Liev Schreiber is shutting down “nepo baby” claims after his 16-year-old daughter, Kai, made her runway debut for Valentino during Paris Fashion Week.
Speaking with TMZ on March 11, Schreiber, 57, argued that it “doesn’t matter” that he and Kai’s mother, Naomi Watts, are celebrities — Kai earned her spot on the catwalk.
“I’m going to put it to you like this: What if you were a professional actor, and your child decided they wanted to do something in this world?” the “Perfect Couple” actor told the outlet. “Do they have a choice of what you did?”
Schreiber went on to praise Kai's determination and hard work.
“She does what she wants with her life, and I’m super proud of her,” he gushed. “I thought she did an amazing job in the show.”
Kai's mom is just as proud.
“That’s my @maisonvalentino baby! I’m squealing with pride,” Watts captioned an Instagram carousel featuring photos and footage from the show.
Even ‘90s supermodel Christy Turlington was impressed, commenting, “She is beyond! Seriously stunning, Kai.” Watts enthusiastically replied, “Coming from you is BEYOND!!”
Watts and Schreiber share Kai along with her 17-year-old brother, Sasha. The former couple were together for 11 years before splitting in 2016. Both have since moved on; Watts married Billy Crudup in 2023, while Schreiber wed Taylor Neisen that same year. Schreiber and Neisen are parents of 18-month-old daughter, Hazel Bee.
Schreiber also celebrated Kai’s modeling milestone on Instagram, writing, “Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, the indomitable @kaischreiberr!’”
In his post, Schreiber included a photo of Kai striding the catwalk in a long-sleeved leopard-print minidress featuring a feathered collar.
Kai also shared that her dad sent her flowers to celebrate her debut with a note that read: “So proud of you, Kai. Beyond beyond. Like my love. To infinity and beyond. XOXOX, Dad”
In a 2019 conversation with Net-a-Porter, Watts shared that both Kai and Sasha attended a performing arts summer camp.
“It seems they’ve got the bug,” she said, admitting her feelings about them joining the industry were “definitely mixed.”
Earlier this month, Sasha and his dad attended the New York City premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s “Luzia.” During a joint interview with People, the teenager joked that if his dad were to join the circus, his talent would be “hot dog eater.”
“It’s strange,” Schreiber, 57, told the outlet. “I felt a little self-conscious walking into the circus with him because, like, it’s the kind of thing you do with your kid.
“He doesn’t feel like my kid anymore,” the actor explained. “He feels like a man now, so it’s a whole different thing for us.”
Watts and Schreiber are committed to co-parenting peacefully.
“It’s important to support each other, it’s really important,” Schreiber told TODAY's Willie Geist in 2018.
“You can see how important it is to them that their parents care about each other and that no matter what happens, you continue to try and do that,” he said.
