Anna Wintour defended her new U.S. Vogue successor, 39-year-old Chloe Malle, from “nepo baby” criticism on Friday.

Speaking to The New Yorker, Wintour, 75, insisted that Malle, the daughter of Murphy Brown actress Candice Bergen and director and screenwriter Louis Malle, “really had to prove herself during the interview process.”

Wintour explained, “We saw a lot of amazing, amazing candidates, and Chloe consistently came back with the clearest vision and the most original ideas and understanding of what a Vogue in—well, I don’t think we can talk about five, 10 years anymore—in two years is going to look like.”

Malle was confirmed Tuesday in Vogue’s newly created role of head of editorial content, as Wintour steps down from her role as editor-in-chief after 37 years. Wintour will contin

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