Catherine Zeta-Jones has come under fire lately, firstly for “creepy” and “inappropriate” comments about a minor, and now for her divisive comments about nepo babies.
The Oscar-winning actress, 57, defended nepo babies in two recent interviews, arguing that they face “intense scrutiny” and added pressure because they have “so much to prove.” And fans found her comments particularly interesting because her husband, Michael Douglas, is a nepo baby himself, as the son of Kirk Douglas. Their own children are also pursuing careers in the industry, with many critics believing they have benefited from nepotism and therefore find her comments a little out of touch. Keep reading for more info…
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Catherine Zeta-Jones Defends Nepo Babies In Recent Interviews
The Wednesday actress, whose son Dylan is pursuing acting while her daughter Carys wants to be a director, made the comments in an interview with Nuala McGovern on BBC's Woman's Hour last month.
The ageless Hollywood star said the term "nepo baby" isn't applied to children in other industries, which she seemingly found a little unfair, and argued that young people already face "intense scrutiny" without having another label placed on them...
"If it was any other industry whether it be finance or business or if you're a lawyer… My grown-up surgeon doctor friends have kids going into that industry, and they don't get labelled," Zeta-Jones noted.
"But I think more importantly, I'm married to the ultimate nepo baby," she continued. "My husband was the son of Kirk Douglas, the son of Spartacus, you know? And he's done pretty good on his own."
She continued: "And so I think it's unfortunate that with the intense scrutiny young people have, not just my kids or celebrity kids, just generally, they get slaughtered by AI images of perfection, or this and that. They don't need another tag, I think it's very unfortunate."
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When McGovern pointed out that people use the "nepo baby" label because they believe children of celebrities have advantages that other aspiring actors don't have, Zeta-Jones disagreed...
"No, no, no, quite opposite. First of all, they have so much to prove," she said. "That, 'Oh! It's in your genes, it's in your blood.' It's like, 'No, actually I have a true passion and love of the craft.'"
We are getting flashbacks to when Kaia Gerber said she put even more pressure on herself to do well because she is a nepo baby, so we understand the point Catherine was trying to make. But it didn't stop people from pushing back…
Catherine Zeta-Jones Previously Called The Term 'Nepo Baby' 'Horrific'
In another interview last month, the Mask of Zorro actress also made comments about nepotism and called the term "nepo baby" "horrific." She told the Sunday Times: "These kids don't ask to be born into this."
"You have to go with your dreams, your passion," Zeta-Jones told the publication. "It's hard for them to forge a way forward on their own," she went on, adding: "This horrific phrase 'nepo baby' is horrible because these kids didn't ask to be born into this, they're finding their own way in life. But they love it, and they're good."
The Entrapment star added: "Otherwise, Michael and I would be the first to go, 'you know what? Maybe law school looks really good'."
Reddit Users React To Catherine Zeta-Jones' Comments
The Darling Buds of May alum faced backlash from many people following both interviews, including people across various social media platforms.
"She's a mother and WIFE to nepos! Michael Douglas is a pretty good actor (and very spooky!) but I doubt he would have got anywhere if his dad hadn't been the Kirk Douglas," observed one Reddit user.
"Michael Douglas has turned in a lot of great performances. He absolutely got his foot in the door because of his father but you can't say he wouldn't have got anywhere," concurred a second. "It's possible, but it's also possible he would have, and he's certainly not talentless."
"Spoken like a mother of a nepo baby," quipped a third. They went on: "But isn't getting in front of a decision maker the hardest first step that nepo babies have locked up? Please, this country has never been about meritocracy and we need to stop lying about this."
A fourth chimed in: "Well, there's also the fact that nepo babies also don't have to try to break into their chosen industry while waiting tables, paying off school loans, etc. As a nepo baby, you have zero stress, time or energy expended on simply surviving until you make it. Zeta Jones kids can only cosplay as starving artists."
"It would be easier to take her seriously if the data weren't telling a different story. If they have it so hard, why are they pretty much the only people getting the work?" asked a fifth.
"I can see the argument she was trying to make," noted a sixth, "but I can also agree this is an instance where she might have kept her mouth shut. Like, even if you believe it, you don't need to advertise that opinion."
