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Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nepo is the new normal: How the kids of Hollywood A-listers started getting real and stopped fighting their family name
If you can't escape the shadow, step into it. That's the new way of the Hollywood nepo baby. Take Jack Henry Robbins, son of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, for example. He just landed a Hulu comedy series, aptly titled Nepo Baby, based on the viral character he created satirizing his own life as the child of celebrities. The series will riff on the nepo baby phenomenon popularized by New York magazine's 2022 cover story, which spotlighted how the children of stars often have a head start in Hollywood compared to those without connections. Jack, 36, wrote on Instagram that the character he created "was born from my deepest insecurity." However, embracing the role of "the world's worst nepo baby" — with assists from his parents and Steven Spielberg's daughter Sasha, who appeared in the social media series — "changed my life." Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger and an aspiring screenwriter, was quick to quip in the comments section, "I'm available." We've entered a nepo baby era that sees the latest crop of famous offspring embrace their lineages with a healthy dose of self-awareness. Like Ava Phillippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who recently got behind the "holy freakin' airball" TikTok trend, where people share an incorrect assumption followed by a humblebrag. The brand ambassador/model/aspiring actress flexed about her mother's role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. The nepos, it seems, are exhibiting signs of acceptance, marking a noticeable shift from the Hollywood "nepo-verse" strongly opposing the label not so long ago. A cool nickname Hollywood has always been a famous family business. Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. have last names that carry weight in the entertainment industry, with the pedigree to back it up. Their lineages were never a secret — nor were those of Kate Hudson, Angelina Jolie or Isabella Rossellini. But amid a broader cultural reckoning with privilege and access, a more blinding spotlight was shone on the connections of the younger crop of connected stars. Lily-Rose Depp, Jack Quaid, Zoë Kravitz, Maya Hawke, Maude Apatow, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber have all been dubbed "nepo babies" for their A-list relations. Yes, talent can run in a family, but so can connections. While these young stars have chops, they also have built-in access to agents and casting directors that the typical aspiring performer doesn't. Even if a nepo baby doesn't use a parent's connections directly, their last name alone provides intrigue, inviting them in the door that's closed for most everyone else. That's something not offered to the typical aspiring actor who's traveled to Hollywood with nothing. Are they under harsher scrutiny than the nepo babies before them? Definitely. In this age of 24/7 news coverage and social media, audiences are aware of their connections and New York magazine gave that awareness a name (or 'ugly moniker,' as Paltrow dubbed it). After all, culturally, entertainment consumers bear some blame for the public's long-running interest in star kids. Since some of them were born, they were staked out by paparazzi at the playground with their images filtered to celebrity magazines and websites. We've long been fascinated by them. Plus, we're in an era of Hollywood where originality is increasingly rare. Most movies are largely sequels, franchises or based on a popular toy, book or video game. In this risk-averse industry, the nepo baby fits right in. Instead of being an "unknown" talent, they come in already familiar to audiences. We've watched many of them grow up, seen them on red carpets with their famous parents. There's no need for introductions. Cue the outrage How the nepo babies responded to the branding was of their own successful or failed PR plan. At this point, practically everyone has been asked about it, but soon after the publication of the New York cover story, Lily-Rose Depp, the actress daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, faced criticism for not "getting it." "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," The Idol actress told Elle in 2022. "The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There's a lot of work that comes after that." Kendall Jenner, the model daughter of Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner, was also called out of touch after she said that while she's "one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to live the life that I live. … I do think that it's challenging for me a lot more than it's not." Zoë Kravitz, the actress/director daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, was also called tone deaf for her comments about it being "completely normal for people to be in the family business. It's literally where last names came from. You were a blacksmith if your family was, like, the Black family." Theater Camp star Ben Platt, son of Legally Blonde producer Marc Platt, wouldn't even answer a question about being a nepo baby in 2023. His publicist intervened. Embracing the bloodline Amid the nepo backlash, Hailey Bieber — daughter of Stephen Baldwin and now wife of Justin Bieber — leaned into the controversy by wearing a shirt proudly bearing the label in 2023. She later told the Sunday Times, "That was me being, like, 'I'm very aware of the situation [and] I'm going to wear it loud and proud because you are already labeling me as such and it's true.'" Over the last year, as the nepo-ness of it all has settled, there's been more of an embrace of it by some. While Dakota Johnson, daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, finds the whole conversation "annoying," "boring" and "lame," she did playfully parody it on Saturday Night Live, offering herself up as the punchline. She also recently talked about how her dad cut her off when she didn't get into Juilliard and she had to pound the pavement a bit. "It was hard to make money. 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." The granddaughter of Hollywood royalty Tippi Hedren added, "I'd have to ask my parents for help." Patrick Schwarzenegger has called the label "frustrating" and talked about the "hundreds of rejected auditions" he had before landing his revealing White Lotus role. But then in June, he did an about-face, leaning into his scion status by doing a joint Variety interview with his dad and discussing — yes — nepotism. "There were times earlier in my career where I was wondering, does it make sense to go under an alias?" Patrick, son of Maria Shriver, admitted. Arnold said he was surprised to learn how difficult a time Patrick had because of his last name, saying, "To me, the name 'Schwarzenegger' always meant a big plus." Allison Williams, daughter of newsman Brian Williams, is also among the more self-aware nepo babies. The Girls alum told the Guardian, "Aside from all the many layers of privilege, high on the list is the fact that I could pursue a career in acting without being worried that I wasn't going to be able to feed myself." Kaia Gerber, the actress/model daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, told WSJ last year, "I don't think it's a topic that will go away, so I've clearly reached a point of acceptance. I personally am very aware of all the wonderful things it has done for me, and I would never, ever say anything negative about it, because that is my truth about it." Her nepo baby boyfriend, Lewis Pullman, the son of Bill Pullman, also acknowledged that his father's fame allowed him many chances to "get comfortable in front of a camera" because it took him a long time to get there. However, part of it was trying to live up to his father's reputation. The Thunderbolts* actor said, "I felt a lot of pressure to fill his shoes. Once I realized that it was an impossible pair of shoes to fill, I kind of found a sense of relief in knowing that if there was any future for me in film that it would be by doing it my own way and trying to blaze my own trail." 'We're still talking about it' After their early comments on the topic weren't well-received, nepo babies adopted a new PR strategy. They've been owning the label more, so they're less weaponized by it. Besides, nearly three years after the New York article came out, the conversation about nepotism in Hollywood isn't going anywhere — just ask the guy who wrote the story. "We definitely knew we were going to cause a stir when we published the story," Vulture features writer Nate Jones tells Yahoo. "You don't Photoshop celebrities' heads onto babies without thinking it'll have some impact." "As far as 2025 goes," he continues, "I don't know if I was thinking that far ahead. But it makes sense that we're still talking about it, because this is a situation that can never really be resolved. On an individual level, nobody is actually doing anything wrong: It's not wrong to want to go into the same field as your parents, or to want your child to follow in your footsteps. It's only when you zoom out to the macro level that it becomes this conversation about wealth and privilege. And obviously structural inequality hasn't gone away in just three years, so it makes sense there's still some resentment towards them." Jones says he's been heartened to see some celebrities start to embrace it. "I feel like there was some hand-wringing in the nepo community after our story was published, like: What are we supposed to do? And I think that a few of them have started to model the best way to handle it, which is to be up front about it," he says. "You've just got to accept it and not be defensive. Because it's the being defensive that really brings the knives out." Jones says it's been "hard not to keep up with" the cultural conversation around nepo babies, "especially because a lot of very kind friends and acquaintances have the misconception that I invented the term [and] send me a link anytime it comes up." However, while he helped popularize the term, he didn't coin it — and he doesn't want it becoming part of his identity either. "Just like a nepo baby doesn't want to only be known as a nepo baby, I don't want to become the 'nepo baby guy,'" Jones says. "After the story blew up, I would get people asking me if I wanted to write a nepo baby book, and that was a no from me. I feel like I've said all I have to say on the subject. Or, 'almost all,'" he says. "I did respond to you, after all." But the conversation isn't fading, it's shifting. These stars didn't choose the nepo life and they're not fighting the label as hard as they once did. And with Hollywood still making space for them, why would they? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nepo is the new normal: How the kids of Hollywood A-listers started getting real and stopped fighting their family name
If you can't escape the shadow, step into it. That's the new way of the Hollywood nepo baby. Take Jack Henry Robbins, son of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, for example. He just landed a Hulu comedy series, aptly titled Nepo Baby, based on the viral character he created satirizing his own life as the child of celebrities. The series will riff on the nepo baby phenomenon popularized by New York magazine's 2022 cover story, which spotlighted how the children of stars often have a head start in Hollywood compared to those without connections. Jack, 36, wrote on Instagram that the character he created "was born from my deepest insecurity." However, embracing the role of "the world's worst nepo baby" — with assists from his parents and Steven Spielberg's daughter Sasha, who appeared in the social media series — "changed my life." Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger and an aspiring screenwriter, was quick to quip in the comments section, "I'm available." We've entered a nepo baby era that sees the latest crop of famous offspring embrace their lineages with a healthy dose of self-awareness. Like Ava Phillippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who recently got behind the "holy freakin' airball" TikTok trend, where people share an incorrect assumption followed by a humblebrag. The brand ambassador/model/aspiring actress flexed about her mother's role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. The nepos, it seems, are exhibiting signs of acceptance, marking a noticeable shift from the Hollywood "nepo-verse" strongly opposing the label not so long ago. A cool nickname Hollywood has always been a famous family business. Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. have last names that carry weight in the entertainment industry, with the pedigree to back it up. Their lineages were never a secret — nor were those of Kate Hudson, Angelina Jolie or Isabella Rossellini. But amid a broader cultural reckoning with privilege and access, a more blinding spotlight was shone on the connections of the younger crop of connected stars. Lily-Rose Depp, Jack Quaid, Zoë Kravitz, Maya Hawke, Maude Apatow, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber have all been dubbed "nepo babies" for their A-list relations. Yes, talent can run in a family, but so can connections. While these young stars have chops, they also have built-in access to agents and casting directors that the typical aspiring performer doesn't. Even if a nepo baby doesn't use a parent's connections directly, their last name alone provides intrigue, inviting them in the door that's closed for most everyone else. That's something not offered to the typical aspiring actor who's traveled to Hollywood with nothing. Are they under harsher scrutiny than the nepo babies before them? Definitely. In this age of 24/7 news coverage and social media, audiences are aware of their connections and New York magazine gave that awareness a name (or 'ugly moniker,' as Paltrow dubbed it). After all, culturally, entertainment consumers bear some blame for the public's long-running interest in star kids. Since some of them were born, they were staked out by paparazzi at the playground with their images filtered to celebrity magazines and websites. We've long been fascinated by them. Plus, we're in an era of Hollywood where originality is increasingly rare. Most movies are largely sequels, franchises or based on a popular toy, book or video game. In this risk-averse industry, the nepo baby fits right in. Instead of being an "unknown" talent, they come in already familiar to audiences. We've watched many of them grow up, seen them on red carpets with their famous parents. There's no need for introductions. Cue the outrage How the nepo babies responded to the branding was of their own successful or failed PR plan. At this point, practically everyone has been asked about it, but soon after the publication of the New York cover story, Lily-Rose Depp, the actress daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, faced criticism for not "getting it." "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," The Idol actress told Elle in 2022. "The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There's a lot of work that comes after that." Kendall Jenner, the model daughter of Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner, was also called out of touch after she said that while she's "one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to live the life that I live. … I do think that it's challenging for me a lot more than it's not." Zoë Kravitz, the actress/director daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, was also called tone deaf for her comments about it being "completely normal for people to be in the family business. It's literally where last names came from. You were a blacksmith if your family was, like, the Black family." Theater Camp star Ben Platt, son of Legally Blonde producer Marc Platt, wouldn't even answer a question about being a nepo baby in 2023. His publicist intervened. Embracing the bloodline Amid the nepo backlash, Hailey Bieber — daughter of Stephen Baldwin and now wife of Justin Bieber — leaned into the controversy by wearing a shirt proudly bearing the label in 2023. She later told the Sunday Times, "That was me being, like, 'I'm very aware of the situation [and] I'm going to wear it loud and proud because you are already labeling me as such and it's true.'" Over the last year, as the nepo-ness of it all has settled, there's been more of an embrace of it by some. While Dakota Johnson, daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, finds the whole conversation "annoying," "boring" and "lame," she did playfully parody it on Saturday Night Live, offering herself up as the punchline. She also recently talked about how her dad cut her off when she didn't get into Juilliard and she had to pound the pavement a bit. "It was hard to make money. 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." The granddaughter of Hollywood royalty Tippi Hedren added, "I'd have to ask my parents for help." Patrick Schwarzenegger has called the label "frustrating" and talked about the "hundreds of rejected auditions" he had before landing his revealing White Lotus role. But then in June, he did an about-face, leaning into his scion status by doing a joint Variety interview with his dad and discussing — yes — nepotism. "There were times earlier in my career where I was wondering, does it make sense to go under an alias?" Patrick, son of Maria Shriver, admitted. Arnold said he was surprised to learn how difficult a time Patrick had because of his last name, saying, "To me, the name 'Schwarzenegger' always meant a big plus." Allison Williams, daughter of newsman Brian Williams, is also among the more self-aware nepo babies. The Girls alum told the Guardian, "Aside from all the many layers of privilege, high on the list is the fact that I could pursue a career in acting without being worried that I wasn't going to be able to feed myself." Kaia Gerber, the actress/model daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, told WSJ last year, "I don't think it's a topic that will go away, so I've clearly reached a point of acceptance. I personally am very aware of all the wonderful things it has done for me, and I would never, ever say anything negative about it, because that is my truth about it." Her nepo baby boyfriend, Lewis Pullman, the son of Bill Pullman, also acknowledged that his father's fame allowed him many chances to "get comfortable in front of a camera" because it took him a long time to get there. However, part of it was trying to live up to his father's reputation. The Thunderbolts* actor said, "I felt a lot of pressure to fill his shoes. Once I realized that it was an impossible pair of shoes to fill, I kind of found a sense of relief in knowing that if there was any future for me in film that it would be by doing it my own way and trying to blaze my own trail." 'We're still talking about it' After their early comments on the topic weren't well-received, nepo babies adopted a new PR strategy. They've been owning the label more, so they're less weaponized by it. Besides, nearly three years after the New York article came out, the conversation about nepotism in Hollywood isn't going anywhere — just ask the guy who wrote the story. "We definitely knew we were going to cause a stir when we published the story," Vulture features writer Nate Jones tells Yahoo. "You don't Photoshop celebrities' heads onto babies without thinking it'll have some impact." "As far as 2025 goes," he continues, "I don't know if I was thinking that far ahead. But it makes sense that we're still talking about it, because this is a situation that can never really be resolved. On an individual level, nobody is actually doing anything wrong: It's not wrong to want to go into the same field as your parents, or to want your child to follow in your footsteps. It's only when you zoom out to the macro level that it becomes this conversation about wealth and privilege. And obviously structural inequality hasn't gone away in just three years, so it makes sense there's still some resentment towards them." Jones says he's been heartened to see some celebrities start to embrace it. "I feel like there was some hand-wringing in the nepo community after our story was published, like: What are we supposed to do? And I think that a few of them have started to model the best way to handle it, which is to be up front about it," he says. "You've just got to accept it and not be defensive. Because it's the being defensive that really brings the knives out." Jones says it's been "hard not to keep up with" the cultural conversation around nepo babies, "especially because a lot of very kind friends and acquaintances have the misconception that I invented the term [and] send me a link anytime it comes up." However, while he helped popularize the term, he didn't coin it — and he doesn't want it becoming part of his identity either. "Just like a nepo baby doesn't want to only be known as a nepo baby, I don't want to become the 'nepo baby guy,'" Jones says. "After the story blew up, I would get people asking me if I wanted to write a nepo baby book, and that was a no from me. I feel like I've said all I have to say on the subject. Or, 'almost all,'" he says. "I did respond to you, after all." But the conversation isn't fading, it's shifting. These stars didn't choose the nepo life and they're not fighting the label as hard as they once did. And with Hollywood still making space for them, why would they? Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Children of Hollywood stars who've pursued careers outside of the spotlight
There are an array of celebrity offspring who have forged surprisingly normal paths outside of fame - including Arnold Schwarzenegger 's realtor son Joseph Baena, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's artist daughter Bella and Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa's firefighter son Samuel. Last month, actor Ben Affleck made headlines by revealing his oldest two kids - 19-year-old Violet and 16-year-old Fin both have 'regular jobs' - despite his and ex Jennifer Garner 's storied Hollywood careers. Actors like Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman), Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) and Jack Quaid (son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan), have all followed their famous parents. JOSEPH BAENA - Son of Arnold Schwarzenegger Occupation: Real Estate Agent Banea, 27, was thrust into the spotlight when it was revealed that he was the son of Schwarzenegger, 77, and his former maid Mildred Patricia "Patty" Peña, in 2011. At first, it seemed he may have tried to follow his father's fame, appearing in a 2016 short film 'remake' of Terminator 2, playing his father's iconic Terminator character. He also seemed keen on following Arnold's bodybuilding footsteps as well, frequently spotted at the iconic Gold's Gym in Venice while dabbling in fitness modeling here and there. The hulking 6-foot-2-inch Baena even appeared on ABC's Dancing With the Stars in 2022, paired with Daniella Karagach, though the duo were eliminated in 11th place. While he's still pursuing both fitness and acting, Baena also got educated, graduating from Pepperdine University in 2019 with a degree in business. He used that degree to break into the realtor world, passing the state boards and earning his State of California Realtor's License in 2022. The multi-talented Baena is affiliated with Aria Properties, with a separate Instagram handle - @ - devoted just to his real estate ventures, including a $1.365 million sale he made for a Santa Monica condo in November 2024. Although the realtor is still acting - with three films in various stages of production including Dog Patrol with Cuba Gooding Jr. (September 26, 2025) - Baena is quite comfortable away from the spotlight as well. MERCY JAMES - Daughter of Madonna Occupation: Makeup Artist Assistant While Madonna's most famous child Lourdes has followed her mother into the spotlight as a model and singer, her 19-year-old daughter Mercy James has not. The 66-year-old singer first applied to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James from Malawi in May 2009, though the African country rejected the application because Madonna did not live there. She re-applied a month later and in June 2009 she officially adopted her daughter, who has been quietly working as a makeup artist assistant. She has also been dabbling in other artistic pursuits, with Madonna calling her, 'a talented musician, an accomplished photographer and honestly, the most sensible of all my children,' in a post celebrating her 19th birthday in January. 'You are the one that everyone goes to for advice, or a shoulder to cry on. You hold a special place in the hearts of everyone that knows you. Especially me,' Madonna added. Little is known who she works for, though her Instagram has posts from London, Greece and Tokyo over the last year. She has also been working for her mother's foundation Raising Malawi, with a hospital in her homeland named for her - The Mercy James Centre. It's unclear if Mercy James has plans on following her singing ambitions into a career like her mother before her. SURI CRUISE - Daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Occupation: College Student Suri became a household name a birth, when her parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed her in April 2006, though she seems content out of the spotlight. She was the only child of Cruise and Holmes, who were married from 2006 to 2012, and practically grew up in the spotlight. The 19-year-old, like so many nepo babies before her, has dabbled in creative pursuits while growing up. Suri starred in several high school plays, including starring roles like Morticia Addams in The Addams Family: A New Musical. She also made her pro singing debut, performing a cover of Blue Moon, which played over the opening credits of her mother's 2022 film Alone Together, which Katie starred in and directed. Suri is currently a freshman college student at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, studying in their prestigious School of Drama. While her major has not been publicly declared, Katie did tell Town and Country that Suri plans to study acting and dance. If she does decide to pursue an acting career, it seems she wants to forge her own path through her education. BELLA KIDMAN CRUISE - Daughter of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman Occupation: Artist Tom Cruise's oldest child - 32-year-old daughter Bella - has shied away from the spotlight as well. Tom and his then-wife Nicole Kidman welcomed Bella in December 1992, though despite the massive star power of her parents, Bella has rarely found the spotlight. Both Cruise and Kidman have respected her privacy, with Kidman stating in 2018: 'I'm very private about all that. I have to protect all those relationships. I know 150% that I would give up my life for my children because it's what my purpose is.' While her parents continue to star in huge movies and TV shows, Bella has found her calling as an artist. She maintains her own website - - where she sells art prints, t-shirts-pins and tote bags. Bella does have a verified Instagram with over 56K followers, she hasn't posted in nearly a year, since early July 2024. While Bella doesn't seem to be following either parent into acting, she did follow father Tom into Scientology. She said in a 2019 letter that Scientology was 'exactly what I needed' as she trained to be an auditor. RUBY GUEST - Daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest Occupation: Video Editor Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest adopted two daughters - Annie (born in 1986) and Ruby (born in 1996), with Ruby straying from the spotlight. Ruby did make headlines in 2021 when she came out as trans, with both parents strongly supporting the decision. Jamie Lee admitted in 2021: 'It's speaking a new language. It's learning new terminology and words. I am new at it. I am not someone who is pretending to know much about it.' She added: 'And I'm going to blow it, I'm going to make mistakes. I would like to try to avoid making big mistakes.' It's been reported that she works as a video editor for a YouTube gaming personality, though that gaming personality has not been identified. JACK DEPP - Son of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis Occupation: Bartender revealed in December that Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis' son Jack has been working as a bartender in Paris. The 22-year-old is the youngest of the two children shared by Depp, 61, and Paradis, who were married from 1998 to 2012, with the other being 25-year-old actress Lily-Rose Depp. Unlike his big sister, Jack has eschewed the actor lifestyle his parents and sister have embraced, working in a trendy Lebanese restaurant called L'Area in the Bastille quarter. report from December revealed that Jack was, 'working shifts behind the bar and also in the downstairs kitchen rustling up a mean mixed mezze.' There have been pictures of him working at the restaurant posted on their social media pages, along with footage of Lily-Rose making drinks behind the bar. Jack spent two years working in L'Area before leaving, but owner Edouard Chueke expects him to return later next year. Mr Chueke told 'Jack is a great guy; he keeps out of the limelight, but worked here behind the bar and in the kitchen. 'He was a good employee, he left a few months ago but I expect him back later next year. Good staff are hard to find,' Chueke said. SAM SPRINGSTEEN - Son of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa Occupation: Firefighter Bruce Springsteen is about as iconic an American singer as it gets, though none of his three children pursued the limelight. The 75-year-old rocker and his 71-year-old wife welcomed three children, Evan, 34, Jessica, 33 and Samuel, 31. Evan was the only one of the kids to follow a musical career, working as a music programmer, currently with Apple and previously at Sirius XM. The middle child Jessica became an Olympic equestrian, winning a silver medal in the team competition, who is also a professional show jumper and brand ambassador for Polo by Ralph Lauren and Gucci. However it was Sam that truly embraced his father's blue collar mentality, becoming a firefighter for Jersey City, New Jersey in 2021. It wasn't an easy road to get there either, with Sam graduating from Monmouth County Fire Academy in 2014 and working as a volunteer firefighter for three different stations before getting the job in Jersey City. 'It was a long road, he's very dedicated, quite a few years and we are just excited for him today,' Sam's proud father Bruce said in 2021. He also has the distinction of making The Boss a grandfather, welcoming daughter Lily Harper with his wife, Alex Reph, in 2022. IRELAND BALDWIN - Daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger Occupation: Homemaker in Oregon Ireland Baldwin at first seemed poised to follow in her mother's footsteps before retreating from Los Angeles for a quiet family life in Oregon. The 29-year-old signed with IMG Models at just 17 years of age in 2013, gracing the covers of fashion magazines like Elle and Vanity Fair. She made her acting debut alongside her mother Kim in 2014's Grudge Match, though she didn't catch the acting but like her mother. 'I can't act for s***. It's not in my blood,' Baldwin admitted on Emily Ratajkowski's High Low with EmRata podcast last year. She ultimately settled down with musician RAC (born Andre Allen Anjos), welcoming their first child, a daughter, in May 2023. She moved to Portland, Oregon with her family in 2020, adding that she, 'couldn't handle' Hollywood and 'bowed out of that world.' 'I just really couldn't be in LA anymore. It started to take a toll on me, and especially over Covid it's just become a really dark place,' she said. 'LA can be a wonderful place but it's also a trap. It's filled with a lot of people who definitely don't have your best interest,' Ireland added. PARKER O'DONNELL - Son of Rosie O'Donnell Occupation: Marine Corps Comedienne Rosie O'Donnell has adopted five children, the first of which was her son Parker, who chose a field her mother couldn't have imagined: the military. The 63-year-old adopted Parker in 1995 when he was just an infant, who grew up to be a military aficionado. 'Truth is, since he was a little boy, that's his area of interest. The same way I love [Barbra] Streisand and Bette Midler and entertainment, he can tell you any general in any war, what kind of tanks they had, what the battles were like,' she said in 2011. He ultimately convinced his mother to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy as a teenager in 2011, which lead to his career in the Marines. During an appearance on The View in 2014, O'Donnell joked, 'How do you annoy your left-wing, liberal, pacifist mother? You become a big military man.' He also revealed on Instagram that he became a certified mixologist in 2016, and now it seems he may be trying to follow his mother's footsteps. He shared on Instagram in late January that he graduated from the Los Angeles Film School, though it's not clear what kind of film career he is pursuing. 'Graduated today. Thank you to all my instructors and advisors who helped me finish my degree. Thanks to my family for helping me have the opportunity to complete my higher education,' he said in the caption. TOMMY ZISSO - Son of Erika Jayne Occupation: LAPD police officer Erika Jayne is best known for her involvement in the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills franchise but her first marriage to Thomas Zizzo has produced one of L.A.'s finest. The 53-year-old reality star tied the knot with Thomas Zizzo in December 1991, welcoming Tommy in 1992, though they split soon thereafter when Erika was just 20. She moved to Los Angeles shortly after the split, leaving Tommy with his father in New York, a decision she said in 2018, 'was the biggest risk I've ever taken.' 'I was panicked, but I was committed to succeeding. And I knew he'd end up here with me eventually,' she said. Tommy is now 32 and an LAPD cop, with Erika hinting that he'd likely never make an appearance on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2019. 'Probably not. I don't think so, no. You know he has a private life; he's a police officer,' she said at the time.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Meet the Anti-Nepo Babies: Kids of Hollywood stars who've chosen to pursue careers outside of the spotlight
Hollywood has been besieged by nepo babies in the last few years, capitalizing on their parents' fame and connection to forge their own A-list careers. Actors like Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman), Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) and Jack Quaid (son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan), are to name just a select few. Last month, actor Ben Affleck made headlines by revealing his oldest two kids - 19-year-old Violet and 16-year-old Fin both have 'regular jobs ' - despite his and ex Jennifer Garner's storied Hollywood careers. The 52-year-old actor also shares 13-year-old Samuel with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, with the teen going viral after asking his multimillionaire father for a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 sneakers which cost $6K - which Affleck denied. For every famed nepo baby there are also an array of other celebrity offspring who have forged surprisingly normal paths outside of fame - including Arnold Schwarzenegger's realtor son Joseph Baena, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's artist daughter Bella and Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa's firefighter son Samuel. Now, lists the top 10 Anti-Nepo babies... Hollywood has been besieged by nepo babies in the last few years, capitalizing on their parents' fame and connection to forge their own A-list careers - including Johnny Depp's daughter Lily Rose (L) and Meg Ryan's son Jack Quaid (R) JOSEPH BAENA - Son of Arnold Schwarzenegger Occupation: Real Estate Agent Banea, 27, was thrust into the spotlight when it was revealed that he was the son of Schwarzenegger, 77, and his former maid Mildred Patricia "Patty" Peña, in 2011. At first, it seemed he may have tried to follow his father's fame, appearing in a 2016 short film 'remake' of Terminator 2, playing his father's iconic Terminator character. He also seemed keen on following Arnold's bodybuilding footsteps as well, frequently spotted at the iconic Gold's Gym in Venice while dabbling in fitness modeling here and there. The hulking 6-foot-2-inch Baena even appeared on ABC's Dancing With the Stars in 2022, paired with Daniella Karagach, though the duo were eliminated in 11th place. While he's still pursuing both fitness and acting, Baena also got educated, graduating from Pepperdine University in 2019 with a degree in business. He used that degree to break into the realtor world, passing the state boards and earning his State of California Realtor's License in 2022. The multi-talented Baena is affiliated with Aria Properties, with a separate Instagram handle - @ - devoted just to his real estate ventures, including a $1.365 million sale he made for a Santa Monica condo in November 2024. Although the realtor is still acting - with three films in various stages of production including Dog Patrol with Cuba Gooding Jr. (September 26, 2025) - Baena is quite comfortable away from the spotlight as well. MERCY JAMES - Daughter of Madonna Occupation: Makeup Artist Assistant While Madonna's most famous child Lourdes has followed her mother into the spotlight as a model and singer, her 19-year-old daughter Mercy James has not. The 66-year-old singer first applied to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James from Malawi in May 2009, though the African country rejected the application because Madonna did not live there. She re-applied a month later and in June 2009 she officially adopted her daughter, who has been quietly working as a makeup artist assistant. She has also been dabbling in other artistic pursuits, with Madonna calling her, 'a talented musician, an accomplished photographer and honestly, the most sensible of all my children,' in a post celebrating her 19th birthday in January. 'You are the one that everyone goes to for advice, or a shoulder to cry on. You hold a special place in the hearts of everyone that knows you. Especially me,' Madonna added. Little is known who she works for, though her Instagram has posts from London, Greece and Tokyo over the last year. She has also been working for her mother's foundation Raising Malawi, with a hospital in her homeland named for her - The Mercy James Centre. It's unclear if Mercy James has plans on following her singing ambitions into a career like her mother before her. SURI CRUISE - Daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Occupation: College Student Suri became a household name a birth, when her parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed her in April 2006, though she seems content out of the spotlight. She was the only child of Cruise and Holmes, who were married from 2006 to 2012, and practically grew up in the spotlight. The 19-year-old, like so many nepo babies before her, has dabbled in creative pursuits while growing up. Suri starred in several high school plays, including starring roles like Morticia Addams in The Addams Family: A New Musical. She also made her pro singing debut, performing a cover of Blue Moon, which played over the opening credits of her mother's 2022 film Alone Together, which Katie starred in and directed. Suri is currently a freshman college student at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, studying in their prestigious School of Drama. While her major has not been publicly declared, Katie did tell Town and Country that Suri plans to study acting and dance. If she does decide to pursue an acting career, it seems she wants to forge her own path through her education. BELLA KIDMAN CRUISE - Daughter of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman Occupation: Artist Tom Cruise's oldest child - 32-year-old daughter Bella - has shied away from the spotlight as well. Tom and his then-wife Nicole Kidman welcomed Bella in December 1992, though despite the massive star power of her parents, Bella has rarely found the spotlight. Both Cruise and Kidman have respected her privacy, with Kidman stating in 2018, 'I'm very private about all that. I have to protect all those relationships. I know 150% that I would give up my life for my children because it's what my purpose is.' While her parents continue to star in huge movies and TV shows, Bella has found her calling as an artist. She maintains her own website - - where she sells art prints, t-shirts-pins and tote bags. Bella does have a verified Instagram with over 56K followers, she hasn't posted in nearly a year, since early July 2024. While Bella doesn't seem to be following either parent into acting, she did follow father Tom into Scientology. She said in a 2019 letter that Scientology was 'exactly what I needed' as she trained to be an auditor. RUBY GUEST - Daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest Occupation: Video Editor Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest adopted two daughters - Annie (born in 1986) and Ruby (born in 1996), with Ruby straying from the spotlight. Ruby did make headlines in 2021 when she came out as trans, with both parents strongly supporting the decision. Jamie Lee admitted in 2021, 'It's speaking a new language. It's learning new terminology and words. I am new at it. I am not someone who is pretending to know much about it.' She added, 'And I'm going to blow it, I'm going to make mistakes. I would like to try to avoid making big mistakes.' It's been reported that she works as a video editor for a YouTube gaming personality, though that gaming personality has not been identified. Guest opened up about coming out in a 2023 interview with Into More about her advice for trans people coming out. 'It all depends. Different people have different situations. Some, by hiding themselves, might be safe. But if you don't think you're going to get kicked out of your house or if you don't think you're going to be in mortal danger…then come out, because you'll feel much more relieved, even if it's just to your friends,' she said. 'Or tell someone you trust. Then you can start out on your path, which includes letting everyone know what your preferred pronouns are,' she added. JACK DEPP - Son of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis Occupation: Bartender Daily Mail revealed in December that Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis' son Jack has been working as a bartender in Paris. The 22-year-old is the youngest of the two children shared by Depp, 61, and Paradis, who were married from 1998 to 2012, with the other being 25-year-old actress Lily-Rose Depp. Unlike his big sister, Jack has eschewed the actor lifestyle his parents and sister have embraced, working in a trendy Lebanese restaurant called L'Area in the Bastille quarter. Daily Mail's report from December revealed that Jack was, 'working shifts behind the bar and also in the downstairs kitchen rustling up a mean mixed mezze.' There have been pictures of him working at the restaurant posted on their social media pages, along with footage of Lily-Rose making drinks behind the bar. Jack spent two years working in L'Area before leaving, but owner Edouard Chueke expects him to return later next year. Mr Chueke told MailOnline: 'Jack is a great guy; he keeps out of the limelight, but worked here behind the bar and in the kitchen. 'He was a good employee, he left a few months ago but I expect him back later next year. Good staff are hard to find,' Chueke said. The 22-year-old is the youngest of the two children shared by Depp, 61, and Paradis, who were married from 1998 to 2012, with the other being 25-year-old actress Lily-Rose Depp SAM SPRINGSTEEN - Son of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa Occupation: Firefighter Bruce Springsteen is about as iconic an American singer as it gets, though none of his three children pursued the limelight. The 75-year-old rocker and his 71-year-old wife welcomed three children, Evan, 34, Jessica, 33 and Samuel, 31. Evan was the only one of the kids to follow a musical career, working as a music programmer, currently with Apple and previously at Sirius XM. The middle child Jessica became an Olympic equestrian, winning a silver medal in the team competition, who is also a professional show jumper and brand ambassador for Polo by Ralph Lauren and Gucci. However it was Sam that truly embraced his father's blue collar mentality, becoming a firefighter for Jersey City, New Jersey in 2021. It wasn't an easy road to get there either, with Sam graduating from Monmouth County Fire Academy in 2014 and working as a volunteer firefighter for three different stations before getting the job in Jersey City. 'It was a long road, he's very dedicated, quite a few years and we are just excited for him today,' Sam's proud father Bruce said in 2021. He also has the distinction of making The Boss a grandfather, welcoming daughter Lily Harper with his wife, Alex Reph, in 2022. IRELAND BALDWIN - Daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger Occupation: Homemaker in Oregon Ireland Baldwin at first seemed poised to follow in her mother's footsteps before retreating from Los Angeles for a quiet family life in Oregon. The 29-year-old signed with IMG Models at just 17 years of age in 2013, gracing the covers of fashion magazines like Elle and Vanity Fair. She made her acting debut alongside her mother Kim in 2014's Grudge Match, though she didn't catch the acting but like her mother. 'I can't act for s**t. It's not in my blood,' Baldwin admitted on Emily Ratajkowski's High Low with EmRata podcast last year. She ultimately settled down with musician RAC (born Andre Allen Anjos), welcoming their first child, a daughter, in May 2023. She moved to Portland, Oregon with her family in 2020, adding that she, 'couldn't handle' Hollywood and 'bowed out of that world.' 'I just really couldn't be in LA anymore. It started to take a toll on me, and especially over Covid it's just become a really dark place,' she said. 'LA can be a wonderful place but it's also a trap. It's filled with a lot of people who definitely don't have your best interest,' Ireland added. PARKER O'DONNELL - Son of Rosie O'Donnell Occupation: Marine Corps Comedienne Rosie O'Donnell has adopted five children, the first of which was her son Parker, who chose a field her mother couldn't have imagined: the military. The 63-year-old adopted Parker in 1995 when he was just an infant, who grew up to be a military aficionado. 'Truth is, since he was a little boy, that's his area of interest. The same way I love [Barbra] Streisand and Bette Midler and entertainment, he can tell you any general in any war, what kind of tanks they had, what the battles were like,' she said in 2011. He ultimately convinced his mother to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy as a teenager in 2011, which lead to his career in the Marines. During an appearance on The View in 2014, O'Donnell joked, 'How do you annoy your left-wing, liberal, pacifist mother? You become a big military man.' He also revealed on Instagram that he became a certified mixologist in 2016, and now it seems he may be trying to follow his mother's footsteps. He shared on Instagram in late January that he graduated from the Los Angeles Film School, though it's not clear what kind of film career he is pursuing. 'Graduated today. Thank you to all my instructors and advisors who helped me finish my degree. Thanks to my family for helping me have the opportunity to complete my higher education,' he said in the caption. TOMMY ZISSO - Son of Erika Jayne Occupation: LAPD police officer Erika Jayne is best known for her involvement in the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills franchise but her first marriage to Thomas Zizzo has produced one of L.A.'s finest. The 53-year-old reality star tied the knot with Thomas Zizzo in December 1991, welcoming Tommy in 1992, though they split soon thereafter when Erika was just 20. She moved to Los Angeles shortly after the split, leaving Tommy with his father in New York, a decision she said in 2018, 'was the biggest risk I've ever taken.' 'I was panicked, but I was committed to succeeding. And I knew he'd end up here with me eventually,' she said. Erika Jayne is best known for her involvement in the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills franchise but her first marriage to Thomas Zizzo has produced one of L.A.'s finest - police officer Tommy Tommy is now 32 and an LAPD cop, with Erika hinting that he'd likely never make an appearance on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2019 In January Zizzo, testified in Los Angeles in the gun trial of rapper A$AP Rocky Tommy is now 32 and an LAPD cop, with Erika hinting that he'd likely never make an appearance on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2019. 'Probably not. I don't think so, no. You know he has a private life; he's a police officer,' she said at the time. The reality star was also quick to defend her son in 2020, in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder. '(He was) brought up NOT to be racist. His job is to protect and serve ALL not just people that have his skin color. F**k you and stay off my page,' she said. In January Zizzo, testified in Los Angeles in the gun trial of rapper A$AP Rocky. Zizzo was the first witness called in the highly publicized case. Rocky, father of Rihanna 's two children, faced two felony charges of assault with a firearm for allegedly shooting a friend in 2021 and was found not guilty.
