20 years ago, celebrity babies were big business. This is what they're doing in 2024.

The early '00s marked the dawn of a particularly strange era in pop culture: celebrity babies. 

With A-list offspring becoming the hottest commodity in Hollywood, suddenly it wasn't just about who was wearing what on the red carpet — it was all about whose adorable mini-me was gracing the covers of Vanity Fair, US Weekly and People magazine.

Remember when little Shiloh Jolie-Pitt became the most photographed bub on the planet? These tiny tots were commanding million-dollar paydays for their first photos, and fans couldn't get enough.

The obsession with celebrity babies was big business for tabloids and magazines, with exclusive baby pics guaranteeing skyrocketing sales and publications locked in bidding wars for the first glimpse of the newborns.

It was all... a bit weird.

And no babies got the same level of attention as a celebrity couple's firstborn. Sorry Harlow, Cruz and Romeo, but this was Brooklyn Beckham's world and we were living in it. From Apple Martin to Suri Cruise, these famous offspring were thrust into the spotlight before they could even walk.

These kids grew up before the world stage in the early '00s but guess what? They're all grown up now. Get ready to feel about 100 years old as we dig through what they're up to as young adults.

Brooklyn Beckham.

Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola Peltz with Victoria and David Beckham. Image: Instagram/@victoriabeckham. 

Starting with the big man himself, Brooklyn Beckham was born on March 4 in 1999. 

The eldest son of ultimate celebrity power couple David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Brooklyn has been in the public eye since birth. Now 25 years old, he is married to American actress Nicola Peltz, who he wed in April 2022 in a lavish ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Throughout the years, Brooklyn has explored, err, let's just say... various career paths. 

After briefly pursuing photography and attending Parsons School of Design in New York, Brooklyn has since shifted his focus to cooking and the culinary arts. He even recently launched a pop-up restaurant in London, despite having no formal culinary training. Best of lucky, Brooky. 

He hosts a Facebook series 'Cookin' with Brooklyn', along with doing his side hustle as a model and brand ambassador. On his Instagram, he shares glimpses of his life with his wife and family and of course, he documents all his cooking adventures. 

Jaden Smith.

Jaden Smith with parents Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Image: Getty. 

Jaden Smith is the multi-talented offspring of Hollywood royalty Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who have since separated. Jaden burst onto the scene on July 8 in 1998 and now at the age of 25, this Gen Z icon is making waves in music, fashion and activism. 

Currently, Jaden's keeping busy with his sustainable fashion brand MSFTSrep and his music career. As far as romance goes, this year he made his red carpet debut with girlfriend Sab Zada at the Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere.

Known for his philosophical musings, Jaden once tweeted, "The more time you spend awake, the more time you spend asleep." It really makes you think!! 

As for his relationship with his famous parents, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. Jaden moved out at 15 and has been living separately since. But don't worry, they have appeared to still be on good terms as he pops up at family events and supports both Will and Jada's projects.

Apple Martin.

Gwyneth Paltrow is the spitting image of her daughter, Apple Martin. Image: Instagram/@gwynethpaltrow.

When it comes to celebrity babies, the name that springs to mind for most people would have to be Apple Martin.

Even I remember the moment the name Apple was announced to the world — what a time to be alive! Apple was born on May 14 in 2004 to her Oscar-winning mother, Gwyneth Paltrow, and her father, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who have since 'consciously uncoupled' aka divorced. 

Paltrow explained the name Apple on The Oprah Winfrey Show, admitting Martin suggested it during pregnancy with the actress describing it as "sweet" and "wholesome". 

And Apple has truly ripened (sorry had to) into a grown up. Now 20 years old, Apple recently completed her first year of college and returned home, much to her mother's delight.

Apple has shown a talent for music, much like her father. She performed Ariana Grande's 'Just a Little Bit of Your Heart' at a charity event in 2016 and even earned a co-songwriting credit on Coldplay's album Music of the Spheres for the track 'Let Somebody Go' featuring Selena Gomez.

Paltrow has praised Apple as a source of joy and pride for her famous parents. "There's this whole nepo baby culture, and judgment that exists around kids of famous people," Gwyneth told Bustle in 2023.

"She's such an eminently nice person, and her values are in the right place."

Suri Cruise.

Katie Holmes posts a photo of a teen Suri Cruise. Image: Instagram/@katieholmes. 

After being born April 18 in 2006, Suri Cruise became the most famous baby in the world, thanks to her famous parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes who had an ultra-public, couch-jumping romance before they got divorced in 2012. 

Suri turned 18 in April 2024, marking a new chapter in her life. She has largely remained out of the spotlight over the years as she continues living in New York City with her mother.

She recently graduated from the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she made headlines by using the name 'Suri Noelle' at her graduation, adopting her mother's middle name and dropping her father's surname. 

Suri was accepted into Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, where she plans to study fashion. Despite maintaining a low profile, Suri has shown a passion for the arts, lending her voice to two of her mother's film soundtracks, performing 'Blue Moon' for the soundtrack of the 2022 film Alone Together, and singing for Holmes’ latest directing project, Rare Objects.

"I hope she always does something on my films," Holmes said in an interview with Glamour in 2023. "It comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly. That's how I like to work. I like to have that kind of feeling. It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because she's my heart." 

Her relationship with her father remains a topic of speculation, with reports suggesting Cruise has been absent from her life since the 2012 divorce.

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.

Angelina Jolie with her daughter Shiloh Jolie. Image: Getty. 

Another outrageously famous former baby, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, just turned 18. As the child of two of the biggest movie stars in the planet — Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt — it came as no surprise that her birth on May 27 in 2006 broke the internet.

While her college plans are not publicly known, she is set to graduate high school this year. Shiloh has shown a strong passion for dance, training at the prestigious Movement Lifestyle Studio in Los Angeles.

Despite her celebrity background, Shiloh maintains a relatively private life without public social media accounts but she has shown interest in philanthropy, accompanying her mother on humanitarian trips.

Shortly after her 18th birthday, Shiloh filed a petition to legally change her name to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie, dropping 'Pitt' from her surname. The decision followers years of speculation that Pitt has become estranged from his children since Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. 

Pilot Inspektor Lee. 

Pilot Lee is all grown up. Image: Instagram/inspeklee.

Okay, I know this is a bit rogue but I can't be the only one who has wondered what became of Beth Riesgraf and Jason Lee's baby, who was given the unfortunate name of, ahem... Pilot Inspektor. During the 'unique baby names' phase of the early 2000s, this was the cherry on top. 

Apparently, the My Name Is Earl star named his child after a Grandaddy track titled 'He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot.' 

Lee's son Pilot Inspektor, born in September 28 in 2003, is now in his early twenties and goes by the name Pilot Lee. While specific details about his current life are not widely known, his website says he works in photography, video and animation.

According to IMDb, Pilot Lee is involved in the film industry as a cinematographer and editor with credits on Christmas Special Vol. 1 and The Trip.

It's worth noting that Lee has since married Ceren Alkaç and welcomed three more children. And the million dollar question: what are their names? Casper, Sonny and Alberta. Relatively normal!

The '00s are well and truly a distant memory.  

Feature image: Instagram/@gwynethpaltrow/Getty.