Kate Winslet has been criticized over her take on the term 'nepo baby' after insisting that her children didn't get 'a leg up' in the entertainment industry.
The phrase 'nepo baby' is used to describe the child of a famous or wealthy parent, whose success is believed to be due to their parents' experience and industry connections.
It's often used to describe kids of famous actors and singers, but Winslet - whose acting career has spanned over 30 years - has claimed that this doesn't necessarily translate to a successful career.
“I don’t like the nepo baby term because, you know, these kids are not getting a leg up,” the mom-of-three told the BBC.
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“You know, [Joe] would say to me, 'I don’t want people to think that this film is just being made because you’re my mum'. The film would have been made with or without me, the script is so, so good.
“And with Mia, I just try and say to my children, just follow your heart.”
Winslet was chatting with the outlet ahead of the release of Goodbye June, which her son Joe Anders, 21, wrote the screenplay for.
He also starred alongside Winslet in the movie Lee, and in 1917, which was directed by his dad, Sam Mendes.
Meanwhile, Winslet's daughter Mia Threapleton starred alongside her mom in the Channel 4 drama I Am Ruth.
“There are lots and lots of people in the world whose children go into a similar family business, whether it’s being a judge or a lawyer or a doctor,” Winslet added.
“Part of it is actually teaching them to ignore the white noise of silly terms like nepo baby, which you can’t really do anything about."
People were quick to criticize Winslet over the comments, claiming the actor is 'delusional' about the term.
One wrote: “This is delusional and insulting to every young performer who lacks famous parents or the necessary contacts to get opportunities."
While another said: "Even if you believe this (which I don't) - there was a shocking statistic out recently about the very low number of working class people working in the arts in the UK.
"It has massively declined during my lifetime and much of it is because trying to make it in the arts costs too much money. Most people simply can't afford to wait for their big break.
"So whether you want to call them 'nepo babies' or not, they are still privileged kids from wealthy backgrounds which is a massive help regardless of who their parents are. (And then you add that on top of it.) I get being proud of your kids and wanting them to do well, but really."
And a third added: "Why can't people just admit they had a helping hand? Talent plays a part, but also it's luck-based."
While a fourth pointed out: "I don’t care if someone is a nepo baby. Best believe, if I was in a position to give kids a leg up, I’d do so. Of course I want them to be successful and to be doing something meaningful to them.
"But, just admit it. This is what aggravates me. Let’s see how her kids careers would be going if she was working a 40 hour week, making 50k a year somewhere. Is it possible they’d be doing what they are doing? Sure. It is likely? No, absolutely not."
UNILAD has reached out to Winslet's reps for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, Film and TV, Entertainment
Lucy Devine