Both of her Gen Z children have starred in her films, but Oscar winner Kate Winslet says claims about nepo babies are ‘silly’
No industry is a stranger to nepotism. Powerful business families have passed down their billion-dollar empires for generations, and the children of tech innovators have launched their own start-ups. Likewise, actress Kate Winslet’s children are now following in her footsteps, with both Gen Zers pursuing careers in Hollywood, but she is adamant the Winslet name doesn’t open any doors.
“I don’t like the term baby nepo because these kids don’t have a head start,” Winslet told the BBC in a recent interview while promoting her upcoming film, Goodbye June.
Ironically, the screenplay for the film, which will be released on Netflix on December 24, was written by his eldest son, Joe Anders, 21.
And they didn’t lose sight of how their collaboration could be perceived, with Winslet’s son bracing himself for allegations of nepotism.
“[Joe] “I don’t want people to think this movie is made just because you’re my mom,” Winslet continued. “The film would have been made with or without me. The script is so, so good.
The 50-year-old Oscar-winning actress, who is worth an estimated $65 million, has been outspoken in criticizing the Nepo Baby label. She pointed out that children are naturally drawn to their parents’ work, whether that’s taking over a family business or continuing a multi-generational line of doctors.
“But that doesn’t necessarily mean being able to get a job and earn the respect of your peers and those around you,” Winslet added.
“Both of them have charted their own paths separately and have been able to do that, and part of that is actually teaching them to ignore the white noise of silly terms like nepo baby, which you really can’t do anything about.”
Kate Winslet fans accuse the actor of denying that her children are landing coveted jobs in Hollywood
Two of Winslet’s three children have already made their Hollywood debut.
Most recently, Anders starred alongside his mother in the 2023 film Lee; but his first major film role was in the Oscar-nominated film 1917directed by his father, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes. Gen Zers took up both of their parents’ passions, with credits as an actor and screenwriter at just 21 years old. Write screenplays for Oscar-winning actresses and star in films made by the minds behind them Heavy rain And American beauty, This is no small feat at such a young age.
Meanwhile, Winslet’s daughter, Mia Threapleton, 25, has made a splash on the independent film scene. Earlier this year, she played the lead role in Wes Anderson’s film. The Pheonician diagram. And just like Anders, she had the opportunity to play alongside her mother; she aptly played Winslet’s daughter in the 2022 BAFTA-winning TV show I’m Ruth. Thrapleton also starred in the Apple TV drama series The Buccaneers.
Winslet’s youngest child, Bear Blaze Winslet, 12, has yet to play in any drafts.
In the comments section of BBC interview posted to social media, many people were quick to point out Winslet’s appeal, citing “privilege” and industry connections as key to her children’s success.
“She seems to ignore the reality that her children certainly would not have been able to become actors if Kate had not been their mother,” wrote one commenter. “There are hundreds of thousands of very talented young people, but they don’t have rich or famous parents who can make connections. That doesn’t mean nepotistic babies don’t have the right to pursue something creative.”
From Eric to Trump to Phoebe Gates, “nepo babies” are everywhere
Family dynasties have gone through generations of nepotism, from the Carnegies and Vanderbilts to the Murdochs and Waltons. Even one of President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric Trump, acknowledged that “nepotism is kind of a factor in life” — but stipulated that it didn’t support his career running his father’s real estate business.
Phoebe Gates, the 23-year-old daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has also recently entered the tech scene. She co-created Phia, an AI-powered shopping tool, while studying at Stanford, launching the idea with her roommate and co-founder Sophia Kianni. It was launched in April 2025, bringing together more than 500,000 users and 5,000 direct partner brands as of September. The company raised $8 million in seed funding, attracting investments from celebrities including Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg and Sara Blakely of Spanx. For all her success, she understands the benefits of being a Gates, even if it’s an uncomfortable truth.
“I had so much insecurity and such a desire to prove myself,” Gates said during an episode of his podcast, Burnouts. “I came in, I was like, ‘I have so much privilege, I’m a nepo baby.’ I had so much insecurity about it. I feel like it’s really hard when you’re a freshman in college because you have no experience, you have nothing.
And when it comes to passing down the family business, every successful parent has a different idea of when their children are ready to take on their life’s work. Earlier this year, real estate mogul Jorge M. Pérez took over his $40 billion business from his sons. However, Pérez didn’t just hand over the keys to his empire; To avoid allegations of nepotism and ensure his company was in safe hands, the entrepreneur made them prove their talents over 18 years of study and work. His children had to get an MBA, work for a competitor for five years, and spend more than a decade working their way up the ranks.
“When I felt particularly — starting with Jon Paul — that they could come and work at the company, what I didn’t want was for the people at the company to feel like they were entitled to it, that the reason I gave them a position was because they were just my sons,” Jorge said. Fortune earlier this year.
