Emma Roberts calls out nepo baby critics, says they ‘don’t see all the rejection along the way’
Emma Roberts has defended her status as a “nepo baby”, saying that those criticizing the successful offspring of the rich and famous don’t “see all the rejection along the way.”
From Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, to Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman’s daughter, Maya Hawke, the children of celebrities have come under scrutiny in recent years over their undeniable privilege and industry connections.
Speaking on the Tuesday (June 25) episode of iHeartPodcast’s Table for Two podcast, Roberts – the 33-year-old daughter of King of the Gypsies star Eric Roberts and niece of rom-com darling Julia Roberts – is the latest to address the nepo baby discourse.
Noting that there are many famous children of celebrities who don’t have a linear path to fame, the American Horror Story actor said: “That’s the thing that I always talk about – people kind of only see your wins because they only see when you’re on the poster of a movie. They don’t see all the rejection along the way.
“That’s why I’m always very open about things I’ve auditioned for and haven’t gotten the part for,” she explained. “I think it’s important to talk about – otherwise people just think everything’s been so great and linear and easy, and no, it’s not at all. But of course it looks like that to the outside perspective or to the naked eye.”
Roberts made her film debut at age 10 in the 2001 crime drama Blow. She later gained recognition for her role as Addie Singer in Nickelodeon’s three-season sitcom Unfabulous before co-leading the 2006 family comedy Aquamarine.
She’s since starred in numerous TV shows and movies, including Ryan Murphy’s hit anthology, American Horror Story, as well as his horror comedy series Scream Queens; the 2010 rom-com Valentine’s Day and, more recently, Sony’s superhero flop Madame Web.
Elsewhere in the podcast, she said: “I think there’s two sides of the coin. People like to say, you know, you have a leg up because you have family in the industry. But then the other side to that is you have to prove yourself more.
She also added that if your family member’s reputation is tainted in the industry because “people don’t have good experiences” with them, “then you’ll never get a chance.”
“I think there’s something to be said where everybody loves the kind of overnight success story,” Roberts continued. “And so if you’re kind of not the girl from the middle of nowhere that broke into Hollywood, there’s kind of an eye roll of like ‘Well, your dad was this.’”
Roberts then joked that actors such as George Clooney could be considered nepo babies due to his aunt being the late actor and singer Rosemary Clooney.
“I’m just kidding, but I feel like young girls get it harder with the nepo baby thing,” she argued. “I don’t really see people calling out sons of famous actors – not that they should be called out. I don’t think anyone should be called out for wanting to follow their dream.”
