5 breakout nepo babies of 2023: from Johnny Depp’s fashion darling daughter Lily-Rose Depp, and David Beckham’s son Brooklyn Beckham Peltz, to Baldwin clan member Hailey Bieber – who owned the title

Dec 9 , 2023

Lily-Rose Depp, Hailey Bieber and Brooklyn Beckam have all been dubbed nepo babies. Photos: Reuters, Getty Images

Brooklyn Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, arguably drew most flak for his short-lived passions that included football, modelling, photography and cooking

Hollywood ‘It’ girl Lily-Rose Depp shot down suggestions she got a leg up because of her name, but was called out by self-made by supermodels like Vittoria Ceretti and Anok Yai

This was the year of nepo babies. From Hollywood royalty to fashion darlings, no one was spared from getting their privilege checked, but nowhere was the discourse more intense than in the entertainment industry.

What originally started on X, formerly Twitter, in 2022 was further fuelled by a juicy article published by The New York Times titled “What Is a Nepotism Baby?” in May 2022. The article deep-dived into the topic, providing a detailed list of every celebrity who appeared to inherit their fame instead of earning it.

Most celebrities were quick to acknowledge the advantages of a famous last name, but those who didn’t were heavily criticised by the public and the media.

Love them or hate them, here are five of our favourite nepo babies of 2023.

1. Maude Apatow, the nepo baby who started it all

Maude Apatow, Lexi Howard on Euphoria, shocked fans when they discovered who her parents are. Photo: @maudeapatow/Instagram

Maude Apatow, who plays the beloved character Lexi Howard on HBO’s Euphoria, was one of the firsts to get called out for her family connections.

In a 2022 post on X, a fan of the show expressed their shock in finding out that Maude is the daughter of director Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann. Soon the entire internet was finding out that their favourite actors got a head start in their careers.

Maude Apatow is the eldest daughter of Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow. Photo: @maudeapatow/Instagram

Maude, who started out acting in her dad’s films, said being called a nepo baby made her “sad” but motivated to prove herself. “It’s so early in my career, I don’t have much to show yet, but hopefully one day, I’ll be really proud of the stuff I’ve done by myself,” she said in an interview with Net-a-Porter.