Born Into It: The Astrology of Bravo’s Favorite Nepo Babies

Cancer season is about one thing: where you come from. It’s about your family name and the inheritance baked into your bones before you ever had a say in it. Cancer rules the fourth house of lineage, legacy, and the home you were born into… the one you spend your whole life trying to make sense of. When Bravo scheduled the Season 2 premiere of Next Gen NYC for June 24th, right as the sun settled into Cancer, the sign of the mother archetype, the cosmos smirked and said, “obviously.”

Next Gen NYC follows young people navigating life in New York City, most of whom were handed a head start the rest of us would need three lifetimes to earn. Not every cast member comes from the Housewives universe — the roster includes children of music moguls, models, and Manhattan fixtures — but as a Bravoaholic of almost two decades, my personal investment begins and ends with the descendants of the Real Housewives. Speaking of which, the Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 premiere is right around the corner, and I will absolutely have plenty to say about that, so stay tuned.

For now, let’s talk about the mothers of the Next Gen NYC cast, because you can’t understand these kids without understanding the source material first.

The Mothers Behind the Cast

Teresa Giudice, mother of Gia and star of Real Housewives of New Jersey, is a Taurus. Kandi Burruss, mother of Riley and star of Real Housewives of Atlanta, is also a Taurus. And Kim Zolciak, also of Real Housewives of Atlanta and mother of Ariana, is, you guessed it, a Taurus, too. Three cast mothers born within days of each other in mid-May, all the same sign of the bull, tells us everything we need to know. Taurus is fixed earth: brand-obsessed, built to last, and constitutionally allergic to being told what to do. These women didn’t stumble into fame. They worked for it, refused to release it, and now their children have their own Bravo show. This is Taurus energy on a generational timeline, with a camera crew in tow.

Meredith Marks of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, mother of Brooks, breaks the pattern as a Sagittarius. She’s the one who rearranges her entire personality mid-conversation and somehow makes it look intentional. Sagittarius is the sign of the archer who shoots first and aims later. Cue Meredith slurring with one eye open: “The rumorsssss and the nassssstiness. You want me to go there with the husband? I can go there.” A Sagittarius threat is its own art form, and she masters it well.

And then there’s cast mother Brooke Shields, a Gemini. She’s not on Housewives, but hear me: this woman is a cultural institution who’s been around for 60 literal years. She’s the mother of Next Gen NYC Season 2 newcomer Rowan Henchy. Brooke’s mother, Teri, was an actress and model who put her in front of cameras at eleven months old; her father was a prominent business executive. Brooke became a working child actress, a Calvin Klein model at fifteen, and a Princeton graduate somewhere in between — all while the entire world had opinions about her body and who she was allowed to be. Brooke Shields is the original nepo baby who outran the label by actually being talented, not just wealthy and privileged. Her daughter Rowan, arriving on Next Gen NYC, is more than a casting choice. It’s a cosmic, full-circle Cancer season moment.

The Next Gen Cast, Decoded by the Stars

Gia Giudice (January 8)

Gia is a Capricorn — Teresa’s eldest and the one who held her entire family together at age 15 while her mother was incarcerated and her father was eventually deported. Capricorn is the sign of maturity that arrives well before it’s invited — responsibility that becomes your identity. At age 10, she performed her infamous sad song on RHONJ with the lyrics: “Wakin’ up in the morning, thinkin about so many things, I just wish it would get better.” This scene went viral years later, and Gia remarked that the public display of emotions would “haunt her for her whole life.” She’s stayed incredibly private about her relationships since. This is pure Capricorn protective instinct colliding head-on with a Taurus mother who built an entire brand on being loud and unfiltered. Gia watched her mother lose everything, and she spent her adult life making sure it never happened to her.

Brooks Marks (July 28)

Brooks is a Leo who walked into his mother Meredith’s RHOSLC storylines and immediately became the most lovable person on screen — which is exactly what Leos do. They don’t audition for the spotlight because they simply assume it was always theirs to take. Brooks has been candid about the complicated side of working for his mother, describing their dynamic as tumultuous at times. A Leo can light up a room and still feel completely unseen by the one person whose approval matters most. That’s the special ache of being a fire sign raised by a Sagittarius who’s busy being the main character of her own story, too. Could this explain why Brooks is considerably shy for a Leo — and might we see him steal the entire plotline this season?

Riley Burruss (August 22)

Riley is also a Leo. Two Leos on the same cast is a masterclass in what happens when everyone needs to be the sun, but there’s only one sun. Her mother, Kandi, is a Taurus and a highly formidable force — Grammy-winning, Emmy-nominated, and famously strict about money. She publicly warns Riley about racking up charges on a credit card she pays for. Their mother-daughter dynamic is frequently tested by generational friction. And while Riley seemingly resents Kandi’s relentless work schedule, she appears to be following her path into the spotlight regardless. The Leo daughter of a Taurus mother spends her life chasing applause from someone who finds applause a little excessive. This tension has carried multiple seasons of television and will carry more.

Ariana Biermann (October 17)

Ariana is a Libra, daughter of Kim Zolciak. Both are ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty and loving things that look expensive. Libra is the sign of the peacekeeper — the one who smooths things over and keeps everyone else comfortable, even when it costs them something. In typical Libra form, Ariana tends to carry more than her share emotionally and financially, particularly where her mother Kim is involved. She struggles with boundaries and quietly bears weight that never quite gets acknowledged. Even though both Ariana and Kim prioritize relationships, Venus shows up differently within each of them. One inherited the taste. The other inherited the responsibility.

Rowan Henchy (May 13)

Rowan is a Taurus, Season 2’s newcomer, and the daughter of Brooke Shields. She walks into this cast carrying the same solar energy as three of the Housewives moms — without a single Housewives credit to her name. This is instantly impressive and also makes me wonder if her presence might trigger unhealed mother wounds within the group. Her own mother, Brooke, is a multi-tasking Gemini who spent decades moving fluidly between modeling, acting, writing, education, and business without ever losing her fame. There’s something astrologically poetic about a Gemini mother producing a Taurus daughter: all that range and reinvention passed down to someone who would probably prefer to just plant her feet and stay exactly where she is.

On Nepotism, Authority, and Owning It

Let it be known: nepotism doesn’t live exclusively on reality TV. It shows up in every industry, even spaces that present themselves as pure meritocracy — including spiritual communities, wellness businesses (hello, GOOP), and the astrology world. Nepo babies can assemble podcasts, book deals, and a fully constructed media presence using family money and industry connections, all while announcing themselves as a self-made voice of wisdom. The audience is never supposed to notice, and oftentimes, we don’t. This begs the question: who actually gets to be an authority? Is it something that can be manufactured through inherited access and family connections, or does it have to be earned? As a third-generation Capricorn moon whose cosmology comes directly from Mexica ancestors — whose success was born in the tears my abuelas cried into the dirt centuries ago — I have my own answer. I’ll let you decide yours while I digress.

What I wholeheartedly respect and love about the Next Gen NYC cast is that they’re not pretending. They’re not hiding their nepotism or where they came from. They’re proudly broadcasting it every Wednesday night on national television. They’re showing up in SoHo like, “Yes, my mother is a Bravolebrity, and guess what? So am I now. Put respect on my name.”

In a world of gatekeeping and secret family connections, I applaud their transparency. Let’s give flowers to the nepo babies who own it. The only question is: will they use it for good? I can’t wait to find out.

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Next Gen NYC Season 2 premieres Wednesday, June 24th at 9 PM ET on Bravo, streaming the next day on Peacock.