Gracie Abrams has addressed the "nepo baby" conversation surrounding her rise to pop stardom, candidly admitting that the financial security provided by her famous parents gave her the freedom to pursue music.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter is the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot Productions co-CEO Katie McGrath. While Gracie has built a fast-growing career of her own – earning Grammy nominations, opening for Olivia Rodrigo and joining Taylor Swift on the record-breaking Eras Tour – she has never shied away from recognising the advantages she grew up with.
© Getty Images"The nepo stuff is obviously in the discourse appropriately," Gracie said during an appearance on The New York Times’ Popcast. "I think about the privilege there, and it's like, I had a safety net, and that allowed me the ability to experiment and to concentrate, and I had the gift of time to dedicate to doing this thing I loved."
She added: "I wasn't growing up afraid financially, and that's the biggest deal."
Her father is one of Hollywood's most successful writer-directors and producers, having created or co-created series including Alias, Lost, Fringe and Person of Interest. He has also directed blockbuster films including Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
© Getty Images for BAFTAJ.J.'s fortune has been widely estimated at around $300 million, although celebrity net-worth figures are not publicly verified. His production company, Bad Robot, signed a blockbuster WarnerMedia deal in 2019 that was widely reported to be worth about $250 million, covering film, television, gaming and digital projects.
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for FIRGracie's mother, Katie, is also a key figure behind the scenes. As co-CEO and chief strategy officer of Bad Robot, she oversees areas including communications, philanthropy and the company's wider business operations. But Gracie said the privilege she recognises was not limited to money.
"The specific household that I was born into, there is just this vocabulary that I'm so lucky to grow up with," she explained. "So like, when I see people pointing that out, it's like, I get it, hard-core. The jokes and things, I understand the tone of the Internet."
© Getty Images for Creative ArtistThe singer is preparing to release her third album, Daughter From Hell, which she has said was partly inspired by her evolving relationship with her mother.
"It felt like the first time I was able to write a song, but really write anything other than a text apologizing to my mom for being so brutal growing up," she said.
Gracie explained that adolescence was difficult for both her and Katie, but their relationship is now stronger than ever.
