‘Using it to brag’: The children of the rich and famous are dividing by jumping on a viral trend

The privileged offspring of the rich and famous have finally found a trend where they can flaunt their nepotism, and it is causing a big divide.

The privileged offspring of the rich and famous have finally found a social media trend where they can flaunt their nepotism.

Pretty much every week there is a new trend taking over TikTok, but the latest ‘air ball’ trend has caught the attention of nepo babies.

It’s pretty simple. An air ball is a basketball term for when a player shoots and misses, and Gen Zers are using the reference to make TikToks about when someone makes an assumption about them and completely misses the mark.

It started out pretty wholesome.

Someone might share a time when someone assumed they didn’t run and then reveal a photo of them coming first in a marathon or a woman might reveal she’d told a man she worked in a hospital and he assumed she was a nurse, but the mic drop would be that she’s a neurosurgeon.

Then entered the nepo babies, who are using the trend, not to flex about their own achievements, but share when people haven’t realised they’re either from a famous or rich family.

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon’s lookalike daughter, Ava, 25, took to social media and joined the trend.

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon’s lookalike daughter, Ava, 25, took to social media and joined the trend. Picture: Instagram/reesewitherspoon

That clip has over 2 million views, and the most liked comment on the video is “You won this trend,” with over 30,000 likes, Picture: Instagram/reesewitherspoon

The 25-year-old took to social media and name-dropped, not just her famous mum, but her most famous movie.

“I told him my mum’s a lawyer, and he said, ‘Oh what firm does she work at?’” she wrote.

Then she cut to a behind-the-scenes photo of her and her Oscar winning mum on the set of Legally Blonde, where Witherspoon plays a lawyer and wrote “Holy-fricking air ball”.

That clip has over 2 million views, and the most liked comment on the video is “You won this trend,” with over 30,000 likes.

She managed to name drop her mum and her mum’s most famous movie. Picture: TikTok/AvaPhillipee

Similarly, another famous offspring, Alianna Thiam, jumped on the trend Picture: Instagram/thebestofaliii

Similarly, another famous offspring, Alianna Thiam, jumped on the trend and wrote, “I told him my dad’s in the music industry. He said, ‘Oh, like a manager?”

Then, the clip was cut to a photo to reveal that her dad is the musician Akon.

“Holy-freaking-air ball,” she wrote.

Once again, the most liked comment on the clip is “Pack it up everyone, she won,” with over 70,000 likes.

Once again the most liked comment was someone claiming she’d won the trend. Picture: Instagram/thebestofaliii

Someone claimed it was the ultimate “flex” to be the daughter of a Wiggle. Picture: Instagram/madii.page

Even the children of famous Aussies are getting into the trend.

Madi Page wrote, “I told him my dad works in the music and entertainment industry. ‘He said, ‘Oh, cute like a producer?’”

Then she revealed her dad was Greg Page from The Wiggles.

“That’s the flexiest flex I’ve seen. What’s it like being the child of royalty?,” the most liked comment asked.

It also isn’t just the children of famous people embracing the trend, it’s also the offspring of the incredibly wealthy and powerful.

Greyson Abercrombie, 20, wrote on TikTok, “Told her ‘my parents own a clothing store’ and she said ‘oh so like a boutique?’”

He joked that people assume when he says his parents own a clothing store they assume it is just one. Picture: TikTok/ greysonabercrombie

The retail heir’s TikTok went immediately viral. Picture: TikTok/ greysonabercrombie

Then the video cuts to himself standing outside an Abercrombie store one of the largest retail chains in America.

Similarly, Shayla Forbes-Luong shared online, “Told him my family owns a magazine company, ‘oh like a local paper?’”

Then, the video cuts to a photo of Forbes Magazine, the magazine her great-grandfather co-founded, with the words “air ball” written across the photo.

The most liked comment on that video, which has 16 million views, reads, “Okay, but did you guys see Akon’s daughter do the trend? I’m living for these quiet nepotism babies.” It amassed over 200,000 likes.

She said people assume she’s talking about a local paper. Picture: TikTok/Shayla Forbes-Luong

She’s actually from the Forbes family. Picture: TikTok/Shayla Forbes-Luong

Popular fashion and culture Instagram account Diet Prada, which has over 3 million followers, posted about the trend and claimed it is proof that “stealth wealth” is officially out and bragging is very much in.

“From old-money dynasties to household names, the app is suddenly crawling with twenty-somethings using the moment to humblebrag their family legacies,” the post reads.

The post was divided, with some claiming it was fun to see people revealing their famous families and others finding it “cringe” tone deaf.

Popular Instagram account Diet Prada weighed in on the trend. Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.

‘I kind of live for this,’ one wrote. Picture: Instagram/madii.page

“I kind of live for this” one wrote.

“Congrats on your parent’s accomplishments very cool,” another mocked.

“As subtle as a gold Rolex flex, congratulations on being born I guess,” another claimed.

“These people have everything yet are so desperate for attention,” someone else said.

“I love this,” one praised.

“This makes me nauseous!” someone else revealed.

“Taking a trend where people proudly share their own accomplishments and using it to brag about your family’s success that has nothing to do with you? Exactly the kind of tone-deaf behaviour I’d expect from nepo babes,” one snapped.

“As they SHOULD. Imagine hating someone because their successful parents decided to have kids,” someone else argued.