Princess Ekeinde, daughter of Nollywood icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has pushed back against the assumption that being born into fame comes without a cost.
Speaking on The Chat show, the media personality made a case for nepo babies, arguing that the struggles they face are real but largely invisible to the public.
For Princess, the pressure is personal and constant. As the firstborn and first daughter of one of Nigeria’s most recognisable entertainers, she says the weight of protecting her family’s image falls squarely on her shoulders.
“For me, it’s trying to keep my family legacy. You know, as the first child, the firstborn, and the first girl, the mantle is on me to represent my family and position myself and my family in the best light,” she said.
A recurring frustration she described is the relentless comparison to her mother, particularly the expectation that she should follow her into acting. She was direct about where she stands on that.
“People ask me if I am going to be an actress like my mother. And it’s so annoying; first of all, I am not Omotola, I am Princess. Let’s get this straight. Secondly, my mummy went into acting because that’s what she is passionate about. How are you sure that’s what I want to do with my life?”
Beyond career comparisons, she described a deeper loss of personal agency that comes with being a public figure’s child.
“At some point, your life no longer becomes your own. You share so much of your life with these people, and you feel like they own you. They own what you do, what you say, how you dress, the people you date.”
She also pointed to a unique dimension of the pressure.
“If you make a mistake in Nigerian culture, they would not call your name, but your parents’ name. Now, you’re no longer Princess or Davido, but Adeleke’s son or Omotola’s daughter.”