Emma Roberts covers the latest issue of Flaunt – the editorial is actually really good, even if the fashion on display is kind of awful. Emma is serving though, and I rarely think that about her. I’m not trying to be ridiculously mean about her, but I’ve always found her sort of bland and flat on-screen and, to me, she’s been an example of nepotism-gone-wrong. But I’ve adjusted my opinion of her recently. She’s in her 30s now, she’s a single mom, she’s found her niche in the industry and, honestly, she’s not pretending to be the most serious artiste ever. She’s a commercial actress, mostly in television, and she’s not trying to move beyond that for the most part. Now, she is branching out into producing in a big way, which is fine – more women should produce and there should be more female-driven narratives across the board. Anyway, here are some highlights from Emma’s Flaunt interview:

What’s next: “I feel like I’ve been working since I was nine, but you’re constantly wondering, What’s next? What’s next? What’s next? Between having a baby, COVID, and the strike, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and slow down. I’m like, ‘Wow. I guess maybe I have done a lot. Maybe I should have a break that’s not imposed upon me by outside variables. Maybe I should just decide to take some time to myself.”’

She escaped the widespread harassment & assault at Nickelodeon: “It’s inexcusable. Kids need to be protected, adults need to be protected. I have been lucky with the family I have and the people that I’ve worked with. I try to keep doing my job and keep my head down.”

She was excluded from New York Magazine’s “Nepo Baby” cover: “Should I be offended? It was a cheap shot to put all the celebrity kids on the cover of a magazine on babies’ bodies. It’s like maybe the ‘Nepo Baby’ conversation would’ve been a more interesting article written intelligently in Vanity Fair with nuance, but instead, it was kind of this viral hating-on-people thing.” So are there no professional benefits from famous family ties? “I’ve lost more jobs than I’ve gained from being in the business. People have opinions and sometimes maybe they’re not good opinions of people in your family. I’ve never gotten a job because of it, I know I definitely have lost a couple of jobs because of it.”

She will no longer date actors: “One day the veil was lifted and I didn’t want to date actors anymore. It’s hard, I think, for two actors to be together. I’m trying to think if I’ve seen it done successfully. Also, the actors I’ve been with border on method actors, and that is something that I think is extremely difficult to be in a relationship with—at least for me, especially the characters that they were playing.”

Her new boyfriend is not online: “If you want to send a girl crazy, don’t have Instagram.”

Her feelings on social media: “I feel like, in a way I got to hang on to some innocence longer [than usual]. I know everyone has a different take on how [modern] celebrities or people should be online and how serious they should be. My social media is for fun, it’s for reading, it’s for fashion, but if you want to get really deep with me or know what I think about things, you’re not going to see it posted on my social media.”

She has an expansive collection of vintage dolls. “I just love them. I have some very, very ugly dolls that needed a home, so I had to have them. Don’t get me wrong, there are some dolls that I’ve come across that I’m like, the vibe is off and this one’s not for me. Some dolls, something’s wrong. Scary. I’m very particular about which dolls can live on the shelf.”

Working with Kim Kardashian on AHS: Delicate: “Kim is an icon. I literally don’t know how she does it. Business woman-turned-producer- turned actress, and let me tell you, one of the most prepared actresses I’ve ever worked with. She’s also been a great friend. Anytime I text her, she responds right away. Just seeing her inspires me. I’m like, How do you do all of that and also look perfect?

[From Flaunt]

I laughed at her comments about nepotism. Previously, she claimed the nepo babies have to “prove themselves more” and now she’s saying she’s never gotten work because she’s Julia Roberts’ niece? GMAFB. I did not know that she collects vintage dolls… I could not. I once knew a serious doll collector and Emma’s right, sometimes a doll’s vibe is off. I couldn’t handle all of those glass eyes on me. What else? I do think that actors-dating-actors can work, but I also understand why so many actresses feel like…no, I don’t want to deal with that, especially if he’s a Method actor.

Cover & IG courtesy of Flaunt.