Nepo Baby Parents Who Were Forgotten By Hollywood

At the very top of a nepo baby's wish-list is a desire to prove themselves in Hollywood. For most famous offspring, that dream is a distant reality since whatever little success they have is usually chalked up to their parents' connections. However, a select few nepo babies have used these connections to forge a career that is so bright it eclipses their predecessor's success. In an exclusive chat with The List, Amy Prenner, a communications expert and the founder of The Prenner Group, professed that the rare instance of a nepo baby outshining their parents usually occurs when they broaden their horizons. 

"Having a famous parent opens doors — no one's denying that — but the kids who really eclipse their parents are usually doing something their parents never did, reaching audiences their parents never could, or just catching lightning in a bottle at the right cultural moment," she explained. Moreover, Prenner pointed out that fame isn't a "one size fits all" deal since each generation of a famous family has different avenues for success and a varied audience to cater to. 

According to the communications expert, the advent of social media gave the younger generation a real leg up on their famous parents since they could burst onto the scene by posting content and cast their net out to a wider audience to get even more famous. Some nepo babies have also recognized the advantages that their generation came pre-equipped with, and have used them to craft a successful career that caused many to forget that they even came from a famous family.

While Billy Ray Cyrus' most controversial moments have soured the reputation he carefully built over decades, the country icon's daughter, Miley Cyrus, has only continued to thrive. In January 2025, the "Achy Breaky Heart" hitmaker became the subject of widespread backlash for his eyebrow-raising performance at Donald Trump's inaugural ball. Billy Ray's set was marred with technical hiccups and awkward moments, as he went from being entirely silent while a recording of "Old Town Road" played, to singing acapella to a confused audience that notably didn't join in. 

Although the country star later chalked up his questionable performance to technical difficulties, Billy Ray's support for the divisive president still didn't sit well with many people. Of course, the messiest moments from Billy Ray's divorce from his much-younger wife, Firerose, didn't exactly do wonders for his tarnished reputation either. Meanwhile, Miley just keeps doing better professionally and personally. The Disney Channel alum's 2023 hit "Flowers" not only smashed records and earned billions of streams, but also bagged Record of the Year at the Grammys. Moreover, the world continues to adore Miley for unapologetically being her authentic self while constantly experimenting with genres to keep her music fresh. 

In a September 2025 interview with Vogue, Miley shared that she didn't see her genre shifts as "costumes" to be worn and discarded, but rather a means for her to grow both musically and personally. The "Midnight Sky" songstress was in an equally great place in her personal life too, proudly noting, "I've even gained the name Queen of Pristine because in every corner, every drawer, every friendship, every family dynamic, everything is just getting an upgrade in the cleanup."

Angelina Jolie's father, Jon Voight, notably triggered his own reputational downfall. After the Washington Post shared a clip of Donald Trump making several misogynistic remarks, the "Midnight Cowboy" star came to his defense, arguing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he didn't "know of too many men who haven't expressed some sort of similar sexual terms toward women, especially in their younger years." Over the years, there were numerous other times when Voight publicly supported Trump while ignoring how the president had made insulting remarks about his Oscar-winning daughter. 

Additionally, Voight's strained relationship with Jolie and the comments he made about her didn't do anything to mend the formerly beloved actor's controversial image. For instance, in a 2002 interview with "Access Hollywood," Voight told the world that he wished the "Girl, Interrupted" star would seek treatment for her supposed mental health problems. If that wasn't bad enough already, he was also unsurprised by the end of Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton's marriage because he was iffy about their union from the get-go. 

Following that bizarre interview, it became increasingly clear that the "Tomb Raider" star didn't want anything to do with her father, as she proceeded to legally drop "Voight" from her last name. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jolie once explained why she hadn't ever used her father's famous name professionally: "I wanted to have my own identity — I didn't want to walk into a room as 'Jon's daughter.'" And it's safe to say nobody knows her as such, because the activist managed to stand on her own two feet with her work.

While speaking on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, in September 2025, Jennifer Aniston asserted that she didn't think of herself as a nepo baby, despite being the daughter of "Days of our Lives" legend John Aniston (aka Victor Kiriakis). Although the "Friends" star acknowledged that a famous parent could naturally give their child a leg-up in their brutal industry, the kid would still need to have the requisite talent to build a long-standing career. In fact, the soap icon strongly urged her not to become an actor, with Jennifer recalling, "My dad was telling me, please don't do this. You're just going to suffer rejection." 

In an August 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, the "Morning Show" star confessed to a heartbreaking reason for wanting to follow in her father's footsteps: "Always wanting to get Pop's approval — it was the thing that drove me and was also my biggest heartbreak: Trying to impress and prove your value to a man who's only capable of so much." A testament to Jennifer Aniston's complicated relationship with her parents lay in the actor's revelation that she hoped her father would shower her with love if she excelled at their shared craft. 

Thankfully, the nineties icon got to hear John confirm that he was proud of her numerous times before he sadly passed away in 2022. There's no doubt he was an iconic actor who impressed millions by working on "Days of Our Lives" for over three decades. However, as Amy Prenner pointed out, in her exclusive chat with The List, "Jennifer Aniston didn't just become more famous than her father John — she became one of the most recognizable faces on the planet during the 'Friends' era, then maintained that status for decades."

During a 2023 interview with Bustle, director Bruce Paltrow and actor Blythe Danner's famous daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow, decried the nepo baby label as an "ugly moniker." The "Seven" star argued that it was exclusively bestowed upon celebrity kids since the term was never used to negatively describe a lawyer or a doctor's child who wanted to follow in their footsteps. Additionally, Gwyneth believed it was perfectly normal for a kid to want to pursue a similar career to their parents after hearing them constantly talk about their passion. Although the Oscar winner undoubtedly inherited her parents' love of filmmaking, she also cultivated interests of her own, which ultimately helped her outshine them. 

In 2008, Gwyneth made good use of her entrepreneurial spirit by founding lifestyle brand Goop. The business was a risky move for both the A-lister and her investors because it was rare to see a celebrity-owned brand thrive in the market at the time. However, she beat the odds, and Goop became a $250 million giant in the next decade. While Danner and Bruce were undoubtedly both accomplished in their own right, neither has an Academy Award.

However, Gwyneth managed to accomplish the rare feat early on in her career, bagging the Best Actress gong for "Shakespeare in Love" in 1999. Danner couldn't be happier about her daughter's achievements. The Tony winner joked with Us Weekly in 2019 that she couldn't believe she birthed someone so talented, gushing, "She's just extraordinary, although, I'm not that surprised, because growing up she was always fearless, always trying something new and different." Of course, as expert Amy Prenner warned us, "That kind of fame imbalance can do a real number on family dynamics, and we almost never see that part."

It almost seems unfair to call Whitney Houston a nepo baby but she did indeed follow in her mother, Cissy Houston's, footsteps by becoming a singer. However, the icon's illustrious career seems even more impressive when we consider that she had big shoes to fill because of all that her mother had achieved. Across Cissy's decades-long career, she found success as a member of The Drinkard Singers and The Sweet Inspirations, and even earned two Grammys because of her solo work as a gospel singer. Additionally, she lent her vocal talents to icons like Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, and Bette Midler as a backup singer. 

There have been several times when we have cringed over celebrity takes on being a nepo baby. However, the "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" hitmaker wasn't one of them. During Whitney's appearance on "The Magic Johnson Show," back in 1998, the host asked if having a famous mother and cousin helped her career. After answering in the affirmative and applauding her family's achievements, Whitney proclaimed, "As my cousin and my mother would put it, 'We'll help you get in the door, but when you're in there you're on your own," (via YouTube). 

She continued, "To have that legendary background, it's very becoming. But once you get in there, you gotta prove yourself to be as good or better. It's not all that easy." One audience member spoke for all of us when they yelled that she had accomplished the difficult task (and then some).