Category Archives: nepotism

‘I Can’t Help How I Was Born’: Brooklyn Peltz Beckham Enters The ‘Nepo Baby’ Chat

Posted on by
Reply

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham has spoken out amid the ongoing discussion about Hollywood nepotism.

Although conversations about industry nepotism are not exactly anything new, the debate blew up in 2022, when New York Magazine ran a feature dubbed The Year of The Nepo Baby.

Since then, a string of public figures who have benefited from their own connections within show business (dubbed “nepo babies” by many) have spoken out on the subject – the latest being Brooklyn, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham.

“I can’t help how I was born,” he told InStyle magazine, ahead of the launch of his new brand Cloud23.

“I couldn’t ask for better parents and I’m just trying to work my ass off and trying to make a name for myself. That’s all I can say, really.”

Brooklyn with his parents Victoria and David Beckham in 2019
Brooklyn with his parents Victoria and David Beckham in 2019

Karwai Tang via Getty Images

Throughout his time in the spotlight, Brooklyn has tried his hand at everything from football and photography to modelling. In recent years, he’s focussed on his love of cooking, which has garnered mixed results.

“I always wanted to go the football route,” he explained, noting that he “loved it so much” but “just didn’t have the right head for it”.

“When you’re growing up, especially with the dad that I had, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, the oldest son’s going to be a footballer.’ And I loved it. I really, really, really did, and I miss it so much,” he continued.

“I did football—that didn’t work out. Then I went into photography. I had a lot of fun with that for a few years. And then, what else did I do? I’ve always done a bit of modeling.

“[My parents] didn’t care what I did or what I wanted to do. But, they were just like, ‘As long as you’re nice, you’re humble, and you work hard and you put your head down, that’s the most important thing. You can do whatever you want and it’s whatever you choose to do—try and be the best at that’.”

The Beckham family pictured together in October 2023
The Beckham family pictured together in October 2023

HENRY NICHOLLS via Getty Images

On critics of his food credentials, Brooklyn said: “I’m so used to it. It makes me… I kind of like it, in a way, just because it makes me really want to prove to people…

“Until two years ago, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I think with all the rubbish I get, my mum’s just like, ‘Prove them wrong. Never respond to that rubbish, just prove them wrong’.”

Brooklyn previously hit back at his detractors in 2022, insisting: “I always wish them well, the haters. I’m just doing what I love doing, staying healthy, being happy, and that’s what it is.”

He added: “I don’t understand why people still think that I try and act like a professional, because I’m absolutely not.

“I’ve always said, this is the very beginning. I have a lot to learn. I’m probably never going to stop learning.”

Doubling down during a 2023 interview with Insider, he insisted: “I have more important things to worry about than people saying a little bit of rubbish about me. My message to them is to keep writing whatever they want to write. There are always going to be people out there who try and pull you down.

“I’m doing my thing and working my bum off. So they can keep writing what they want, but it’s not going to bother me — I’m just going to keep doing my thing.”

Share Button

Reese Witherspoon’s Son Deacon Slammed As ‘Nepo Baby’ After NYC Apartment Tour

Posted on by
Reply

Deacon Phillippe inadvertently waded into the so-called “nepo baby” debate this week when he showed off his New York apartment on social media.

The New York University student, whose parents are actors Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon, invited TikTok personality Caleb Simpson over to his abode in a clip posted Tuesday.

Anyone expecting a cramped college dormitory was, of course, in for a surprise. The home boasts cathedral ceilings and a spiral staircase, as well as a brick wall displaying vintage vinyl. A glance at the apartment’s kitchen included a peek inside a well-stocked refrigerator.

And Phillippe ― an aspiring musician who released his debut album, “A New Earth,” in April ― can hone his craft from the comfort of his own bedroom, where he’s set up an at-home recording studio.

When Simpson asks how much he pays for rent, Phillippe shrugs.

“West Village prices, man,” he says.

Response to the video was decidedly mixed, with many accusing Phillippe of benefiting from his parents’ wealth ― according to Forbes, Witherspoon alone has a net worth of about $440 million ― when it came to his living arrangements.

“How much do you pay? The correct answer is: ask my mom and dad,” one person wrote.

“Let’s not forget that his mom and dad are wealthy celebrities. He could afford the whole place if he wanted to,” added another.

Deacon Phillippe (left) and Ryan Phillippe in 2022.
Deacon Phillippe (left) and Ryan Phillippe in 2022.

Mike Coppola via Getty Images

The term “nepotism babies,” often abbreviated as “nepo babies,” refers to children of actors, singers and other public figures whose professional success, typically in the realm of show business, can be broadly attributed to having famous parents.

A New York Magazine cover story published last December included “An All But Definitive Guide to the Hollywood Nepo-Verse,” and has drawn mixed responses from a host of celebrity progeny, including Kate Hudson and Ben Platt.

Despite the snark Simpson’s video received, others pointed out that Phillippe shares the apartment with roommates and, arguably, could be living in even swankier digs if he wanted to.

“People act like if they had that money they wouldn’t also be setting their children up,” one person wrote. “Perspective changes when living within your means changes.”

Share Button

Tom Hanks, Famed ‘Nepo Dad’, Gets Defensive About Son Being In His New Movie

Posted on by
Reply

Tom Hanks appeared to get pretty heated over the “nepo baby” controversy during an interview with Reuters published earlier this week.

A “nepo baby,” short for “nepotism baby,” is a buzzy, albeit condescending term that refers to children of celebrities who are now famous due partly to their parents’ fame.

The topic hit its boiling point in late December when New York Magazine declared 2022 was The Year of The Nepo Baby.

Tom was speaking to Reuters (as seen in The Sun’s video below) about his new film A Man Called Otto, which employed a few of his family members.

He co-produced the film with his wife Rita Wilson, who also co-wrote the script and performed an original song in the movie, per The Hollywood Reporter.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="4713" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":7,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"The Sun Showbiz","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy4Kmbjk_M-eK2q44pGEAmw","cache_age":86400,"description":"Hollywood’s nice guy Tom Hanks is breaking type by playing a grumpy old man in ‘A Man Called Otto’.\n\nHowever, Hanks didn’t have to audition as he and his wife Rita Wilson bought the rights to adapt the Swedish novel and Oscar-nominated film ‘A Man Called Ove’ for American audiences.\n\nSpeaking to Reuters, Hanks said “Look, I’m selfish. I’m a selfish actor and I’m very competitive and I know a good role when I see one and I don’t think that anybody else was considered for the role of Otto in ‘A Man Called Otto’ because I selfishly said ‘I know exactly what I want to do here, I know exactly how to be not just cranky but also always correct’. If there’s anybody in this movie that is right one hundred percent of the time in the movie, it’s Otto and I like playing the guy who’s always right.”\n\nWhen you meet Otto, he is walking around his neighborhood chastising all the residents for various reasons, from dogs peeing on his front lawn to postal vans parking in the street.\n\nAfter playing so many nice guy roles, was it freeing for Hanks to be rude?\n\n“Well it’s freeing to mumble it under your breath while nobody can really hear it,” said Hanks, adding “What is freeing is being able to use the body language that says the same thing, you know. Like ugh, you know, that. A good frustrated sigh is almost as good as one of those yoga breaths, you know where you’re supposed to just clear everything out.”\n\nThe film not only stars Hanks and features a song by his wife, but his son Truman plays the younger version of Otto in flashbacks during the film.\n\nHanks said “Look. This is a family business. This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in. We have four kids, they are all very creative, they are all involved in some brand of storytelling and if we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florists shop down the street, the whole family would be putting in time at some point even if it was just inventory at the end of the year.”\n\nIn the film, Otto’s behavior to his neighbors is finally brought into check when a Latino family moves in across the street and begins to show kindness to the old man.\n\nTo ensure that there were distinct differences between ‘A Man Called Otto’ and ‘A Man Called Ove’, Hanks and his wife brought in the producer of the original film, Fredrik Wikstrom.\n\n“There are huge differences between the social structure of Sweden and the social structure of the United States of America and actually that gave us more things in order to examine,” said Hanks.\n\nHe added “In the United States of America, for a Mexican family to move across the street, it has very specific connotations to it, different than it would even in Sweden.”\n\n‘A Man Called Otto’ goes on full theatrical release in the United States on January 4.","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":"134"},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kpzwdl7lvYs/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"\"Look, this is a family business\": Tom Hanks defends son’s casting in ‘A Man Called Otto’","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpzwdl7lvYs","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"63b9193ae4b0d6f0b9fb1e15","entryTagsList":"ukfilm,tom-hanks,chet-hanks,colin-hanks,nepotism,@widget-imported","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":10},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"63b9193ae4b0d6f0b9fb1e15","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukfilm","slug":"ukfilm","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukfilm","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Film","slug":"ukfilm","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukfilm/"},{"name":"tom hanks","slug":"tom-hanks","links":{"relativeLink":"news/tom-hanks","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/tom-hanks","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/tom-hanks"},"relegenceId":2846821,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/tom-hanks/"},{"name":"chet hanks","slug":"chet-hanks","links":{"relativeLink":"news/chet-hanks","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/chet-hanks","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/chet-hanks"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/chet-hanks/"},{"name":"colin hanks","slug":"colin-hanks","links":{"relativeLink":"news/colin-hanks","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/colin-hanks","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/colin-hanks"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/colin-hanks/"},{"name":"nepotism","slug":"nepotism","links":{"relativeLink":"news/nepotism","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nepotism","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nepotism"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nepotism/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0}}”>

Tom stars as the titular Otto in the movie, and his son, Truman Hanks, plays a younger version of the character in flashback sequences.

“Look, this is a family business,” the two-time Oscar winner says in the video, seemingly in response to his son being in his film. “This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in.”

He added: “If we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florists shop down the street, the whole family would be putting in time at some point, even if it was just inventory at the end of the year.”

Although employing family members in your plumbing or florist company would still be a form of nepotism, the actor’s tirade wasn’t done.

Tom then claimed that his children did not get a leg up in their Hollywood careers thanks to his famous last name.

Tom Hanks and his son, actor Colin Hanks, in 2009.
Tom Hanks and his son, actor Colin Hanks, in 2009.

Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images

His son Colin Hanks starred in Fargo and has also appeared in dozens of movies, including King Kong, Jumanji: The Next Level and The House Bunny.

Meanwhile, Tom’s son, Chet Hanks’ work includes roles in the TV shows Shameless and Empire.

“The thing that doesn’t change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not,” Tom said.

“That’s the issue anytime any of us go off and try to tell a fresh story or create something that has a beginning and a middle and an end. Doesn’t matter what our last names are. We have to do the work in order to make that a true and authentic experience for the audience.”

He added: “That’s a much bigger task than worrying about whether anybody’s going to try to scathe us or not.”

Tom Hanks at a screening of Elvis last year
Tom Hanks at a screening of Elvis last year

Pascal Le Segretain via Getty Images

Although the cultural discourse around “nepo babies” is relatively new, actors deploying the family business excuse is getting pretty old.

Zoe Kravitz — the daughter of musician Lenny Kravtiz and actor Lisa Bonet — used the same tactic.

“It’s completely normal for people to be in the family business,” she told GQ in November.

Kate Hudson, the daughter of actor Golden Hawn and step-daughter of actor Kurt Russell, took a similar approach while speaking to The Independent last month.

“I look at my kids, and we’re a storytelling family. It’s definitely in our blood,” Kate said.

Maybe these celebrities could take a page out of “nepo baby” Allison Williams’ playbook and take a tad of accountability.

The Girls star, the daughter of former NBC journalist Brian Williams, called nepotism “just unfair” in an interview with Vulture published earlier this week.

“Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair,” she told Vulture.

“To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous. It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me.”

Share Button