Barack Obama's Daughter Faces Nepo Baby Backlash

Former President Barack Obama’s filmmaker daughter has sparked a “nepo baby” debate, after it was revealed that she has dropped her last name professionally to be known instead as Malia Ann.

The 25-year-old, whose middle name is Ann, used the new moniker when she debuted her short film, The Heart, at the Sundance Film Festival. The film tells the story of a relationship between a mother and her son.

In a Meet the Artist video for Sundance, she said that her project “is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret.” She added that it “works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things.”

“We hope that you enjoy the film and that it makes you feel a bit less lonely or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are,” she added.

Barack Obama on October 17, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. His daughter, Malia Ann Obama, on January 18, 2024 in Park City, Utah. The former president’s daughter has been dragged into a “nepo baby” debate over…

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

However, the Harvard graduate’s decision to drop her recognizable last name has prompted some social media users to accuse her of attempting to skirt nepo baby accusations.

In recent years, a host of celebrities, so-called nepo babies of the entertainment industry, have faced increased scrutiny on social media for how their familial connections might have helped propel them to success.

“Nepo baby” is a term used online for someone deemed to have achieved success partly as a result of receiving help from famous or successful family members.

“Obama’s daughter trying to sneak past Nepo baby discourse by not using her last name. Bro you are Obama’s [daughter],” read a post that accompanied a screenshot of the Sundance clip in which she debuted her new professional name.

At the time of writing, the post has been viewed more than 5.6 million times. Newsweek has contacted Malia Ann via her movie’s producer as well as the office of Barack and Michelle Obama via email for comment.

“Like if you wanna be a filmmaker that’s cool but we all know who you are, you’re Obama’s daughter. You can’t hide that,” the X user added in a follow-up post.

Agreeing with the comments, one X user said that “it’s silly for her to pretend because HER family’s level of fame is inescapable. Might as well own it.”

The post was also met with an overwhelming wave of support for the former first daughter, with one X user writing: “Cool. So they can’t get ahead using their name but if they try to get ahead on their own merits they’ll be called out on pretending? Brilliant logic.”

“Yeah I don’t think she thinks people won’t know she’s [Obama’s] daughter,” another commented. “I think she’s just trying to have her own name in her field which I think is fine actually!!!”

“I mean, just for clarity, what artistic pursuits is she allowed to participate in?” asked another. “I understand the anger with nepo babies getting it easy, but they’re also people who have passions and ambitions. At least let her PRESENT something before you deem her unworthy.”

“She is trying to not use her name and build it on her own. Yet, you still complain,” said another X user.

“Sneak past–!? We literally WATCHED MALIA GROW UP. Is there anyone who wouldn’t know who she is??” one X user weighed in. “There isn’t even another famous ‘Malia’ out there. When I saw this vid on YouTube weeks ago, I took it as her stating her work is HERS, as an individual, and not her family’s.”

Others pointed out how actor Nicolas Cage dropped his famous Coppola name professionally—director Francis Ford is his uncle—as he embarked on his career Angelina Jolie also opted not to use her father Jon Voight’s last name as she carved out a career in Hollywood.

Malia Ann is the eldest daughter of Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama. The Obamas are also parents to 22-year-old Sasha Obama. In May 2016, the White House announced Malia’s decision to take a gap year before attending Harvard in fall 2017.

In her teens, the eldest Obama daughter interned on the CBS sci-fi series Extant and HBO hit Girls. Shortly after Obama’s presidential term ended in 2017, she landed an internship at the New York City office of the film studio co-founded by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

She worked in the company’s production and development department, months before the producer was accused of sexual harassment over three decades.

Malia was also a part of the writing team for Donald Glover’s acclaimed Amazon Prime miniseries Swarm.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2023, Glover said of Malia: “She’s just like, an amazingly talented person. She’s really focused, and she’s working really hard. I feel like she’s just somebody who’s gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great.”

Back in 2017, two former first daughters spoke out in Malia Obama’s defense, after video footage emerged of her blowing smoke rings. Some social media users called her awesome, some compared her to then-President Donald Trump’s sons, while others lamented her lack of privacy.

Ivanka Trump, wrote on X at the time: “Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.”

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in her own post: “Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.”