Mel B’s daughter Phoenix Chi reveals what it’s really like to be a nepo baby saying ‘we do have a bad rep’
MEL B’s daughter Phoenix Chi has revealed what it’s really like to be a nepo baby – saying they’ve ‘have a bed rep’.
The 25-year-old has weighed into the highly publicised debate on advantages nepo babies receive.
Phoenix will front a new documentary exploring the topic, called Born In The Limelight Nepo Babies: UNTOLD.
It will see her reinvent herself in various jobs to see how far she can really get before dropping her famous connection.
Speaking to The Sun’s TV Mag, the star admitted she is a nepo baby herself and defended other nepo children, saying how their own talents aren’t often recognised.
Phoenix said: “In a way yeah I think we do have a bad rep in the sense that people think we are handed a certain type of dream more than anyone else.
At the end of the day, you wouldn’t be in those positions, and they wouldn’t go as far as they do if you weren’t good at them or if you didn’t have any type of skill in that area.
“I feel that you are always going to have some time of rep because everyone likes to judge but fair play to them. You don’t know people’s lives until you are in it.
“So I understand but I think people need to give everyone a fair shot. There is no wrong in that.”
However, Phoenix said being a nepo baby doesn’t protect you from real world issues such as bullying – something she was subjected to in school.
She explained: “I wasn’t born with the word nepo-baby written on my head. So I feel like everyone’s a child. and then once you get into the real world and life problems and news articles and things start circulating, then you realise, oh shoot, maybe I am a nepo-baby.
“When you’re a kid and you’re getting bullied in school, no one really cares about that stuff.
“So, obviously it made me who I am today, but I don’t think it really has much to do about nepo-babies, because no one really cares what your parents do when you’re ten years old.”
Phoenix paid tribute to Mel B, 49, and said her work ethic is solely down to her mum, who taught her “to be yourself and do your best”.
She said: “Everything I have learned is from her. I wouldn’t be doing what I do if it wasn’t for her.
“Everything I’ve learned – the good and the bad – is from The Legend herself.”
Phoenix has managed to carve out a DJ and TV presenter career for herself to date.
Her father, Jimmy Gulzar, is a famous dancer and split from Mel B in 2000 after just two years of marriage.
- The Sun’s TV Mag is available for free inside Saturday’s newspaper
Richest Nepo Babies
NEPO babies - children of celebrities or influential individuals who benefit from their parents' fame and connections - often have a leg up in their careers. Here are some of the wealthiest nepo babies:
Blue Ivy Carter
- Parents: Beyoncé and Jay-Z
- Worth: Estimated to be worth millions due to her parents’ combined wealth and her own ventures in music.
Brooklyn Beckham
- Parents: David and Victoria Beckham
- Worth: With parents who are icons in football and fashion, Brooklyn has carved out his own space in photography and modelling.
Kaia Gerber
- Parents: Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber
- Worth: Following in her supermodel mother’s footsteps, Kaia has a flourishing modelling career.
Jaden Smith
- Parents: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
- Worth: Jaden has succeeded as an actor, musician, and entrepreneur, leveraging his parents’ fame and his own talents.
Lila Moss
- Parents: Kate Moss and Jefferson Hack
- Worth: As the daughter of a supermodel, Lila has quickly risen in the fashion world with numerous high-profile modelling gigs.
Lourdes Leon
- Parents: Madonna
- Worth: Lourdes has made a name for herself in fashion and music, benefiting from her mother’s legendary status.
North West
- Parents: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
- Worth: Even at a young age, North is already a social media sensation and has appeared in several fashion campaigns.
These individuals exemplify how familial connections can provide significant advantages in building wealth and achieving success.