Throwback: When Dakota Johnson Called Nepo Baby Talks 'Annoying and Boring'

Dakota Johnson opened up about her frustration with the constant 'nepo baby' discussions surrounding celebrities with famous parents. Here's how she feels about it.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Nov 19, 2024 | 02:47 PM IST | 5.3K

Dakota Johnson (via YouTube)

In February 2024, Dakota Johnson took a stand against the ongoing 'nepo baby' conversation that often surrounds celebrities with famous parents. Johnson has openly addressed her frustration with this debate, calling it "incredibly annoying and boring" during a candid interview on Today with Hoda Kotb.

As the daughter of well-known actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, Johnson has never shied away from her family background but makes it clear that she wants her work, not her parents’ names, to define her in Hollywood.

Dakota Johnson has always been clear about how she feels regarding the nepo baby label. In her Today show interview, when asked by Kotb about the topic, Johnson didn’t hold back. “Like, if you’re a journalist, write about something else,” she said, showing her annoyance with the constant focus on celebrity lineage. “That’s just like, lame,” she added.

As the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, Johnson is no stranger to the media's fascination with her family background. However, she made it clear that she finds this conversation limiting and tiresome.

“The opportunity to make fun of it, I jumped at,” she said, showing that while she may poke fun at her status, she prefers to focus on her own journey and accomplishments rather than her family’s fame.

Johnson’s path to success in Hollywood wasn’t as easy as it may seem, despite her famous parents. After graduating high school, she decided to pursue acting rather than go to college, a decision that led to a financial fallout with her father.

Don Johnson made it clear that if she chose acting over higher education, she would be on her own. “If you go to college, you’ll still get an allowance,” Don told her, but when she chose acting, he said, “Alright, well, you’re on your own."

The tough love didn’t stop there. Johnson, determined to make it in Hollywood, started her career by doing small modeling jobs to pay rent. She later secured her first acting role in the 2010 film The Social Network, but things were far from easy. “I did some little modeling jobs that helped me pay my rent,” she said.

“Then I started auditioning and got some jobs.” The actress admitted that she went through rough patches where she couldn’t even afford groceries and had to ask her mother for help. “She was the nice one,” Johnson said.

Despite the challenges, Dakota Johnson’s perseverance eventually paid off. She rose to significant fame with her role as Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, which began in 2015.

Johnson has continued to build a successful career with a variety of roles, including her recent work in the film Madame Web. Her rise to fame proves that her talent and determination are what truly set her apart in Hollywood, not just her famous parents.

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