Model Coco Rocha Gives Us Her Best Take On The ‘Nepo Baby’ Fiasco, Calling It A “Distraction” From Bigger Issues

Recently, Vulture released a hit piece on nepotism in the entertainment industry titled “The Year of the Nepo Baby.” The in-depth article broke the internet, causing many users and celeb spawns to share their own thoughts on the matter. Supermodel Coco Rocha decided to post her own take on nepotism on her social media accounts, and she definitely made some good points. 

"So, I've been asked a few times to talk about the whole 'nepo baby' thing, and for a while I've bitten my tongue," the 34-year-old says in the first of her four-part TikTok series. "I've been a high fashion model for 20 years. I've done all the runways, and all the campaigns, and all the major covers of magazines. Any milestone that a top model would want to reach, I've been there."

The supermodel continues, "I was raised by a single parent who wasn't famous or a millionaire. My mom was actually a flight attendant up until three years ago. So I'm not a nepo baby. All that being said, I have some unpopular opinions about nepo babies that I'd like to share here."

"Let's be real: privilege is a ladder. It's a ladder that's a thousand steps high. Some are born higher on the ladder than others. That is a fact. All working and successful models have at least a few steps up on that ladder, because, lucky you, you were born photogenic!" Rocha explains, adding, "Some start out higher on the ladder because they were born in wealthier countries, like America, France, Italy, not in part of the world where it's limited education or healthcare. That is a privilege." 

The high fashion model continues, "Some, like myself, were boosted higher onto the ladder because we worked with some great photographers or great designers that helped us get there. They were given a chance to make a mark which they had not yet earned. Some, by birth, were born into a wealthy family. They had parents that supported them pursuing modeling before any money was made." 

Rocha then explains the disadvantages that models of color face in the industry. "Because of the racist legacy of this industry, white models start off higher on the ladder than most models of color. More opportunities are given to them, whether that's fair or not. And yes, some 'nepo babies' started off higher on the ladder because their parents were famous. Everyone has an advantage over someone else in this world." 

"So I scratched my head because so many of these models that are complaining about this [nepotism] already have so many advantages," she says. "Many of them are hundreds of steps up that ladder. For them to be perched so high above so many, you're going to scream and shout that someone started higher in the ladder and pull them down? How about we recognize our own position, reach down, and pull someone up?"

In Rocha's second video, she rhetorically asks why society is so hyper-focused on nepotism in the entertainment and fashion industry, when we should make it a point to recognize its presence in other institutions. "What about nepotism in business, finance, politics? The way that shapes our world? That monopolization of power is world changing, but according to what we read these days, the peak of our problem is who takes the pretty pictures or who's in the next blockbuster movie," Rocha says. "Let's see this for the distraction that it is."

The supermodel adds that the "modeling, entertainment, and fashion industry is used as a scapegoat" to what's truly happening in the world. She uses one event in 2018 as an example, where there was a focus on sexual harassment in the fashion and entertainment industry. Rocha acknowledges the seriousness of the matter that she speaks of, but adds that when we're only scrutinizing a handful of individuals in a small industry, we fail to see the bigger picture. 

"There's harassment in every workplace, not just on photo shoots," Rocha says. "At restaurants and businesses all over the world. It's clickbait for the media to spotlight these issues as 'unique' to my industry." It’s important to note that Rocha is not saying that these issues in her industry shouldn't be addressed – what she is saying, however, is that when we’re hyper-focused on one problem (like nepotism in fashion), we fail to see it all around us. 

In Rocha's third video, she teaches her audience that some nepo babies have earned their spots in the fashion and entertainment world. She uses Pat Cleveland and the Hadid sisters as prime examples of making the most of their circumstances by working hard and being professional.

In her last TikTok, Rocha mentions how she would never write someone off because of their background. She then highlights the importance of putting in the effort to prove your worth and ability. "I say this as a successful model with three young children who one day will grow up in my shadows, to some extent, finding their own path," Rocha sweetly explains. "As a mom, I'm going to give them every advantage I can, as any good parent would. After that, I hope that they can prove on their own their worth in this world."

The model concludes, "I hope people will give them a fair chance to do that, not based on who their mom was, but who they are now." 

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