Bat Mitzvah director defends Adam Sandler over nepo baby claims

When it was announced that both Sunny and Sadie Sandler would be appearing in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah starring and produced by their dad, Adam Sandler, calls of the dreaded and often nasty “nepo baby” phrase made the waves. Now, with the movie proving quite successful on Netflix, director Sammi Cohen is working to silence any critics of the Sandman, saying he’s been doing a similar thing for most of his career anyway.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah director Cohen suggested that anyone who continues to claim that Sunny and Sadie – who are 14 and 17, respectively, and have had numerous bit parts in Sandler’s movies – hasn’t had their eyes open. “Sandler has a reputation for making movies with his friends, and that’s something we all want to do. What I say is, he’s still making movies with his friends, but they’re his kids. He is the kind of dad who’s also your best friend. When it comes to the sort of chatter we’re hearing online, I don’t really think twice about it because I’m going like, ‘Yeah, he’s doing the same thing he’s always done.’”

Cohen has a fair point here. This isn’t out of the blue for Adam Sandler, who has a strong industry reputation as someone who takes care of his own. (He even made a joke about paying for Rob Schneider’s house and braces last year.) That might come in the form of the long-running joke that Sandler is only making movies so he can go on paid vacations with his buddies, but really he’s looking out for those who have been loyal to him throughout his career. And who is more loyal to him than his family?

This leg-up that Adam Sandler has given both Sunny and Sadie Sandler – and his wife Jackie, who plays the mother of one of Stacy’s friends – inYou Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah looks to be paying off. It currently sits at a surprising 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, while our own Alex Maidy gave it a 7/10, calling it “genuine.”

Do you find the “nepo baby” debate even worthy of discussion or is it just a nice perk that comes with being the child of a celebrity? What did you think of the performances from Sunny and Sadie Sandler in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah? Give us your take in the comments section below.