Steven Spielberg Daughter Destry Addresses Nepotism Claims After Ben Stiller Sparks Debate

Steven Spielberg Updates: Steven Spielberg’s daughter has spoken out about the issue around nepotism sparked by her short film.

Actor Hopper Penn, son of Sean Penn, has joined the cast of the upcoming short film The Rightway, according to Deadline. Destry Spielberg, the 24-year-old daughter of the renowned Oscar-winning filmmaker, is directing the project, which will begin shooting in New York soon. Owen King, Stephen King’s son, is writing the script.

Franklin Leonard, the originator of The Black List and a film producer, joked in response to a tweet announcing the film, “Hollywood’s a meritocracy, right?” Franklin was referring to the fact that many of the people engaged in the film had family ties to the industry, he’s also been outspoken about how the Hollywood system tends to discourage disadvantaged groups from gaining jobs, especially behind the camera.

Ben Stiller, whose late parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara were also well-known actors, responded to his tweet with, “@franklinleonard, it’s far too simple. People, who are working and producing. Everyone has their own route to take. I wish them the best of luck.”

Steven Spielberg Daughter has to say about Nepotism

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Ben wrote on Wednesday, July 28, after Franklin tweeted that individuals in Hollywood tend to assume the profession is a “pure meritocracy.” “Wow. Really? I owe a great obligation to my parents and have never claimed otherwise. What’s the point of making broad generalizations? Your point regarding diversity is well-founded, and I concur.”

Later, the Zoolander actor tweeted, “A POV was lit by your perspective. It’s for me. We may not all agree with the assumption that the majority of Hollywood stars think one thing or another. But that’s not as significant as what you’re saying about the business’s overall skewed and unequal situation.”

Later that day, according to media sources, Destry responded to both Franklin and Ben by stating in a since-deleted tweet, “I’m simply a young aspiring female director who enjoys watching movies. People might debate about nepotism, but I know deep down that I put in a lot of effort to reach where I am now, and it wasn’t easy. I’m really pleased with this picture and the people that worked on it.”

By tweeting, she explained her sentiments “I recognize that I was born into a position of privilege! I’m completely in charge of it! I make it my duty to bring in new talent and provide chances to artists from all walks of life. No one should be excluded because of a lack of connections.”

On July 29, The View highlighted the topic, prompting Franklin to tweet that he didn’t mean for this to be a debate about whether or not individuals who profit from nepotism are competent. “If you believe in meritocracy, explain Hollywood’s complete absence of diversity behind the camera,” he shared.

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