Everyone is talking about North West now, Kim Kardashian and Kanye “Ye” West’s oldest daughter. After performing at The Lion King concert, everyone is asking: is she a nepo baby?
Over the weekend, North made her stage and acting debut at The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film Concert Event. North got the role of Young Simba, and performed “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.”
Kim couldn’t be prouder of her eldest child, sharing a series of photos of North dressed as a lion on social media. Many members of the Kardashian clan and North’s father Kanye were also in attendance and Kanye looked extra proud of his baby. However, not everyone was pleased with North’s performance, with some dismissing her as a “nepo baby.”
Why fans are mad about North’s performance
The decision to have North play Young Simba in The Lion King concert surprised many. The eldest Kardashian-West child has been in the spotlight all her life due to her famous parents, but she has previously flirted with the entertainment industry before, as she voiced Mini in the PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Now that she made her acting debut in the anniversary concert singing live, many fans (and trolls) slammed her for her voice.
Despite the ongoing backlash, North received a standing ovation for her performance of the famous song from the beloved 1994 Disney film. She also received public support from many fans who urged the family to ignore the haters. The anniversary concert also featured Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, and more.
Let’s not forget that North has also announced her debut album this March, Elementary School Dropout, inspired by her father’s 2004 debut album, The College Dropout. The exposure from The Lion King anniversary concert will surely work in her favor, but did her family have to do any favors to get her in?
Was North chosen for The Lion King because of her family?
There’s no official confirmation that North got in just because she’s a nepo baby, but fans seem to think that North got the Simba part thanks to her last name. There might be some truth to the rumors, as some sources seem to confirm the theory.
Insiders related to The Lion King‘s 30th anniversary concert told The Daily Mail that her high-profile family helped her casting and she didn’t have much competition for the role. “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl and The Kardashians are both produced by the same production company, Fulwell 73 Productions,” the insider claimed, revealing more connections like Gabe Turner, the creative showrunner for the concert was also a partner at Fulwell.
“They were hoping to draw publicity for this, which they did,” the source continued. “But North didn’t have to compete against anyone else and anyone else who would have auditioned would have not gotten it anyways.” The source claimed, “This is 100 per cent the result of her family’s relationship with Disney and with Fulwell.”
Of course, this information has to be taken with a grain of salt. There is no way of knowing for sure if North really got the part thanks to her talent or her name, but one thing is for sure: her casting did get people talking, and isn’t that the point?