Spanish television fixture Belén Esteban has publicly defused a brewing celebrity feud with Julia Janeiro upon returning to Madrid from Tenerife, declaring she has no intention of starting a war with the makeup artist while playfully embracing her status as a pop-culture meme.
The Bottom Line
- The Catalyst: Belén Esteban posted an archived photo of her daughter Andrea on August 8, using the term “nepo baby” and adding the caption “others sí,” which prompted swift public pushback from Julia Janeiro.
- The Retaliation: Julia Janeiro fired back publicly, labeling Belén a “meme televisivo” and the “sombra de Jesulín de Ubrique,” before leaning into the label to promote her professional makeup business.
- The De-escalation: Returning to Madrid from a Tenerife vacation, Belén dismissed the tension during an airport encounter with Europa Press, stating she refuses to engage in a war and calling Julia “supergraciosa.”
Decoding the Nepo Baby Discourse in Spanish Media
When Belén Esteban—long crowned by her supporters as la princesa del pueblo—dropped the phrase “nepo baby” on Instagram, she struck a nerve in an industry increasingly obsessed with pedigree and inherited fame. The comment was widely interpreted as a direct jab at Julia Janeiro, daughter of Jesulín de Ubrique.
Instead of ducking the cameras, Julia—who has increasingly stepped into the public eye as a professional makeup artist—opted for direct confrontation rather than quiet endurance. She took to social media to call out what she viewed as hypocrisy, noting that Belén had spent years discussing her family. But the plot thickened further when Beatriz Trapote, wife of Víctor Janeiro, entered the fray. Trapote publicly rallied behind her niece Julia, telling reporters that Belén had caused her “mucho daño” in the past and even helped orchestrate her exit from television, while anointing Julia as the “reina del pueblo.”
How Public Figures Monetize the Meme Economy
Yet, instead of fueling an escalating multi-generational TV war, Belén chose a surprising path of absolute calm. Speaking to journalists at the Madrid airport after returning from a getaway in Tenerife, she insisted she was completely unbothered. “Yo no voy a tener una guerra con Julia,” she told Europa Press, brushing off the “meme televisivo” label with a laugh. “A mí me encanta ser un meme televisivo,” she added, before summing up the generational clash with the phrase, “juventud, divino tesoro.”
Rather than retreating from the backlash, she turned the original insult into brand promotion, advertising her professional services online with the tagline: “Agenda abierta pa’ que te maquille tu nepo baby oficial.” It is a textbook example of modern reputation management—turning a tabloid clash into immediate top-of-mind awareness for a burgeoning beauty business.
 "Photo: hola.com")
| Key Figure | Initial Trigger / Action | Stance & Public Response |
|---|---|---|
| Belén Esteban | Shared an archived photo of her daughter Andrea on August 8 with a “nepo baby” caption. | Returned from Tenerife to defuse tension, stating she wants no war and embracing her status as a TV meme. |
| Julia Janeiro | Responded publicly, labeling Belén a “meme televisivo” and leveraging the phrase to market her makeup career. | Maintained her stance (“Me mantengo en lo que he dicho”) while launching promotional bookings. |
| Beatriz Trapote | Entered the conflict to back her niece, accusing Belén of past television blacklisting. | Proclaimed Julia the “reina del pueblo” and encouraged her to speak out. |
The Takeaway
What do you think of this sudden pivot from confrontation to comedy? Can modern influencers successfully co-opt traditional television drama for brand building, or does it risk keeping old family rivalries alive indefinitely? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
