7 'nepo babies' who got it right and acknowledged their privilege

'Nepo babies' have been the talk of TikTok, as familial connections run deeper than you would think in Hollywood and the entertainment industry,

From content surrounding how to perfectly embody the expensive nepo baby aesthetic of models such as Lily-Rose Depp, Kendall Jenner, and Kaia Gerber to everyone having a laugh at the nepo babies passing off their wealth and success as their own.

We only need to look at the recent example of Brooklyn Beckham being mocked after saying his new career path as a chef (he was previously a photographer and footballer) is how he was able to afford his McLaren P1 sportscar.

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What the young Beckham failed to mention was his wealth was a result of the success of his celebrity parents, ex-England and Manchester United player David Beckham and former Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham.

Soon, this spurred discussions about how nepotism babies can be talented in their own right but there is no denying that having generational connections, along with a good education puts you ahead of those who don't have these tools at their disposal.

Here are the nepo babies who get it right by acknowledging their privilege.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke with her actor parents, mum Uma Thurman (left) and father Ethan Hawke (right) which she credits to making it easier for her to pursue an acting career Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images and Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Many of us will know Maya Hawke as the loveable Robin in the popular Netflix series Stranger Thingsand some may not know that the young actor and musician has some celebrity parents.

Her mother is actor Uma Thurman who famously starred in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill films, while her father is actor Ethan Hawke who is best known for his roles in Dead Poet's Society, Training Day and The Before Trilogy.

Hawke had a guest role on The Good Lord Bird in 2020, a miniseries her dad starred in and executive produced.

Being the daughter of two Academy Award-nominated actors is something the 24-year-old acknowledged has helped her career in entertainment.

"I'm very grateful for the fact that [my parents] made it so easy for me to do the thing that I love," Hawke told PEOPLE last year.

"I think I'll get a couple chances on their name and then if I suck, I'll get kicked out of the kingdom. ... And that's what should happen. So I'm just going to try not to suck."

Ireland Baldwin

Ireland Baldwin with her father Alec Baldwin and mother Kim BasingerPhoto by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for Comedy Central and Facebook/RedTableTalk

Model and screenwriter Ireland Baldwin has also addressed how her parents - actors Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger - have "made life a lot easier" for her.

Alec Baldwin's career as an actor and comedian has seen him appear onSaturday Night Live (SNL), and star in 30 Rock (2006-2013), Beetlejuice (1988), and The Cooler (2003) in which he received an Oscar nomination.

While Kim Basinger is known for her roles as a Bond girl in Never Say Never Again (1983), Batman (1989), The Natural (1984), and Fifty Shades Darker (2017). She also won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in L.A. Confidential (1997).

"They've made life a lot easier for me in comparison to a lot of people," Baldwin said on TikTok where she detailed how she is now focussing on a career in screenwriting while also in the process of opening a dog rescue shelter.

The 26-year-old addressed nepotism head-on in a follow-up TikTok where she noted: "The only problem with being a nepotism baby is when you don't have self-awareness."

"When you're not aware of how your privilege has gotten you to where you are, how it opened up doors for you."

She continued: "Nothing is worse than when someone is born into a famous family or between two famous parents... and they fail to, like, acknowledge how these doors were opened for them and how they've had it a lot easier than other people."

Baldwin detailed that while she has had this privilege, there is "a lot of painful s*** ... comes with growing up in the spotlight."

Baldwin said she had a life "entirely separate" from her parents as she explained: "I'm not hanging around them waiting for them to get me opportunities and do things,' she said. 'I am my own person and do my own thing, and I know that's hard for you to maybe accept."

Jack Quaid

Jack Quaid (left) with father Dennis Quaid (middle) and Meg Ryan (right)Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images and Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Jack Quaid has starred in The Hunger Games (2012), Scream (2022) and The Boys since 2019, but at one point in his career, he thought about changing his name to distance himself from his famous family.

That's because his father is actor Dennis Quaid who is known for his performances in Breaking Away (1979), The Parent Trap (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), to name a few.

While his mother Meg Ryan was an actor, who starred in When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You've Got Mail (1998).

The young Quaid is reported to have declined his dad's offer to let him use his agent.

"I knew that people would constantly say, 'Oh, I know how he got that job,'" he told Thrillist.

"And they're still going to say that. It's fine. But as long as I knew how I got there, that would be enough."

He recalled an early audition where he surprised a casting director who said he was "actually really good."

"Her expectation was that he was just another nepotism case. A kid with some of the most famous parents on Earth would phone it in, assume the part was his by default, and 'be a real a**hole.'"

Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen (middle) with sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Elizabeth Olsen has made her name as an actor, with a prominent role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch but she's not the only famous Olsen in the family.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are her older sisters who made a name for themselves at a young age when they starred in the sitcom Full House and have gone on to make their mark in the fashion world as the pair co-founded luxury fashion brand, The Row.

The youngest Olsen has addressed how her sister's fame and nepotism affected her.

“During that time, I thought ‘I don’t want to be associated with [Mary-Kate and Ashley],’ for some reason," she told Glamour UK.

"I guess I understood what nepotism was, like inherently, as a 10-year-old. I don’t know if I knew the word, but there is some sort of association of not earning something that I think bothered me at a very young age.

"Nepotism is a thing and I’m very aware of it. ... And of course, I’ve always wanted to do it alone," Olsen also said in an interview with Grazia UK.

Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid with her mother Yolanda Hadid and her father Mohammed HadidPhoto by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tommy Hilfiger

Gigi Hadid is one of the most recognisable faces in fashion, and she's inherited her mother's catwalk-ing ways as Yolanda Hadid was also a model, while her father Mohammed Hadid is a real-estate developer.

The 27-year-old acknowledged her position of privilege with her parent's careers when she spoke to Vogue Australia.

"I know I come from privilege, so when I started there was this big guilt of privilege, obviously. ... I’ve always had this big work ethic because my parents came from nothing and I worked hard to honor them.

She added: "There are so many girls who come [from] all over the world and work their arses off and send money home to their families like my mother did, and I wanted to stand next to them backstage and for them to look at me and respect me and to know that it’s never about me trying to overshadow or take their place."

Clairo

Singer Clairo has addressed nepotism claims in an interview with Rolling StonePhoto by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Clairo received backlash after people discovered her marketing executive father, Geoff Cottrill, was friends with Fader founder Jon Cohen, and happened to be the label singer got signed to.

The 24-year-old has addressed that she has had an easier experience than others due to her connections.

"I signed with Fader because I’ve known Jon Cohen my whole life. There was a sense of accountability and protection. I definitely am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me than other people’s experiences," Clairo told Rolling Stone.

“It would be stupid of me to not acknowledge the privilege I had from the start to be able to sign somewhere where there’s trust, to be able to sign a record deal that doesn’t revolve around keeping myself afloat financially.”

Destry Spielberg

Destry Spielberg with her father Stephen SpielbergPhoto by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

As the daughter of famous film director Stephen Spielberg who is responsible for work such as Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993) and E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982), Destry Spielberg has been candid on how her father's remarkable career has given her privilege.

"I acknowledge that I was born with privilege! I own that through and through! I make it my mission to bring new talent into the industry & give opportunities to artists of all backgrounds," the 25-year-old tweeted.

"No one should be left out because of the connections they dont have," she added.

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