ALWAYS FAMOUS

Dakota Johnson Says Being a Nepo Baby Could Be ‘Quite Scary’

Dakota Johnson opened up about the “very invasive, rude, and painful” side of fame.

Actor Dakota Johnson is getting candid about growing up with famous parents.

Johnson, 36, the daughter of Melanie Griffith, 68, and Don Johnson, 75, spoke to Vogue Germany about her childhood, sharing that overly zealous fans sometimes invaded the family’s space.

“When I was little, there were times when it was really quite scary, and people would aggressively and physically try to get to my mom when we were just going to the supermarket or something,” Johnson said in the interview.

She added that growing up in the public eye and being a “nepo baby” had its disadvantages. “If you accept that as normal as a little kid, it can lead to a lot of complexes,” she said. “And then, of course, the fact that you’re in the public eye and the world knows about your private life in a way that’s very invasive, rude, and painful.”

The Materialists star grew up in the thick of Hollywood, with veteran actor parents, longstanding A-list friends, and famous stepfather Antonio Banderas. She said that she grew up on sets and was always surrounded by people in the movies and added that this childhood came with its own set of challenges.

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“I mean, I was born in Texas because my dad worked there, so I always knew that my family’s profession was different than, say, my schoolmates whose moms went to the office every day,” she explained. “That was a challenge because it’s hard to make and keep friends when you’re on the road so much as a kid. But I always just accepted it: This is what we do. It’s in our blood.”

The actor did acknowledge to Vogue that there are “incredible upsides” when it comes to being famous and being a part of a famous family. It’s a path she wanted to follow herself. “I always wanted to be an actress and be a part of what the people around me were doing,” she said. Johnson also said that she wasn’t allowed to “work properly” until she graduated from high school.

This isn’t the first time Johnson has talked about her unique family situation. In 2024, the actor told the Today Show she finds the nepo baby fascination “boring” and “incredibly annoying.”

Meera NavlakhaEntertainment Reporter

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