In an industry that is reliant upon reboots, a successful person’s child could be considered a reprisal of their own achievements. People receiving more opportunities because of their surname has been a reoccurring tradition within any industry; now, it’s more abundant than ever. However, nepotism gives undue advantage to someone who may not necessarily merit such treatment.

Take Maude Apatow, for example. The actress soared to fame in the role of Lexi Howard in the HBO series “Euphoria,” though she faced criticism when nepotism was found in her DNA. It came to light that Maude is the daughter of director Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann and that the actress has starred in not one but three of her father’s movies since childhood.

Since this has been brought to light, Apatow’s acting prowess has been questioned and audiences have no choice but to wonder if the breakout role was handed to her. Although, she shared in an interview with W Magazine that she auditioned for “Euphoria” six times. Her co-star Sydney Sweeney, on the other hand, has been transparent with how difficult she has struggled financially in order to achieve a status like Apatow’s.

New York Magazine’s December 2022 cover package exposed several celebrities as nepotism success stories: “The Boys” star Jack Quaid was revealed to be the son of actress Meg Ryan and actor Dennis Quaid. Lily-Rose Depp was uncovered to not only be the daughter of actor and producer Johnny Depp, but also of actress and model Vanessa Paradis. Maya Hawke of “Stranger Things” fame is the spitting image of her parents Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Gwyneth Paltrow? Daughter of director and producer Bruce Paltrow. Hailey Bieber? Alec Baldwin’s niece. Paltrow and Bieber commiserated over nepotism on Bieber’s YouTube show “Who’s in My Bathroom?”

“You get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way,” Paltrow said. “However, I feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, you almost have to work twice as hard... and be twice as good.”

Despite their cushioned lifestyle, it seems the one thing nepo babies cannot be sheltered from is being identified as such. The question is: Are they willing to admit to their serendip- itous social standing? Hailey Bieber was spotted weeks ago wearing a top that had “Nepo Baby” printed on the front; critics speculated this was her way of expressing her frustration with the controversy.

Many celebrities have had nerves struck by the surge of hostility following their nepotism exposure. “Friends” actress Jennifer Aniston, daughter of famed actors Nancy Dow and John Aniston, faced claims that her parents helped her career skyrocket after she called out stars like Paris Hilton for “being famous for doing nothing” in an interview with Variety.

Kylie Jenner received egregious backlash in 2018 after Forbes recognized her as the “world’s youngest self-made billionaire” despite standing on the platform of one of the highest-grossing reality shows of all time. Her sister Kendall, standing atop the same platform, has been crowned the world’s highest-paid supermodel in 2022 — a title she has held since 2018. Actress Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz, told GQ magazine: “It’s completely normal for people to be in the family business. It’s literally where last names came from,” she said. “You were a blacksmith if your family was, like, the Black family.”

It would make sense for one to be upset after having all, if any, of their hard work suddenly diluted to rumors of a supposedly cozy upbringing. While I agree that nepotism is an unethical practice that can create a tox- ic work environment, I can’t say I can blame those who use their nepotism to move up in the world. After all, if you had access to such valuable connections, could you honestly say that you wouldn’t try to capitalize off of those connections in any way possible?

Critics seem to be satisfied once someone acknowledges that they have benefitted from nepotism, recognizing their privilege and earning their status by performing well in the job they are given. That said, just as many jobs should be given to hardworking non-nepo babies as well, whether it be a college acceptance or a corporate position. The two so- cial statuses can work together harmoniously as long as Hollywood and other industries understand this: there’s a difference between inheriting family talent and inheriting a family name.

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