Billie Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, laughed off claims that her daughter is a nepo baby, calling the criticism “hilarious.”
Maggie, 65, spoke about the success of her 22-year-old daughter and son Finneas Baird O’Connell, 27, whom she described as “wonderful people in every way,” in an interview with Glamor magazine and finally explained that Friends cameo.
In December 2020, it emerged that Maggie had appeared in season 6 of Friends alongside Matt LeBlanc’s character Joey Tribiani, and this led many people to label Billie a ‘nepo baby.’
“I think it’s funny, because that came out and it was like, ‘Oh, Billie is a nepo baby,’ and I was like, ‘Did you know I got that episode of Friends because I was about to lose my health?’ Are you sure?”‘ Maggie told the magazine.
‘My husband and I are working class actors. We were eking out a living and it allowed us to spend a lot of time with our children, which was fantastic. “But the industry is mostly made up of people like us or even people who aren’t even like us and couldn’t even do that,” he continued.
Billie Eilish’s mother Maggie Baird, pictured here in February 2024, laughed off claims that her daughter is a nepo baby.
Maggie appeared in a season six episode of the much-loved sitcom Friends over 20 years ago.
‘So when all this happened to our children, we had never been on that side. I think people don’t really understand that there’s a whole industry of people who are creative and work and struggle, and have perfectly happy lives and feel creative and fulfilled.
“But that’s a very different life than on this side of the door, where suddenly you’re playing on a different stage.”
When asked if there is anything she wishes the world knew about her children, Maggie responded, “I wish people knew that everyone is human.” I think that’s the most important point.
“I remember very clearly when Billie was at the Brit Awards and she was in a depressed situation, and it was because of the Internet… You get a bad review in a local paper, you know what I mean? It’s a shame, but you don’t have millions of people commenting on you and we are raising an experimental generation.”
Maggie was also asked if she had experienced “moments of motherhood” when she wanted to keep her children “grounded” while her success reached new heights.
“People always said to me, ‘Are you surprised that Billie is playing Radio City or Madison Square Garden?’ and I said, ‘I was blown away when The Hi Hat played in Highland Park,'” he said, referring to a 300-seat independent music venue in Los Angeles that has since closed.
“Everything is relative, you feel everything,” he said. ‘They’re just a family, and everything is very normal, and then the world puts everything else into play.
“You go on stage 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 table and your brother is giving you shit. The family part is what keeps him sane.
Maggie described her son, FINNEAS, and daughter Billie as “wonderful people in every way” – the trio appear here in October 2023.
Maggie talked about her two children during a new interview with Glamor magazine
Referring to how she makes sure her children listen to her advice, when they are surrounded by many people on the payroll, Maggie said: “Everyone has an agenda, and that’s not necessarily a bad word, but they do.”
“Your goal is for your child to be happy, healthy, fulfilled and able to contribute to the world.”
Maggie was joined on Glamor magazine’s Woman of the Year cover by Travis Kelce’s mother Donna, Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, and Selena Gomez’s mother Mandy Teefey.