Billie Eilish’s mom Maggie Baird has laughed off claims that her daughter is a nepo baby and branded the criticism as ‘hilarious.’
Maggie, 65, opened up about the success of her 22-year-old daughter and 27-year-old son Finneas Baird O’Connell, who she described as ‘all-around wonderful people,’ in an interview with Glamour magazine and finally explained that Friends cameo.
Back in December 2020, it emerged that Maggie had appeared in season 6 of Friends alongside Matt LeBlanc’s character Joey Tribiani – and this led to many people labeling Billie a ‘nepo baby.’
‘I think it’s hilarious, because that came out and it was like, “Oh, Billie is a nepo baby,” and I’m like, “Did you know that I got that episode of Friends because I was about to lose my health insurance?”‘ Maggie told the magazine.
‘My husband and I are working class actors. We eked out a meager living and it afforded us a lot of time with our kids, which was awesome. But the industry is primarily people like us or even people not even like us who couldn’t even do that,’ she continued.
Billie Eilish’s mom Maggie Baird, pictured here in February 2024, has laughed off claims that her daughter is a nepo baby
Maggie appeared in a season 6 episode of much-loved sitcom Friends more than 20 years ago
‘So when all of this happened to our kids, we’d never been on that side of it. I think that people don’t really understand there’s a whole industry of people who are creative and they’re working and they’re struggling, and they make perfectly happy lives, and they feel creative, and they feel fulfilled.
‘But that’s a very different life than on this side of the door where you’re suddenly playing in this different arena.’
When asked if there is something she wishes the world knew about her children, Maggie replied: ‘I wish people knew they’re all human. I think that is the biggest point.
‘I remember very clearly when Billie did the Brit Awards, and she was in a low spot, and it was because of the internet…. You get a bad review in a local paper – you know what I mean? That’s a bummer, but you don’t have millions of people commenting on you and it is kind of an experimental generation that we are parenting.’
Maggie was also asked if she’s experienced ‘moments of motherhood’ where she wanted to keep her children ‘grounded’ as their success reached new heights.
‘People would always say to me, “Is your mind blown that Billie is playing Radio City or Madison Square Garden?” and I was like, “My mind was blown when she played The Hi Hat in Highland Park,”‘ she said, referring to a 300-seat independent music venue in Los Angeles which has since closed.
‘It’s all relative, you feel it all,’ she said. ‘You’re just a family, and it’s all very normal, and then the world kind of puts everything else on it.
‘You step onstage in front of 100,000 people, and that’s an hour and a half, and then the rest of the time you’re at the dinner table and your brother is giving you s**t. The family part is the part that keeps it sane.’
Maggie described her son, FINNEAS, and daughter Billie as ‘all-around wonderful people’ – the trio are pictured here in October 2023
Maggie spoke about her two children during a new interview with Glamour magazine
Referring to how she ensures her children listen to her advice, when they’re surrounded by many people who are on the payroll, Maggie said: ‘Everyone has an agenda, and that’s not necessarily a bad word, but they do have an agenda.
‘Your agenda is that your child should be happy and healthy and fulfilled and give back to the world.’
Maggie was joined on Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year cover by Travis Kelce’s mom Donna, Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles, and Selena Gomez’s mother Mandy Teefey.
