Dakota Johnson Has a Lot to Say About the Nepo Baby Discourse

When it comes to the ongoing "nepo baby" discourse, actress Dakota Johnson has some thoughts.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, during an interview on TODAY, Johnson told co-anchor Hoda Kotb that she believes conversations about famous people who have celebrity parents (and therefore have an advantage in Hollywood and the entertainment industry) are "incredibly annoying and boring."

"Like, if you're a journalist, write about something else," she said. "That's just, like, lame."

Johnson is the famous daughter of celebrity actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Griffith won a Golden Globe in 1989 for her role in Working Girl, while Johnson won a Golden Globe in 1986 for his work in the iconic show Miami Vice.

Johnson is not the only famous actor or celebrity to speak out in opposition of the term "nepo baby" and the implication that the children of famous people have an innate privilege that makes it easier for them to become successful, rich, and famous themselves.

In October, 2023, actress and wellness influencer Gwyneth Paltrow shared her thoughts on the "nepo baby" term.

“Now there’s this whole nepo baby culture, and there’s this judgment that exists around kids of famous people,” Paltrow said in an interview with The Guardian. “But there’s nothing wrong with doing or wanting to do what your parents do.”

Paltrow is the daughter of Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow—Danner is an actress and Bruce Paltrow was a director.

The “nepo baby” term permeated the national discourse when New York Magazine published a 2022 article about the overwhelming number of celebrities who have parents, siblings, or other powerful relatives in Hollywood.

In what appeared to be an attempt to disprove the "nepo baby" discussion, in the same TODAY interview Johnson revealed that her father, Don Johnson, "cut her off" because she decided to pursue acting instead of a college degree.

"It was difficult," she said. "But I figured it out."