It’s fair to say that nepo babies have developed a bit of an unfavorable reputation over the years, with many famous names being scrutinized if fans spot a single blue link to any relative on their Wikipedia page.
A lot of this negativity stems from the fact that, for example, the child of an actor will obviously have a much easier time getting into the acting business themselves, thanks to their parents’ connections, industry knowledge, and the weight that their last name already carries. And this is regardless of whether or not they are actually talented.
And the weight of that last name is certainly not to be underestimated; the child of an actor could also feasibly enter another field, say music, and be signed because of who they are rather than what they are capable of.
Most importantly, with nepotism, there’s always the overriding knowledge that the children of the rich and famous are able to try their hand at many different things to varying degrees of dedication until they find the thing that they are wholly passionate about. The financial safety net of their parents’ wealth, coupled with the privilege that their last name affords them, means that they normally don’t exactly have to worry about failing. Oftentimes, they even fail upwards.
Of course, this is a tricky situation — after all, the children of famous people can’t help that they are the children of famous people, and it often does make the most sense for them to follow in their parents’ footsteps of fame and fortune because that is simply all they know. However, all that society asks from nepo babies is a little bit of self-awareness when it comes to their privilege… And trust me when I say that this doesn’t come easily to a lot of them.
Who can forget that time Gwyneth Paltrow — daughter of actor Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow — vehemently defended nepotism to Bustle, even going so far as to claim: "Nobody rips on a kid who's like, 'I want to be a doctor like my dad and granddad,” while willfully ignoring the fact that being a doctor wouldn’t just be handed to the child of a doctor— they’d have to go through years of grueling schooling and exams before earning the title, just like everybody else.
With all of this in mind, when a nepo baby actually does acknowledge their privilege, it is pretty groundbreaking news, and singer Gracie Abrams has won praise for doing exactly that in a new interview.
For reference, 26-year-old Gracie is the daughter of Hollywood director J.J. Abrams, and in 2019, she signed with Interscope Records and has been enjoying a successful music career ever since. Her mom, Katie McGrath, isn’t famous per se, but is a PR executive, which is undeniably invaluable for any famous person — and may even have something to do with Gracie’s latest well-received quotes.
(For what it’s worth, Gracie’s father is also a nepo baby, with J.J.'s mom and dad the TV producers Gerald and Carol Abrams, who were prominent in the ‘70s and ‘80s.)
During a recent appearance on the New York Times’ Popcast podcast, Gracie was asked about the negativity that she faces online, which is largely due to her nepotism. And rather than becoming defensive and arguing that her dad is in the movie industry while she is in music — and, after all, most people wouldn’t even recognize J.J. Abrams on the street! — she had an incredibly impressive, well-rounded answer.
“I mean, the nepo stuff is obviously in the discourse, appropriately,” Gracie began. “I had a safety net, and that allowed me the ability to experiment and concentrate, and I had the gift of time to dedicate to doing this thing I loved. I wasn't growing up afraid financially, and that's the biggest deal.”
“And then the specific household that I was born into, with my parents both having worked in the entertainment industry for as long as I've been alive… Like, the way that you overhear your family talking about anything at the dinner table, or in the car, on the way to school, there is just this vocabulary that I was so lucky to grow up with,” she went on. “So when I see people pointing that out, it's like, I get it hardcore.”
As you can imagine, these comments have landed incredibly well, with one person writing on Reddit in response: “It really is that easy. Acknowledge that you're privileged. I hope her answer is genuine and not a pr team created cuz there are some nepo babies that that can't understand having a safety and never working a real job or two, or being "picky" with the roles they audition to. They can't comprehend having someone to pay your rent in full isnt normal or getting an allowance in your 20s.”
“This is a great answer from her, acknowledging her privilege and the opportunities it gave her does not lessen her talent. Even if it was created by a PR team she still agrees enough to repeat it sincerely,” somebody else wrote. Another added: “Yea it’s okay to put your ego down and admit you had privilege most people don’t have.”
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