Nepo baby Gracie Abrams sheds light on 'difficult' teen years and reveals her 'guilt' over 'naughty and attention-seeking' ways

Gracie Abrams has said she still feels guilty over acting out as a teenager as she admitted she was 'naughty' and 'attention seeking' while growing up.

The  singer, who is the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams and his producer wife Katie McGrath, has opened up about their family dynamic after revealing the title track of her new album is called Daughter From Hell.

Gracie is the middle child between her two brothers, her older brother is called Henry, 28, and her younger brother is named August, 20.

Gracie said looking back now she feels like she was a challenging child and says the song is both an apology and a thank you to her mother.

The candid admission, made during her appearance on the Table Manners podcast, offers fans a personal insight into the inspiration behind her latest music and her evolving relationship with her family.

She said: 'I felt like I was quite difficult and I know I was difficult. And I think as I grow up and just have more perspective generally, but also more love for everyone in my life and more concern as a result for everyone in my life, I think about how heinous it must have been for my parents.'

'And they've been so patient with me my whole life. And anyway, so that's the song is for my mom.'

Speaking about how she feels now about her past behaviour, Gracie said: 'I definitely don't think I'm, you know, a particularly special case or anything, but I do still feel guilty. And anyway, so that's the song is for my mom.'

The acclaimed songwriter - who described herself as a 'naughty' middle child, says she often sought attention in ways that were 'not always smart or safe.'

She said: 'It sort of like left this gap for me to go try to find [attention] elsewhere in places that were not always, you know, like smart or safe.'

'My approach was like kind of sneak around.'

When asked by the hosts - Jessie Ware and her mother, Lennie - if she was 'naughty', Gracie said 'yeah'.

Gracie is firmly  and earlier this week the staggering wealth behind her famous parents was laid bare.

The Close to You singer has quickly become a fixture in the pop world, earning two nominations in as many years, opening for on the Sour Tour and joining on the record-breaking Eras Tour.

She is also dating Irish actor , with the pair making their red carpet debut in 2026.

But beyond the chart success and celebrity circle, Gracie descends from Hollywood royalty.

Speaking on a recent episode of The ' Popcast, Gracie addressed the '' label head-on.

'The nepo stuff is obviously in the discourse appropriately,' she said. 'I think about the privilege there, and it's like, I had a safety net, and that allowed me the ability to experiment and to concentrate, and I had the gift of time to dedicate to doing this thing I loved.'

She added: 'I wasn't growing up afraid financially, and that's the biggest deal.' 

Indeed, she grew up with serious Hollywood money firmly in the background.

Her father - the talent behind Alias, Lost and Star Wars: The Force Awakens - is estimated to be worth around $300 million. 

He first made his name creating shows like Alias, Lost, Fringe and Person of Interest before moving into major Hollywood directing and producing roles. 

His films include Mission: Impossible III, Cloverfield, Super 8 and the Star Trek and Star Wars reboots, while his company Bad Robot cemented his status as one of Hollywood's most bankable hit-makers.

He later signed a major overall deal with Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly worth around $250 million, covering film and TV development through his Bad Robot banner.

Her mother is also a major entertainment executive, with her role at Bad Robot placing her estimated personal fortune at between $30 million and $60 million. 

Gracie also said her privilege wasn't limited to financial advantages. 

'The specific household that I was born into, there is just this vocabulary that I'm so lucky to grow up with,' she explained.

'So like, when I see people pointing that out, it's like, I get it, hard-core. The jokes and things, I understand the tone of the Internet.'

Gracie also spoke about the title of her upcoming third album Daughter From Hell, saying it reflects her relationship with her mother and how it has evolved over time.

'It felt like the first time I was able to write a song, but really write anything other than a text apologizing to my mom for being so brutal growing up,' Gracie said.

She added that adolescence can be challenging for both parent and child, but said she and her mother are now closer than ever. 

'Obviously, adolescence is tough for the child and for the parent,' Gracie said. 'I think my mom and I, we earned the relationship we have now, for sure. She is like, my favorite person. We FaceTime. I call her like six times a day.'

In the same interview, Gracie also discussed her relationship with Paul, revealing that the pair even collaborated on a song for the upcoming album.

Gracie and Paul, 30, have been linked for around two years, first sparking romance rumors in June 2024 when they were spotted together in London.

Since then, they've kept things relatively private while still stepping out more publicly in recent months, including appearances at the 2026 BAFTAs, the 2026 Golden Globes, and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

Speaking about their joint track Imaginary Friend, Gracie said working alongside Paul felt relaxed and organic rather than unusual.

'That was so fun to write together. That wasn't some groundbreaking event for us,' she explained. 'We have a very creative home with friends who are so good at what they do and everyone feels happy to share that with one another.'

She went on to describe the writing process as casual and unforced.

'Just home, just as it sounds,' she said while mimicking strumming a guitar. 'It's such a simple, short song and it was really just us f---ing around.'

The track was written mid-way through the album sessions and, according to Gracie, fitted naturally into the wider body of work.

'It just did feel natural,' she said. 'If you know how happy your experience was making something or how much you learned about yourself or your partner or whatever the thing is, it's like, no amount of hate or trolling or whatever could take that away.'