Laura Dern isn’t holding back when it comes to the Hollywood ‘nepo baby’ controversy.
The Oscar-winner, now 58, erupted in a new chat with The Telegraph, blasting the viral catchphrase as ‘absurd’ and ‘insane.’ Dern—famous for her iconic turns in Blue Velvet and Jurassic Park—happens to be the offspring of big-screen legends Bruce Dern (Silent Running) and Diane Ladd (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore). But she’s shaking her head at those who knock children of stars chasing their own spotlights.
Classifying celebrity kids as ‘nepo babies’ has become internet sport, but Dern finds the whole thing ridiculous. ‘Does anyone call the local baker’s son a nepo baby if he inherits the shop?’ she jabbed. ‘Or a hatmaker?’ Far from hiding her heritage, Dern insisted her early years were all about forging her own identity. ‘I wanted casting directors to forget who my folks were and see ME,’ she revealed, recalling the pressure of carving out her own legacy in an industry soaked in family trees.
Laura Dern arrives on the red carpet for the 37th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday, January 3, 2025.
Back in the day, the actress says, no one tossed around ‘nepo’ labels—it was family tradition, not a social media smear. Now, Dern feels for young stars. ‘For my kids’ generation, it’s like wearing a mark of shame,’ she lamented. ‘I guess the internet’s to blame.’
Dern’s own children, whom she shares with musician ex-husband Ben Harper, haven’t been immune from the family business. Her son Ellery rocks out as a musician while daughter Jaya follows mom’s footsteps onto the screen. Dern couldn’t be prouder. ‘They’re the coolest humans I know,’ she gushed. ‘Honestly, I don’t even worry about being a good mom—I just want to hang with them and hear how their minds work.’
Diane Ladd and Laura Dern arrive at the 92nd Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb 9, 2020 in Los Angeles.
The interview turned bittersweet as Dern remembered her mother, Diane Ladd, who died last November at 89 from respiratory failure. Ladd’s activism left a lasting impression, Dern says. Raised alongside Hollywood firebrands Jane Fonda, Gena Rowlands, Shelley Winters, and her mom, activism was part of growing up. ‘I was marching for women’s rights and equality before I was nine,’ Dern shared. ‘That’s just what we did on Saturdays—see what needs to change and act.’
Fans can catch Dern on the big screen in ‘Is This Thing On?’, directed by Bradley Cooper, hitting UK cinemas later this month.
