Over the last year, “nepo babies” in Hollywood have been a hot topic. Fans have questioned the fame and fortune of some celebrities who had a leg up on the competition in the entertainment industry — from Jamie Lee Curtis to Kate Hudson — they’ve all talked about it. Now, Nicole Richie is chiming into the conversation with a brutally honest response.
She and fellow rich-and-famous pal Paris Hilton are back on the radar over 20 years after The Simple Life premiered in 2003. They will appear on Paris and Nicole: The Encore which premieres Dec. 12 on Peacock. They weathered through the pitfalls of fame in their 20s, but the dynamic duo has always been in on the joke about their extreme privilege — and Richie isn’t backing away from that now.
As the daughter of pop icon Lionel Richie, she completely embraces her Hollywood connections. “Of course, that helped me,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s how I got the show!” Fans should expect her and Hilton to have more fun with their public personas now since they have the benefit of time and wisdom on their side.
“I find it fun to play into the public’s perception of me, so that’s what I do,” she added. “I make everything bigger, more ridiculous. That was never the plan, just where I landed in life. Because I’m not really interested in people knowing the real me. Why would I need that?”
While Richie has fun with her nepo-baby status, other stars like Emma Roberts take the label more seriously. “Young girls, I feel like, get it harder with the nepo baby thing,” Roberts said on the Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast in June. “I don’t really see people calling out you know, sons of famous actors.” She went on to mention George Clooney as an example.
Roberts also noted the downside to the nepo-baby discussion. “People like to say, ‘Oh, you know, you have a leg up because you’re a family in the industry.’ But then the other side to that is, you know, you have to prove yourself more,” she revealed. “Also, if people don’t have a good experience being to be with other people in your family, then you’ll never get a chance.”
There are two sides to the argument, but Richie is standing firm that her fame wouldn’t have happened without her superstar dad.
Before you go, click here to see celebrity kids who are all grown up.
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