer Liam Gallagher recently emerged as a force to be reckoned with, earning lots of online praise for his rising London-based band, Automotion.

"Lennon’s band is pretty cool,” one fan wrote in a Reddit discussion, while another agreed, “Yea, definitely worth a listen."

Lennon, affectionately named after Beatles singer John Lennon because of his father’s love for the legendary band (per The Sun), also entered the fashion scene as a model, working with several fashion houses, including Burberry, Saint Laurent, Ami Paris, and Kenzo.

The daughter of former Real Housewife Lisa Rinna and actor Harry Hamlin caused a stir online earlier this year after appearing in MAC Cosmetics' Born Famous campaign, which featured nepotism (per PEOPLE). Instead of hiding from it, the 24-year-old model embraced the 'nepo baby” label and called the debate about family privilege completely “mindless.' 

“I was born famous. I am a nepo baby. What can I say?” she told PEOPLE. “As this nepo baby craze has continued and with the crazy internet polarity of the pro-nepo baby or anti-nepo baby, I think at the end of the day, let's be so real. You are dealt the cards that you are dealt.”

The young daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker first entered the entertainment industry at age 14, landing a starring role in Disney's live-action remake of Dumbo (per Vogue).

The Poetic License English actress, 20, has sparked romance rumors after her recent appearance with fellow nepo baby Cooper Hoffman (per Daily Mail). The celebrity duo looked completely smitten as they posed closely for photos, unofficially becoming “the cutest couple” on the internet.

“I didn't know the two were dating. What a cute nepo baby couple!” one fan gushed on social media. 

Hero Fiennes is not only the son of two film directors but also the nephew of actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes (per Daily Mail). His celebrity network likely helped him land a leading role as Hardin Scott in the After film series and as 11-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle in the sixth Harry Potter film.

The 27-year-old English actor recently reignited debate over nepotism after attending a high-profile premiere for his romantic comedy, Picture This. Looking the part, Hero posed alongside co-star Simone Ashley, who gained attention with her breakout role in Netflix’s hit period drama, Bridgerton.

The “nepo baby” admitted in a 2019 interview with ES Magazine that he’s been “lucky” to have the family connections and opportunities he’s had, adding that he’s trying to meet expectations with little assistance.

Journalist Chloe Malle recently ignited a heated online debate after being appointed head of editorial content at Vogue‘s U.S. edition (per The New York Times). Many questioned Chloe’s sudden, arguably unearned appointment, criticizing the 39-year-old’s perceived lack of qualification and fashion sense. 

“Why does she look like she belongs on the stoop at Sesame Street?!” one critic exclaimed on Reddit, while another wrote, “Have you ever listened to her on the Vogue podcast? It’s embarrassing how little she knows about fashion. This is nothing more than nepotism.” Chloe didn’t even try to defend herself; instead, she called herself a “proud nepo baby.”

“There is no question that I have 100 percent benefited from the privilege I was born into,” she told The New York Times. “It’s delusional to claim otherwise. That said, it has always motivated me to work much harder. A goal of mine has been to prove that I’m more than Candice Bergen’s daughter, or someone who grew up in Beverly Hills.”

Actress Nicola Peltz Beckham, also the daughter of billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz and wife of Brooklyn Beckham, has made her mark on both the big and small screens, with notable TV roles including Bates Motel (2013), The Last Airbender (2010), and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) (per IMDb). 

Nicola’s high-profile relationship with “nepo baby” Brooklyn Beckham has been garnering praise from supportive fans. “I really love them as a couple,” one person commented on Instagram. 

Following in the footsteps of her famous parents, British pop singer Lily Allen made a name for herself in the music industry in 2005 by posting vocal recordings on MySpace, which eventually led to airplay on BBC Radio 1 and a deal with Regal Recordings (per IMDb).

The accomplished chart-topper recently broke her silence about the constant accusations of nepotism she has faced throughout her career.

“I’m called a nepo baby all the time,” Lily, 39, said on an episode of her Miss Me podcast. “I actually don’t really mind the nepotism thing, it’s the ‘baby’ that annoys me, it’s like, I’m 40 years old nearly!”

But no matter how many times the F--- You singer shrugs off “nepo baby” backlash, the internet can’t seem to believe a word. “Remember when Kylie Jenner tried to say she was a self-made billionaire lol,” one user laughed on Reddit.

Sam Nivola is an aspiring actor and director best known for his roles in White Noise (2022), Maestro (2023), and Eileen (2023). 

The 22-year-old son of Newsroom star and The Room Next Door actor was often labeled a typical “nepo baby” because of his arguably undeserved rise to fame. Sam, however, addressed nepotism claims in an August interview with Variety.

“Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents,” he told the outlet. “I feel proud that I’ve done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them.”

Interestingly, the rising actor is currently dating another alleged “nepo baby” — Iris Apatow, the daughter of Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow (per PEOPLE).

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