Emma Roberts speaks out about being labeled a “Nepo Baby.”
Roberts, who is the niece of actress Julia Roberts, spoke about the downsides of being born into a famous family in an interview with Flaunt magazine earlier this week.
“I've lost more jobs than I've gained because of being in this industry,” Roberts said. “People have opinions, and sometimes they're not good opinions of their families. I've never gotten a job because of it, but I've definitely lost a few jobs because of it.”
Roberts, 33, is also the daughter of mother Kelly Cunningham, and the “Scream Queens” actress' father Eric Roberts is Julia Roberts' brother.
“Space Cadet” starring Emma RobertsOn his fear of flying and his upcoming “Thriller” movie
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What is a “Nepobaby”?
“Nepo baby” is short for nepotism, or the practice of giving preferential treatment to friends and family in business, and has become popular among social media users, who use the term with both amusement and disgust after learning that they may have helped aspiring stars get into showbiz.
The term was popularized in a 2022 New York Magazine article, though Roberts was excluded from the piece.
“Should I be upset?” Roberts joked to Flaunt magazine about the exclusion. “It was a cheesy way to put all the celebrity kids on the cover of a baby body magazine.”
She continued, “The 'Nepo Baby' conversation could have resulted in a more interesting, intelligent and nuanced article in Vanity Fair, but instead it became a hate-people story.”
Roberts to star in new movie
Career-wise, Roberts stars in the new Amazon movie “Space Cadet,” which opened on Thursday. She plays Tiffany “Rex” Simpson, the unlikely savior of a failed U.S. space mission. But Roberts told USA Today she's afraid of flying.
The actress suffers from claustrophobia and said that even being on an atmospheric aircraft is difficult for her.
“I don't like flying. I'm not good at flying,” Roberts told USA Today. “If I think about it too much, it makes me sick. It makes me panic. It makes my hands itch just thinking about it.”
Contributor: Ralphie Aversa