Actress and media personality Temi Otedola has said she has no problem being described as a “nepo baby,” insisting that acknowledging family privilege is simply being honest about the opportunities she received growing up.
Speaking on a recent episode of The How Far Podcast, which she co-hosts with her husband, singer Mr Eazi, Temi explained that admitting to privilege does not diminish a person’s achievements. Instead, she believes it reflects an honest understanding of how different life circumstances shape people’s opportunities.
The daughter of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola said privilege extends far beyond having famous parents. She noted that growing up in a financially stable home, enjoying quality education and having access to opportunities are advantages many people never experience.
“You don’t have to be famous to be privileged. Privilege is growing up in a situation where your parents had a certain amount of money, you didn’t have to struggle, and you had access to education, food and a foundation in life that not everybody gets,” she said.
Explaining what she considers nepotism, Temi used a hypothetical example involving a future child. She said if their child wanted to pursue a music career, having parents who could introduce them to top producers and fund expensive projects would give them an advantage unavailable to many aspiring artistes.
“If our child wanted to become an artiste, you would introduce them to a producer and pay for their music video. That is an unfair advantage. That is nepotism,” she said.
Temi also questioned why some public figures refuse to acknowledge the benefits that come with influential family backgrounds.
“You can never catch me, on camera or off camera, saying I’m not a nepo baby. I find it crazy when people don’t admit to the advantage. It would be so unfair to say that,” she added.
While recognising the role privilege has played in her life, Temi maintained that success still requires personal effort. She said the opportunities she received gave her a head start, but she has worked to build on that foundation rather than rely on it alone.
“At the end of the day, I was given a leg up and I’ve made the most of it. I definitely got lots of privileges as a result of the hard work that came before me,” she said.
