In the midst of the continuing nepotism controversy, Lily-Rose Depp has emphasised that she is “very conscious” of her privilege.
During the last several months, there has been tremendous debate in the entertainment business about nepotism and the success of individuals born into powerful families, prompting many renowned faces, like Lily Allen, Kate Hudson, and Kaia Gerber, to weigh in.
In a new interview, Lily – daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis – opened up about growing up in the spotlight, explaining that she understands that her childhood was a lot more privilege than others.
‘I’m so careful about these conversations now,’ the 23-year-old model began. ‘I feel like my parents did the best job that they possibly could at giving me the most “normal childhood” that they could. And obviously, that still was not a normal childhood.
‘I’m super aware of the fact that my childhood did not look like everybody’s. But at the same time, it’s all that I know, so I have had to find comfort in it somehow.
‘I’m really lucky that I’ve been surrounded by people who value normalcy and who value real life and I think that’s the only way to exist in this world and not go insane.’
Despite being nurtured by two industry heavyweights, Lily-Rose, who will be seen in the new HBO drama The Idol, has said that she suffers from ‘imposter syndrome’ behind the scenes.
‘You just have to jump in and have some kind of faith that, if they’ve chosen me, then hopefully I’ve been chosen for a reason. That’s all that you can do,’ she added to i-D Magazine. ‘By that same token, I think that there’s nothing more exciting than being like, “Wow, I’m so nervous. I feel so challenged by this. How on earth am I going to pull this off?”
‘You could ask for no better fuel to make you want to work really, really hard. If you’re not scared, then what’s the point? I like the fear a little bit.’
This isn’t the first time Lily-Rose, who started working in fashion as a teenager, has brought up the subject of nepotism.
In a frank interview with Elle Magazine in December, she stated that people she meets online are more interested in her family history than those she meets in person.
‘The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that,’ she said.
‘It’s weird to me to reduce somebody to the idea that they’re only there because it’s a generational thing. It just doesn’t make any sense.
‘If somebody’s mom or dad is a doctor, and then the kid becomes a doctor, you’re not going to be like, “Well, you’re only a doctor because your parent is a doctor.” It’s like, “No, I went to medical school and trained”.
‘I just hear it a lot more about women, and I don’t think that it’s a coincidence.’