these children of stars who disown their parents

Maya Hawke, Zoë Kravitz, Jack Quaid, Kaia Gerber, Colin Hanks… All these young stars share one thing in common: being considered as Nepo Babiesartists who would be advantaged in their careers by the success and interpersonal skills of their famous parents, springboards which allow them to follow in their footsteps, to the detriment of the children of anonymous people.

An infamous mark of the crime of lese-meritocracy for Gen Z, the hashtag #nepobabies has millions of views on social networks and continues to stir the minds of young people sensitive to injustices and social inequalities. Even if it means indiscriminately discrediting any effort, talent or work provided by “the children of” to have a career.

Celebrity versus fame

But today, this Nepo Baby Boom gives way to a new wave right : THE Nope (“nah”, in English). Understand: FFDs (sons and daughters of) who disavow their star parents. Worse than refusing to strengthen their family ties, Nope Babies reject them and acquire their fame by opposing them. Dare? “In a certain way,” estimates David Le Breton, professor of sociology at the University of Strasbourg (1). “Especially since many of these young people tend to use their name even if they are in tension with their parents. To refuse it is to lose an opportunity.”

The radical example

This is the case when you are the child of the richest man in the world, for example. TikToker Vivian tells us she has “heavy liabilities and daddy issues” in 10 videos with 20 million cumulative views. With a defiant look, Vivian Jenna Wilson, born a boy from Elon Musk's first marriage, thus made a double coming out on the favorite terrain of the boss of X: social networks. Not content with asserting her trans identity in total break with the ultraconservative values ​​of the CEO of Tesla, the young woman reacted to the violent paternal denial.

“Gay and slightly autistic from birth”, according to him, his child was “dead in his eyes, killed by the virus of the woke mind.” Child killed, father destroyed. Vivian raised 1.3 million likes and hundreds of messages of support during her response on the Threads network, where she refuted point by point the defamatory tweets of her “angry and indifferent” father during his rare visits. Vivian has officially rejected her father, his power and his billions, dropping her name to adopt her mother's maiden name: Wilson.

Torpedo the surname

This protest would be, among other things, an adolescent approach, necessary for the construction of the individual. And paradoxical. “In order to emancipate oneself, one must first identify with the father. Then, we enter the “against” phase: we must have strong enough support on the parentage side to be able to oppose it, to free ourselves from it. It is then that we can say “I want to do things differently. I am not my name, I am my first name,” explains Bénédicte Rochas, psychologist. It is therefore no coincidence that the majority of Nope decide to torpedo their surname. A symbolic parricide.

From Suri Cruise to Shiloh Jolie

Suri Cruise, daughter of the most “A list” of all Hollywood male stars and Katie Holmes (Dawson), recently took advantage of her graduation speech to officially introduce herself as Suri Noelle, adopting her mother's middle name as her surname. History of the abandonment of Tom Cruise, who has not seen his daughter for eleven years. Same vexatious approach for Shiloh, the eldest biological daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, with an endless divorce.

Last May, she also signed her paternal emancipation on her 18th birthday: don't call her Pitt anymore, she's just Pretty! “This approach seems to persist among these young people who reject the father figure,” observes Bénédicte Rochas. “Their position consists of saying: I no longer want to be the child of Elon Musk, Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, but I still claim it at the moment when I affirm that I want to detach myself from it in order to individualize myself,” continues the therapist.

An intolerable debt

To assert oneself “against” an overwhelming tutelary presence, especially when it is synonymous with success, while continuing to benefit from the advantages of the celebrity of one's ancestry is the other paradox of Nope pointed out by David Le Breton. “Status, the name can be an intolerable debt, especially in the face of parents who have not been loving or available enough. In addition, these children who have the “means” to change, financially and symbolically, can emerge more valued if they play on several levels. They hardly take any risks, because everyone knows it.”

Publicized debunking of patriarchy

The icing on the cake of rebellion for the Nope post-MeToo: denouncing the abuses and failings of their fathers contributes to the ultra-publicized ongoing debunking of patriarchy and its excesses. This movement of affirmation nope loudly echoes the divergences of values ​​at the heart of our societies. And transforms them into virtuous spokespersons for liberated speech.

Better than a new identity, breaking up with an FFD can prove to be a great career springboard. Journalist Ronan Farrow, son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, accused of touching by Ronan's sister, first stood out by abandoning his birth name, Satchel, given by his father. But he became best known as a key investigator behind the explosion of the Weinstein affair and the MeToo movement. Skills that he may have honed while rising up against his famous progenitor.

Unbearable pressure

Taking a step aside, distancing yourself from your parents' heritage and core business can be self-defense when it comes to mental health. As illustrated by the series Successionfollow the traces of ancestors successful and privileged is not an easy task. And the pressure to live up to your role models can be unbearable. Hence the opposite position taken: “I chart my course.” “This posture does not prevent them from capitalizing on this initial notoriety, which remains in show biz, and cinema in particular, a business,” points out Aurore Gorius, investigative journalist (2).

“The “sons and daughters of” have been advantaged since the dawn of time by their belonging to royalty, to a political dynasty and/or to a great industrial family. They are also part of the DNA of the star system. An identifiable, reassuring brand that guarantees an audience by default. A financial asset on which films and projects are produced. Even under the cover of rebellion, revelations of disagreement, conflicts, doubtless well-founded reproaches, the known name secures followers“, supports Aurore Gorius.

A new wave of Right

Nope one day, but Right always ! So everything will be fine for Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his own little royal family, post-“Megxit”. And no worries about the bank overdraft of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, eldest daughter of the billionaire founder of Apple, who had settled the account with her father, deemed resigned and tyrannical, in his autobiography Little Thing (Ed. Les Arènes). She published it well after he left her several million dollars upon his death, as a contrite mea culpa. “Any publicity is good publicity. And the Right or Nope make use of any buzz, even bad ones,” concludes Aurore Gorius.

A new wave of Right already consciously plays both sides. Jack Henry Robbins, son of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, transformed his Insta and TikTok accounts (100,000 followers) in self-parody of the daily life of a Nepo Baby blind to his privileges, with the occasional complicity of his parents or Sasha Spielberg, Steven's daughter.

“I haven’t read your script yet, but it’s great. It’s just great that you wrote it,” says his agent in one of his hilarious videos, where the director mocks culture right while adopting it. Jack Henry will therefore have inherited his mother's hair, his father's stature, and the very second-degree humor of the two stars. The most salutary of legacies, in Hollywood or elsewhere…

(1) Author of The end of the conversation ? Speech in a spectral societyÉditions Métailié, 2024.
(2) Co-author with Anne-Noémie Dorion of Sons and Daughters of… Investigation into the new French aristocracyEd. The Discovery, 2015.