Catherine Zeta-Jones spoke out against the “nepo baby” label, calling it “horrific” and saying her children “didn’t ask to be born into this.” The actress has two children, Dylan Douglas, 26, and Carys Zeta Douglas, 23, with her husband, Michael Douglas, who are pursuing their own acting careers.
Catherine Zeta-Jones weighs in on the nepo baby backlash as Dylan and Carys Douglas pursue careers in showbiz
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 56-year-old Welsh actress said, “They’re plugging away,” adding, “My daughter wanted to be Amal Clooney for a while. But you have to go with your dreams, your passion.”
The actress, known for her roles in The Mask of Zorro and Chicago, said, “It’s hard for them to forge a way forward on their own. This horrific phrase ‘nepo baby’ is horrible because these kids didn’t ask to be born into this; they’re finding their own way in life. But they love it, and they’re good. Otherwise, Michael and I would be the first to go, ‘You know what? Maybe law school looks really good.'”
Catherine got her first major break in 1987 when she joined the West End production of 42nd Street. She went on to achieve widespread recognition in the UK after joining the cast of The Darling Buds of May in 1991.
The actress told the outlet, “Until I had my own kids, I didn’t realise the pressure, how big that was for a young adult – well, a teenager.” She added, “I had a sniff of the joy of being in the theatre so young. I went, ‘I want to do this. I can’t imagine going through school and A-levels in Swansea.'”
Michael Douglas is a nepo baby in his own right, having been born to legendary actor Kirk Douglas. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael met at the Deauville Film Festival in France in August 1998. They announced their engagement a year later, before marrying at New York’s Plaza Hotel in 2000.
