Gwyneth Paltrow: Nepotism babies have to ‘work twice as hard & be twice as good’

Last year, Karen Elson was on the cover of InStyle, and her profile was so good. She spoke about the bitchiness within the modeling industry, and how young models need to feel empowered to talk about finances. Elson also spoke about nepotism in a very real way, saying “I’m not trying to slight anybody here, but it helped if you came from a certain background. I have a problem with people judging a person because they were just born into a certain thing. They can’t help that. But with the fickleness of fashion, they love when you’re the daughter of someone.” That’s been stuck in my head for months, it’s so succinct: they love when you’re the daughter of someone. I bring up Elson’s words because Gwyneth Paltrow and Hailey Bieber, two nepotism a–holes, decided to talk about how hard it is to get so many breaks because of nepotism.

A famous last name will only get you so far, at least according to Gwyneth Paltrow. While paying a visit to Hailey Bieber for an episode of her YouTube series Who’s in my Bathroom?, the Oscar winning actress opened up about the concept of nepotism in Hollywood, saying celebrity kids aren’t as advantaged in the industry as some may think.

“As the child of someone, you get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way,” Gwyneth told Hailey on the July 27 episode. “However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good.”

Why, you may ask? As she shared, “Because people are ready to pull you down and say ‘You don’t belong there’ or ‘You are only there because of your dad or your mom.’

Dishing out advice to the nepo babies out there, Gwyneth said the label “shouldn’t limit” their dreams, adding that “nobody in the world, especially anyone who doesn’t know you, shouldn’t have a negative impact on your path or the decision that you make.”

The inspiring message seemed to resonate with Hailey, 25, with the host responding, “I need to hear this today.”

[From E! News]

“Then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good…” Gwyneth Paltrow: Privilege Is A Prison, I Swear. She’s really trying to make the case that nepo babies have it so hard? That nepo babies are marginalized within Hollywood? LMAO. What’s crazy is that she really believes it. I’m sure there are tons of people who look at nepo babies and say “you’re only here because of your mom or dad.” They say it because it’s the truth. Gwyneth’s early career was BUILT on the fact that her parents are Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, and that Steven Spielberg is her godfather and a close family friend. Hollywood and Fashion: they love when you’re the daughter of someone.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, YouTube.

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149 Responses to “Gwyneth Paltrow: Nepotism babies have to ‘work twice as hard & be twice as good’”

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  1. Genevieve says:

    As soon as GP demonstrates being twice as good as everyone else, you all are going to let me know, right? I look forward to it.

    • Cherry says:

      Please inform me as soon as Hailey Bieber demonstrates anything of the kind, too, okay?
      Did she seriously invite GP to her little show and not prepare for it whatsoever? ‘I was in a movie with you dad.’ ‘Really? Wow I did not know that!’ Assuming my ignorance makes me look cute is not a priviledge I could rely on in my first job.

      • C says:

        I like Hailey but people only know her from her husband. Her dad isn’t even one of the Baldwins anyone knows about, lol.

    • ariel says:

      Most of them *really* think that, don’t they?
      Amazing delusion.

      • Jennifer says:

        I don’t know why this type of thing surprises me, but yeah, it seems as if they all really do believe they are just that talented and special! Lol Everyone kisses their asses so hard their whole lives, they just come to accept it as correct and normal.

    • Coco says:

      This is the same women who said she a working actress has it twice as hard as a mother then any other working mother out there.

      You know the moms out there sometimes working two jobs long hour little pay have it easier then Goop.

    • Yonati says:

      Genevieve, that was priceless!
      People put her down because she’s obnoxious, not because of who her parents are.

    • jo73c says:

      I mean, a fundamental understanding of the meaning of the word nepotism would be a start…

    • Anony83 says:

      The funny thing is is that there was a point in there somewhere (an average point, but still one that’s not awful) about how nepo babies don’t get time to ease into things generally, especially the celebrity side of it. The Jenners could say the same. Every picture and every where they go is going to be intensely scrutinized in a way up-and-comers whose family no one has heard of might not.

      Okay.

      But, she’s comparing that to people working in an industry where people live in their cars or horrific crowded group apartments and get treated like cr*p until they “make it” and most don’t. So while there’s a point to be made that the nepo kids are expected to grow up very, very fast in the industry….people need to learn to talk about that sort of struggle without trying to make it a competition. It’s okay to say “this wasn’t great, it could be better” without making it about it being the WORST thing.

  2. Pork Chops and Applesauce says:

    She’s always been a putz, always, why would she stop now?

  3. Midnight@theOasis says:

    I can’t with Gwyneth today. She’s so tiresome.

    • Juju says:

      Maybe she means they have to work twice as hard as the people that have actual talent that opened doors for them? Making up for a lack of skill takes a lot of work, LOL.

      Sorry, feeling snarky today. If she’d consider that millions of people try and never get close to that door, despite hustling their hearts out, she might realize nepotism actors/models can never work twice as hard as those who’ve had years of fighting for it. But it will never cross her mind because she has to keep telling herself she’s self made & special.

      • Drea says:

        Snark or no, I think this is exactly it. She made it, through no effort of her own, and wonders why she didn’t remain the ‘it’ girl throughout her career. Uh, you need actual talent dear. The fact that she got in and stayed proves the nepotism.

        She’s exhausting.

      • Sue E Generis says:

        Because they’ve never experienced it, all of these people fail to realize that getting through the door is 90% of the struggle.

  4. Emmi says:

    But … she’s not twice as good? Huh? This is the Meghan McCain school of nepotism bébés, claiming to have worked twice as hard. If you’re reasonably talented, people will actually NOT make you twice as hard, because your name helps their business, too.

    Getting your foot in the door is 90% of success in that industry so what is she talking about.

    • FHMom says:

      Gwyneth cant see that there has never been anything special about her. She is famous because of her parents. They have shoved her through a door that would have closed in her face. The delusion is strong and amusing.

  5. OriginalLaLa says:

    Rich, famous white people complaining that they are in fact the victims… wtf.

    • KFG says:

      She can’t act. She never could. Now she has a cult of bs wellness products. These people! Seriously, if they actually worked twice as hard and were twice as good, they wouldn’t need nepotism! Like wtf. Her, Meghan McCain, nicolas cage, Kelly Osborne, Brooklyn Beckham. Like no talent no skills just do you know who my parents are! Like the eff!

      • Sue E Generis says:

        Exactly, imagine inarticulate, no talent Kelly Osborne just handed tv shows with zero experience. Meghan McCain, no experience or relevant education being given a major national platform, Brooklyn Beckham being given Vogue covers to shoot. I mean, please.

      • alexc says:

        Don’t forget TV ‘journalist’ Jenna Bush.

    • rgrhgr says:

      Joo!!!

    • bettyrose says:

      Yep. Yesterday it was the Hallmark channel ladies. Today it’s Goop. Her brand of insufferability is different than the good Christian girls of Hallmark, but it’s just as tiresome.

  6. C says:

    In some industries maybe but not in hers.

  7. Rapunzel says:

    “Sure, I had all these doors opened to me that were locked to others, but, I swear, I had to work twice as hard and be twice as good at walking through them.”- Goop

  8. Becks1 says:

    Look, I get it. If you benefited from nepotism in a big way (Paltrow, Dakota Johnson, etc), then you aren’t going to want to admit that you benefited from it. You are going to insist that while it got you “in the door” (I’m impressed that Paltrow even admits that it does that), your family connection means you have to work harder and have serious talent because if not…..then how can Paltrow et al explain their success? She has definitely convinced herself that she was a success in Hollywood because of HER, not because of her parents.

    so I get that’s what they all tell themselves. But lordy none of the rest of us do. you’re nepotism babies. Get over it.

    • Ramona says:

      Jamie Lee Curtis is a ‘nepotism baby ´ and she admitted having a ‘leg up’,so why Gwyneth can’t admit it?Having her parents and Spielberg as godfather is a huge leg up

      • Becks1 says:

        I mean she basically admits that – that it got her in the door “unfairly” – but then she acts like that’s all it did. Like having a recognizable last name and the connections she had etc didn’t help her as well.

    • Merricat says:

      It did a lot more than get her “in the door.” It got her the equivalent of a limousine with a police escort, drinking champagne while breezing through traffic as the rest of the mere mortals languish in the lines of cars, choking on smog.

      • Sue E Generis says:

        Great analogy. Love it.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        I’d included that undeserved Oscar – she’s a mediocre actress who rode along on the coattails of her more talented co-stars.

      • Becks1 says:

        Exactly! No, you did not get the roles you did SOLELY because of your talent. no one is saying “you” (nepotism babies in general, not necessarily Gwyneth) have no talent or appeal. I find Ben Stiller hilarious. But who you are, who your parents are, made a HUGE difference in your success, long after you got “in the door.”

      • bettyrose says:

        Gawd that Oscar. Didn’t she at one point refer to herself as no longer “intimidating” like she was as a 26 year old Oscar winner? Girl, no one found you intimidating. Everyone saw you for what you were, then and now.

  9. girl_ninja says:

    “Then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good…”
    No they don’t and no they do NOT. She has been rich for so long that she has no idea what the f*ck it means to struggle in her life. I’m not talking about personal losses like her father or even her conscious uncoupling, just the daily struggle. Horrible take. Messy obnoxious woman.

  10. Ramona says:

    I like Gwyneth but sometimes she is clueless or ignorant.She wasn’t even deserving of her Oscar: Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth” (1998) and Fernanda Montenegro in “Central do Brasil” (1998) were more deserving😒

  11. Chubcucumber says:

    Child of wealthy and famous people who has never worked for anything, gets job based on parents, discovers that they still have to do some moderate work to actually perform within reasonable expectations: I worked at least twice as much as I’ve ever worked before, therefore I’ve worked twice as hard as everyone else!

    • Dr Mrs The Monarch says:

      This is it exactly! When someone is handed a job that they are not qualified to do they must feel like they are working much harder than everyone else who is already trained and prepared.

    • Ally says:

      You guys are spot on! In her dellusional head she thinks she is giving 200% when really it is more like 20%.

  12. dlc says:

    Oh Gwyneth you magnificent *ssh*le, never change! I was thinking Vanessa Lachey could take your title as top troll but you put her in her place! Please go ask Ben Affleck to confirm that you work twice as hard as JLo. Or twice as hard as Jennifer Garner, for that matter, who she is way closer to in terms of career.

  13. A says:

    I was gonna say something b*tchy but instead I’ll say that it’s incredible how much people like Paltrow discount the security that comes from money and social connections. She was always going to be fine even if acting didn’t work out. There was never in her life a worry about keeping the lights on or food in the fridge. Which is wonderful for her. And meant she could devote herself to, if we’re taking her at her word, working twice as hard as her peers. Imagine what ordinary people could accomplish if they had that strong a safety net under them.

    • salty says:

      i’ve thought this same thing for so long. it’s not the doors that get opened or even that they feel they have to work twice as hard. it’s the privilege and security that they’ll be ok in life whether or not they succeed. that’s what i feel like they are not getting. if they don’t nail an audition, they can still pay rent. if someone else doesn’t get a job, that may very well
      be the difference between them eating that month or paying rent, or sleeping in their car because they don’t have the name or financial security to keep auditioning and failing over and over again.

      • A says:

        Yes, exactly! It’s so easy for wealthy people to dismiss concerns about privilege or inequality by saying they work hard. And lots of them must! But that isn’t the point and it’s just infuriating how little regard they seem to have for the people who very literally cannot afford to fail.

    • MaryContrary says:

      Coming on to say the same. My SIL is a working actress and comments on this. If you are spending your days auditioning, taking acting classes, and meeting people to try and break in, (and spending hours driving all over LA to do this-no joke) you don’t have time for a regular job to pay your bills.

      • A says:

        It’s ridiculous how little time they must’ve spent considering stuff like this. And what’s even worse is, imagine what someone like your SIL, who’s no doubt had to work and stress and actually t h i n k about mundane life problems can bring to roles that someone as blinkered and willfully obtuse as Paltrow could not.

      • Deering24 says:

        Back in the early 90s, the major reason I didn’t move to LA from NJ to work in the industry was because the finances were so daunting. Between a car, car insurance, and rent, I would have spent time paying to drive to work to pay to drive to work to pay to drive to work. And I would have had no time to write, which was my ultimate ambition anyway. Folks like Paltrow _never_ have to make those tough calculations. Heck, they get new cars (and insurance) the way we buy a Starbucks coffee. What’s budget-breaking for us is pocket change to them/their parents.

    • Tiffany:) says:

      Yes, this so much.
      Paltrow never had to decide between chasing her dream and having health insurance.

      • A says:

        I don’t expect better from Paltrow but I’d like to see someone call her out on that

  14. TwinFalls says:

    It feels twice as hard to keep up with non-nepo’s because they had to be twice as talented to get in the door, G.

    I’m still salty about Meryl Streep’s daughter’s ridiculously wooden performance on Gilded Age. Argh nepo casting.

  15. Sonya says:

    She been watching Scandal and thinks she’s Olivia Pope. All nepotism babies are Black now, ma’am.

  16. Maddy says:

    Release the delusion, Gwynny.

    Would you rather get to a place (that comes with a lot of money, fame and opportunities) and hear “you’re only here because of your parents” or never get anywhere close to that place, despite working your a** off for years and years?

    I have no problem with nepotism, but I have a problem with those who thinks being the beneficiary of nepotism puts them at a disadvantage. It doesn’t.

  17. NCWoman says:

    There are different levels of success. Not a nepotism baby, but I dated one, and I’ll say this: You can lead a good life that is wildly successful by most standards through nepotism. But if you want to level up and potentially exceed your parent/family’s level of success, there are often roadblocks because many people, even/especially the ones who gave you a cushy job because of your name, assume you are stupid, lazy, and/or lacking the skills/talent needed. Pretty sure that’s all she meant, and it’s not worth vitriol.

    • TwinFalls says:

      So don’t take the cushy job? Tiny violin for people not taken seriously after taking a job not given seriously.

    • C says:

      It depends on what line of work you’re in. I’ll be candid and say I had help in getting employment because of family but it was in things like entry-level fundraising or political work – my name wasn’t bringing in the money for these organizations and some other people who had been there a long time were skeptical, so I knew I had to work (although getting in the door absolutely was a gamechanger since I was doing retail and similar work after graduate school with a few humanities degrees).

      But in entertainment and modeling, etc, it’s completely different. Your name brings in money in a way it doesn’t in other areas. That’s the point of the A-list world.

    • Jess says:

      Totally disagree, NC Woman. I certainly question nepotism hires but the people (usu men) in charge don’t seem to have that problem. We’ve seen in Hollywood and in politics how much nepotism helps. I’m a lawyer and I see it there too. Nepotism even helps you get into the top schools where you can make the connections that help you succeed (through legacy preferences). Our entire system is built on generational wealth and privilege, ensuring that the same families stay on top generation after generation. Nepotism is a huge advantage and I can’t stand when these people won’t acknowledge it. Ben Stilled tried to pull this same crap on Twitter with Franklin Leonard a year ago or so. SMH

      • Merricat says:

        +1

      • NCWoman says:

        Of course, it’s a huge advantage and completely unfair. You can definitely maintain generational wealth and live a fabulous life through nepotism. But if nepotism was all it took to get to the next level of success, Scott Eastwood, Scott Caan, Marlon Brando’s one-time actor son, Madonna’s daughter Lola, and many others would have much bigger careers than they do. Do they get through doors and live lives they don’t deserve thanks to nepotism? You bet they do. But nepotism can’t get them to equal or exceed their parents.

      • C says:

        Eh. She is a blond thin rich white woman which is a type that will always have success.
        And let’s not forget that for better or worse Weinstein made her the face of Miramax for many years and bankrolled a lot of her fame. I don’t doubt she had horrible experiences at his hands but in terms of her career that is absolutely a factor. (As an aside I also did not appreciate Blythe Danner writing that her daughter “stood up for herself because we taught her to demand Weinstein treat her with respect” and what that implies about his other victims).

      • Both Sides Now says:

        @ Jess, well said!!! Nepotism to the best schools/colleges is a perfect example of how easy it is to take advantage as well as keeping their generational wealth.

        A perfect example of nepotism in politics are the Drumpf children. Ivanka and Jared have no clue about public service, only self promotion as well as taking full advantage to further their own personal business interests. On top of access to loans that the common person has zero chance of obtaining.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        @C I would bet money Weinstein never tried anything with GP. I worked in film and witnessed who got sexually harassed, it wasn’t ever Hollywood royalty.

        Because sexual harassment is a power issue. Her godfather is SS. No one was going to mess with her.

        Her moms comment is so crappy I can’t even. I stood up for myself and it it cost me a lot and didn’t stop the harassment. Blythe Danner is full of sh*tty privilege.

      • equality says:

        They taught her to stand up for herself. Did they teach her to support and stand up for other women?

      • Tiffany:) says:

        NCWoman, not sure if Scott Eastwood and Scott Caan are great examples. They both have around 40 credits on IMDB, and have appeared as stars in series and film. Caan was a lead on Hawaii Five-0 for 10 years! Compared to the overall number of people trying to make it in the acting world, they are absolutely successful, even if they aren’t the pinnacle of the A-list.

      • Deering24 says:

        equality, one suspects Paltrow has major Kate problems. Other women are competition/marks, not allies to respect/help.

    • Emmi says:

      Wait. Your argument is that yes, nepotism gets you that charmed life, a good job with lots of money and success but once you’ve already made it farther than 99% of people, you MIGHT have to work hard and still not get ahead? Welcome to the real world I guess? Of course only after you’ve already left 99% of that world in the dust.

    • Jenn says:

      NCWoman, I do actually agree. I was looking at the post thinking “Well, Gwyneth, there are certainly other, better ways to frame this thought,” and your point is what came to mind. I associate the idea of having to be “twice as good” with people of color specifically — when hard-earned achievements are diminished by whispers of being a token or “quota” hire — and Gwyneth co-opting that language for privileged white people is super unhelpful, self-centered, plus totally cringe. BUT it must be granted that people, including even privileged women at times, are undermined in their own careers every day, and “who’d she sleep with” or “well you know who her dad is” are just two ways that is handily accomplished. It’s just a fact. Of course it happens to famous people’s kids as well. (I think a lot about Mira Sorvino who, despite being the daughter of the late, great Paul Sorvino, never seemed to be “given” anything.)

  18. Noki says:

    The only nepo babies who should speak are those that can genuinely say i would still have the same success,fame, money etc with or without the leg up. I feel that this applies to people like Jenifer Aniston( most people dont even know her dad is famous), Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis ,Nicolas Cage( hats off to even changing his name),

    • Ramona says:

      Jamie Lee admitted that she had a leg up(thanks to her parents) for a role when she went against another actress. Maybe us,outside of Hwood, don’t know who are their parents but inside ,they do know those informations.

    • Coco says:

      Jolie also admitted that she got a leg up because of her dad and her being white and that their are people out there that are 10x better then her, but didn’t get her opportunities.

    • equality says:

      Sorry. Have to disagree about Aniston. She’s cute but just an okay actor.

  19. Bisynaptic says:

    If the nepotism-hire children have to work twice as hard, does that mean the nepotism-hire-children’s children have to work four times as hard? The great-grandkids eight times as hard? Can we get a power series going, here?

  20. Lolo86lf says:

    Most of us miss the most important point: In order to be successful in Hollywood you have to have talent. Being the child of someone famous will only get you so far. Sleeping with directors and producers or marrying them will only get you so far. When in boils down to it the actor/comedian, costume designer, make up artist, special effect technician etc. has to bring talent to the table or they will fail in the end. Of course just talent is not enough you have to work hard too. So GP’s talking point is meaningless.

    • caitiecait says:

      But she isn’t that talented….which is fine, there are a lot of mediocre/average actors out there, but she is acting like she has Viola Davis/Meryl Streep level acting chops and it is just not true.

    • Silent Star says:

      @LOLO86LF, I have to disagree. To succeed in Hollywood or anywhere really means making the right connections and not giving up. I truly think the talent is just a bonus, unfortunately.

      That’s where nepotism babies have the unfair advantage. They have to do very little work to get those connections. If they’re not talented, then sure, I agree they have to work twice as hard to convince people that they are.

      If Gwynneth had to work twice a hard she’s just admitting that even the best connections in Hollywood didn’t make up for her lack of talent.

    • Tan says:

      Stop defending the have alls. Most ppl on this site aren’t one and if you are, posting this is exceeding poor taste.

  21. Eowyn says:

    I’m gonna call this appropriation of a truism from the mouths of Black women really racist. It’s meant to speak to truly having to fight to get in the door, getting dumped on when you’re hired to do work beneath your qualifications and experience, and being vilified when you succeed. And then only being “allowed” leadership if your willing to overwork to benefit someone else’s agenda.

    • C says:

      +1.
      Actually doing the work you’re expected to do is not the same experience as Black women having to work twice as hard and be twice as good and still be treated as not good enough.

      • Both Sides Now says:

        @ C, added to the fact that WOC are mostly placed into the stereotypical categories of angry black female along with other racist stereotypes.

    • Blithe says:

      Thank you! You made this point a lot more deftly than I could have! Reading Paltrow’s comments really makes my blood boil. I can only imagine what could be accomplished when you have a name and connections that mean that your phone calls will almost always be returned.

    • salmonpuff says:

      Absolutely this.

    • Queen Meghan’s Hand says:

      I never thought of it that way and this is so true! (We’re the smartest readership around, aren’t we?)

    • Becks1 says:

      Thank you for saying this. Excellent point.

    • Deering24 says:

      Eowyn, _thank_ you. Doing too much is never enough when you are a WOC. I have always hated that “you have to work twice as hard” respectability politics canard because for WOC that means you work yourself to death for way less—and you are still never good enough. The bar always gets raised so you never quite “prove” yourself. And God forbid you make mistakes or dare take chances—one screwup can wipe out years of struggling to make your rep. For a person with everything, Paltrow really is one meaningless complainer. 🙄🙄

    • Both Sides Now says:

      @ Eowyn, well said and an excellent example of how much harder it is for WOC. The mere fact that this is still an issue in the 21st century is further proof that as a society, we still have tremendous strives needed to be made, in addition to expose the truth, no matter how unpleasant it is.

    • Jaded says:

      Add to that having to mind your P’s and Q’s or you’ll be accused of being uppity. Seems like every time Gwyneth opens her mouth she puts both gilded feet in it.

    • Tiffany:) says:

      Your comment really made me pause, because I have heard “have to work twice as hard and be twice as good” in regards to Black women, yet I didn’t make the connection that she was borrowing it here. And I feel bad that I didn’t catch that.

      It really makes her comment so much worse. When you think of the reality of Gwen’s “struggles” compared to what Black women face in our country, in our world, it really is breathtaking.

    • Lilpeppa40 says:

      Thank you Eowyn! I was scrolling through the comments looking for someone to make this point because it’s the first thing that struck me. She’s absolutely co-opting the saying from people of colour (black people specifically/originally who are often the least white adjacent) and I’m honestly appalled and disgusted that she even fixed her mouth to say that.

    • SIde Eye says:

      Thank you so much Eowyn for perfectly stating what I couldn’t! Thank you! When I worked in corporate America, when something went right (that I did) my boss took all the credit. When something went wrong (often out of my hands and control) I got blamed for it. It was a decade of being shit on. I had a White racist secretary that would not do my work or type my stuff and prioritized the other two White men she worked for – so I would type all my own stuff and basically do the jobs of three people because HR would do nothing about it and refused to re-assign her despite a number of complaints in writing about my secretary not doing her job.

      I was more qualified than my bosses and dealt with the most idiotic, racist comments on the daily. There was a mediocre White co-worker of mine who got worshipped constantly for going to X school (she flunked out and finished online but no one ever brought that up) and being a suck up. I once handed my boss her draft of an assignment that she alleged was almost completed – watched him mark it up and say how subpar it was with a look of pure disdain on his face and add “this isn’t up to snuff for the work we expect at (insert shitty firm name here). I responded: “that’s so unfortunate! I will let (insert name of racist mediocre White woman here) know as this is the draft she left on my desk (she would leave drafts on my desk to have me clean them up and take credit for my work as I would basically re-write them for her – I was in my twenties I didn’t know any better at the time).

      When I gave my notice (it said I quit – that’s it – not thanks for the experience nothing just I quit) they got scared I may sue and started with we’re going to miss you! (I bet you jackasses are going to miss me – I’m doing everyone’s work while they’re on the golf course) and “let us know if you need a recommendation.” GTFOH and shove that recommendation right up your asses. I really, really regret never filing a lawsuit, but I lived in a pretty racist state at the time that seems to only allow discrimination cases go forward where White people allege they are being discriminated against based on race. I should have still filed it on principle. I’m older and wiser now and life would be a living hell for this company if I worked for them today.

      I am so sick of mediocre White people alleging some sort of discrimination that exists only in their minds. Gwyneth has no talent. None. Gwyneth please get on Twitter and look at the thread Black women at work and tell us again how you worked twice as hard. Sigh…

  22. Dashen’ka says:

    No Gwyneth I believe you thinking of WOC. WOC must work 2x harder and get half. STFU!

  23. Sue E Generis says:

    So if I’m understanding Gwyneth correctly, she’s equating nepotism babies’ “struggle” to people traditionally completely shut out of opportunity by co-opting the phrase ‘twice as hard…” only her struggle is greater because she was placed at the front?

    Also, she forgot to mention that in struggling to be twice as good, nepo kids are allowed to fail and keep failing spectacularly until they get lucky, or figure things out. An endless bounty of opportunity not available to anyone else. But do go on, Gwhiny. So hard.

    • Granger says:

      Gwhiny! I’m dying, that’s awesome.

      That’s the thing — there’s no acknowledgement of the safety net that nepo kids have, as someone else pointed out above. You get your foot in the door, you get a part in a big movie, if you don’t do a great job there is STILL going to be someone else who wants you in their big movie. And even if you fail miserably, you had the opportunity to give it a try without having to work a second job, or worry about paying rent or eating. And because of your name, you will get the opportunity to try the next thing, with very little effort involved.

    • Latrice Babers says:

      “Work twice as hard and be twice as good”??? Are you flipping kidding me? B*tch please, try being a POC. Your struggle ain’t real. You can goop yourself

  24. Jess says:

    Still so annoyed at this. We can’t separate nepotism from white supremacy either. While there always have been successful people of color whose children have benefited from nepotism, one way our system of white supremacy continues is by ensuring that the kids of the people on top (white kids) have an unfair advantage in the next generation. And that system of nepotism continues through generations, unfairly giving advantages to the primarily white kids of the next generation.

    • Owlsyn says:

      Eh, I would argue that nepotism is as historically prevalent (if not moreso, even) in the Black music industry as it is in white Hollywood. We just haven’t seen as much of it in film as in music because you have to have power and influence to be able to get your kid in the door, and African Americans are only really beginning to break in to that kind of power. I think that the Smiths are the only real Hollywood example so far, but, wowsa are they an example of negative nepotism.

  25. LizzieB says:

    I feel the career of Lily Collins disproves her theory immediately.

  26. WiththeAmerican says:

    She’s absolutely too privileged for words. She can’t act better than most hallmark actors. All she had was generic beauty, and sooo many girls look just like her in LA.

    Millions try to even get an agent and can’t. She’s a snobby moron with no talent.

  27. Relly says:

    That’s right, everybody, we can’t forget the REAL oppressed people around here — thin white rich celebrities. It’s so fucking hard for Goop, you don’t even _know_. One time someone said something unpleasant to her and she was all, like, didn’t Martin Something say that people were supposed to all be equal and not be mean to her just for being skinny white and rich?????

  28. NeyKay says:

    I call BS on Gweny and her ideas re: nepotism.
    Bullsh*t!
    My word she has a huge ego, no?
    Go away and steam something, leave us alone. 😀

  29. salmonpuff says:

    It’s not just t he opportunities/jobs, either. It’s also the knowledge of how to navigate in those circles and the innate understanding of “the rules” that can help ease your path. When you grow up in that rarified world, you know how it works in a way that non-nepotism kids don’t.

    I have a friend that works for the White House — not a nepotism baby, but she grew up in DC, went to private schools, and understands that world. So when the WH called to recruit her, she could jump in to the job in a way that would be impossible for someone who’s never traveled in those circles. (She also works hard and 100% deserves the opportunity…just saying that I, for example, would struggle to fit into the WH culture in a way that she doesn’t.)

    • Sue E Generis says:

      Agreed. The majority of success is not based on output (what you create), but on soft power and influence with connections. When you can pick up the phone and call uncle Steven (Spielberg) and will listen to you and already be inclined to help you and tell you how to improve your not very good idea, that’s something unavailable to any pleb. Or your aunt who you grew up spending vacations with is in charge of the most prestigious art gallery in the country, of course she’s gonna exhibit your mediocre work. Of your dad is a billionaire whose friends are all also billionaire CEOs, of course you can pick and choose your summer internship no matter what’s on your resume.

      On a much smaller scale, I’ve seen this happen. In a Dr.’s office, their neighbor’s son had zero working experience and needed something on the resume to get him started. Given a job with zero experience and qualifications, allowed to come in whenever he liked so it wouldn’t interrupt his vacation and social plans. Wreaked havoc on all the working stiffs’ schedules, and he was paid a substantially higher salary than the actual workers. In the end, he barely showed up and when he did, he just followed everyone else around and watched them do the job. Got a stellar recommendation from the doc and claimed he’d acquired all the skills he’d watched others do.

    • Debbie says:

      Your story reminds me of my work working at a state agency. Whenever a new governor is elected, one of the unofficial staff members they get is an “appointment secretary.” This person is not a regular secretary who types letters, answers phones and books work-related meetings. No, they are in charge of making sure that the former gubernatorial candidate’s biggest donors (who really helped him/her get elected) get their adult children into cushy jobs. So, the appointment secretary call all the different govt. agencies and says that “the Smythes, who are very close to the new governor, have a son who just graduated college, don’t you have a position for them?” 10 times out of 10, a position is usually found for them, even if it must be created. And wouldn’t you know that it’s also very hard to get rid of the nepo-kid if they are not qualified?

      We had one such person who, whenever he messed up and couldn’t do simple tasks, would get passed around. He started out as an assistant to the head of the department, then got passed down to others lower in rank, and lower, and lower (still at the same salary though), until he got the message and found other work more suited to his skills. Fortunately for him though, he got to put the experience on his resume. What Gwenyth conveniently ignores is that “experience,” that access is invaluable to a person just starting out.

      • Erin says:

        My husband worked for an extended family member for years before he finally had enough and left. The owner’s kids got away with anything and everything and no one could say shit about it. They never got disciplined and came and went as they pleased. A couple of them were actually good workers but there was one in particular that couldn’t care less and of course they were in a management position. That one moved around a lot because people got fed up but they always found somewhere for them to go. But overall none of them actually worked like a typical employee because there was no worry of loosing your job. That does not make for good morale in the work place.

  30. TrixC says:

    Basically all she’s saying is that if you get a career due to nepotism, people will talk about the fact that you got your career due to nepotism… and if you are crap at what you do people will talk about it even more. And that’s as it should be. Why shouldn’t people talk about the fact that you had a leg up? If you don’t like it, there are other careers available.

  31. C says:

    Also Hailey’s shirt is tragic.

  32. Just Steph says:

    Lol first BJ Novak now this woman. White people really want to pretend that they’re marginalized, don’t they?

  33. Elsa says:

    How irritating. I like GP as actress but she is so blind to reality! I cannot stand nepotism or legacy stuff. It really ticks me off in the college industry. I work with normal kids who are working so hard in school who don’t have a chance at an Ivy while some rich kid just gets right in.

  34. HK9 says:

    When she’s twice as good, call me.

  35. Jo says:

    Did anyone click on the video? Hailey is not a good host at all. She has no charisma and awkward body presence. So there you go. There would be zero chances of her getting any job like this produced of her name wasn’t the double whammy of Baldwin-Bieber.
    Also Goop behaves as if this was her show. She is Ms Entitled.

    • Ramona says:

      Yup,she is not good at it but we know that she doesn’t have charisma. I’m millennial so I’m clearly not her target so maybe GenZ likes bland hosts🤷‍♀️

    • Lux says:

      I clicked. Honesty I was impressed that Hailey can conduct a “natural” line of questioning and make fillers/jokes. Maybe my expectations were so low that I couldn’t help but be impressed.

      I do think she comes across as super young: she seems confident enough to walk Gwyneth through her routine and oblivious enough not to be intimidated by/overly gushing over her. Aside from Goop’s comments, I actually found both of them comical, in an idly girly, fat-free way. You can tell G has more sass but was holding back because Hailey is so earnest.

      But the part where Hailey compared Goop’s comment to her mom…you can tell someone was not ready for that, ha!

    • Tiffany:) says:

      Hailey is incredibly fit, but she is not a good model from my perspective. Her face is not good for beauty ads, and her eyes always look quite flat and lifeless.

  36. cat says:

    it drives me nuts when they say it JUST got their foot in the door, as if that isn’t the hardest part about making it in hollywood. yes you have to actually be kind of talented to reach where gwyneth got to but there are a hundred women who could’ve been in her place, they just didn’t have the name/connections.

  37. NotSoSocialB says:

    Bitch, please.

  38. AT says:

    Am I the only person who doesn’t really mind nepotism babies? In my mind if a person grows up on sets, in the studio etc it makes sense that’s what they might do when they grow up. Are they going to work in a cubicle? 😂 it’s not much different from the real world where tons of people go into the same field as their parents. Like is Kaia as good of a model as Cindy? No, but she can model.

    • Debbie says:

      I don’t think anyone posting here said they hated nepotism babies or that they don’t come in many industries. People must live, they must make their way in life, and we all get that. It’s only when people who’ve benefited greatly from those connections and have worn their privilege like a fur coat that kept them warm, then turn around and call it a struggle – greater than their peers had to go through. That’s what most people have issues with, I think. These people are usually the type that couldn’t wait tell the world they called Spielberg “Uncle Steven” and that Telly Savalas was their godfather (Jennifer Aniston), now want to tell us they tried harder than others.

      • Tan says:

        Remember when Goop did a budget food challenge gave up after the second or third day then chain smoked and complained how hard it was 🤪

  39. Mami says:

    What’s wrong with saying, “I am certain my family background was a huge advantage. I try to work as hard as I can to justify some of that privilege, but really privilege is by definition unearned.”

  40. Sarah says:

    Nepotism can happen in any industry. Someone at my office was promoted because they are related to a Department head. They were too young to be qualified for the job. I know someone who has only ever worked at her parents successful business and has never had to job search or go on an interview. I have never had a leg up in any job. However, I know that everything I have accomplished is through my own hard work.

  41. Queen Meghan’s Hand says:

    I know quoting yourself from a previous post is like sniffing your fingers after scratching your butt however my response to Ethan Hawke’s pointedly sharp observation about her was the first time I articulated what makes me roll my eyes at GP:

    “Gwyneth talks SO OFTEN like she walked away from a hugely successful and impactful acting career—as though she ever had the career of Cate Blanchett—when really she was just a 90s It Girl who won the Oscar on that It Girl popularity alone. She peaked early because she was always meant to peak early.”

    How much “hard work” could she have ever done with her privilege and connections when she really started working full-time in the industry at 20, won the Best Actress Oscar at 25 and then stopped working at 31 after a handful (not a lot!) of movies because she got married and pregnant? She’s 50 now! 50! Her acting career was blip yet she talks incessantly about how hard she worked like she DID something, like her screen presence is missed. Girl, you ain’t Cameron Diaz.

    • Sue E Generis says:

      Everything is relative. All she knows are other nepotism babies and my guess is that most of them have never worked at all. So from her perspective, she’s one of the hardest working people she knows.

    • Deering24 says:

      Whoa! What’s the backstory on her and Hawke—they went together for a while, right? That assessment is right brutal (though richly deserved.)

      • Queen Meghan’s Hand says:

        In answering a question about never/not yet winning an Oscar for acting (he’s been nominated for best screenplay too), Hawke said: “ If Gwyneth hadn’t won the Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love,” would we have gotten 50 more better performances? Sometimes the yearning gets satiated and sometimes it doesn’t.”

        And we know the answer is no. And that her few performances after the Oscar win were not…impressive.

      • Deering24 says:

        Thanks!

  42. Capital F says:

    It’s all a privilege, isn’t it? Everything from birth onward — the educated parents, the connected friends, the good neighborhoods, being comfortable around powerful people from birth, powerful people at every family event, exposure to film sets, knowing who’s who, having access to the powerful, good schools, confidence in your own skin from being validated as fitting in with the powerful from birth, having your accomplishments lauded by the powerful, not struggling to fit in to powerful society, not struggling to be seen and heard, not struggling to pay for things, access in the way of plane tickets and where you live and setting up meetings, access to agents, managers, and lawyers. It’s like This is Water by David Foster Wallace — Gwyneth and all the nepotism babies have been in water so long they don’t even know they’re in water. She is so privileged and has been so ingrained in privilege, she doesn’t see her privilege AT ALL. I had a friend like this — white, privileged, wealthy family, etc., and swore to me (me — the opposite in every way of her in person and upbringing and background and work ethic) that she is underprivileged and has had to work harder because of her privilege. These privileged brats do not get it. At all.

    • Deering24 says:

      These kids conclusively prove Fitzgerald’s point that the rich are different.

    • Ksenia says:

      And money for plastic surgery to give them a further leg up (Dakota Johnson, Zoe Kravitz, Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Kardashians etc.)

  43. Cortney says:

    HAHAHA! The lies we tell ourselves…

  44. MtlExPat says:

    Ah poor Gwyneth – she still doesn’t understand that without mom and dad’s connections foisting her upon us she would just be another average plain blond-ish lady without an Oscar…

  45. Debbie says:

    “As the child of someone, you get access other people don’t have, so the playing field is not level in that way,” Gwyneth told Hailey on the July 27 episode.”

    How in the world is Gwenyth so dismissive and nonchalant about one of the hardest parts of getting started in her business? The “access” part is so important, in terms of getting experience, money to live, confidence, etc. that people in power try to extort sexual favors from the non-privileged for it in extreme cases. That’s how important it is to get your foot in the door and be given access to roles and a wide range of parts – not just as an extra.

  46. Houlihan says:

    I swear, we need a new word for Ms. Goop’s rich white privileged nepotism baby retro-rationalization delusions. Neplusions? Neprivilege? Deludotism? Bullshit?

    She’s like someone combined a legacy sorority girl and my great-aunt who believes Dr. Oz deserves a Nobel Prize for Medicine.

  47. ME says:

    Next she’ll say being a blonde white girl is sooooo much harder ! She had to work twice as hard to get noticed guys !

    Shut up.

  48. els says:

    I wish those who come from nepotism can admit openly. Is there anything wrong with that? Hollywood is a very tough industry, to even enter is hard enough. To get this level of recognition and fame, don’t get me start.

    This story and Gwyneth Paltrow make me laugh. She’s the kind of celebrity I don’t take seriously because she says crap all of the time. 🤣
    I think she wants her story to be one of a kind success story.

  49. SHOUT OUT says:

    Shout out to the opening line from Gwyneth to the hostess — I think I know your dad and your uncles. And the hostess laughs that this is her favorite thing people say to her. And then, “I did a movie with your dad.” And the hostess is there because she worked hard, you guys. LOL. This on a show lamenting the adversities of nepotism. The jokes write themselves.

  50. North of Boston says:

    The juxtaposition of this “nepotism babies have it SOooo Hard!” post with FFK Wills wanting everyone to admire “his work” is cracking me up!

    Like, you won the ancestry lottery kids … born with more advantages than 99.999999% of people in human history. Maybe just take the W and a seat, and put your attention and effort into doing something useful.

    Unless you’re workshopping new characters for Willy Wonka The Next Generation, trying to put a personal spin on Veruca Salt and Mike TeeVee, in which case, as you were.

  51. Cha Cha Slide says:

    Girl, bye.

  52. Annaloo. says:

    People only bring up nepotism when they can’t see why you are in an exalted position, dear daughter of someone.

    Gwyneth talks about nepotism enough, indicating clearly it’s something that comes up a lot with her. People are always wondering how she got where she is for all the mediocrity and thirst traps she has to pull. How many nude birthday IG posts do we need to see?

  53. Julia K says:

    Every time I have seen her on screen, I am reminded that this is Gwyneth reading a script.

  54. Oye says:

    Still I do believe nepotism can only takes you so far and it has its own negative set backs as well

  55. Dillesca says:

    These comments are so insane, because it’s not just that nepotism gives you a leg up these days– it’s the RULE to which (if you have no connections) some poor suckers hope to be the exception. It’s mostly nepotism hires now.

  56. Isabella says:

    She isn’t twice as good and doesn’t work twice as hard as other women. She’ll never need to do either task.