Kaia Gerber joyfully smokes between takes as nepo baby lands latest acting role

Kaia Gerber seemed to be living her best life as she was spotted happily puffing on a cigarette between takes of her new Ryan Murphy drama. 

The 24-year-old nepo baby of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber looked positively gleeful as she lit up on a Malibu beach set near the Pacific Coast Highway, clearly enjoying the moment despite the health warnings.

Bundled in a navy overcoat and jeans, the supermodel flashed her signature megawatt smile as she leaned into the wind for a drag, looking effortlessly cool.

She bantered with cast and crew while perched on a picnic table, smoke curling lazily around her like she owned the set.

At one point, she even settled cross-legged on the table, taking another long puff.

Whether her character in Murphy's new series The Shards, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, indulges in smoking remains a mystery - but Kaia didn’t let that stop her from enjoying herself in full Hollywood It Girl style.

The thriller, set in 1981, follows a group of wealthy prep school teens navigating sex, drugs, and a serial killer during their final year of high school in Los Angeles.

Murphy has clearly taken a shine to Gerber, giving her a platform with two seasons of his hit American Horror Story franchise. 

Since then, she’s been building her resume with high-profile roles, including Apple TV’s Palm Royale, and in Amazon’s teen dramedy Overcompensating. 

She’s also been seen flexing her comedic chops in the cult-favorite teen movie Bottoms and other buzzy indie projects.

Back in 2023, Gerber celebrated her film debut in the raunchy comedy Bottoms, where she played a popular high school cheerleader, which she considers worlds apart from her real life.

'I was not popular in high school, and I was not a cheerleader,' she told W magazine. 'I felt kind of like an outcast.'

'Obviously, the example in the movie is quite ridiculous, but feeling like you’re not taken seriously or people aren’t focusing on the thing that you’re passionate about is a very real thing,' she added.

The director of Bottoms Emma Seligman had nothing but incredible things to say about the star's talent. 

'She’s one of the most brilliant, well-read actors I’ve ever worked with,' the film maker told W. 'She cares so much about doing the job and honoring your vision as a director.'

'I’m sure it’s the same thing with a photographer or a designer,' Emma said of the runway model. 'She’s just trying to be a good soldier.'

Speaking of her modeling career, Kaia has carved her own path, landing covers and contracts galore, yet she understands the constant comparison to her mother, supermodel icon Cindy. 

'From day one, people in the industry were often taken aback by my resemblance to my mom,' she told Vogue in 2019.

'As I get older, it happens even more, and it’s not just a visual thing: It’s everything from our mannerisms to our voices.

'It used to be that I didn’t see it at all, but now I will look at a picture and have to take a moment before realizing which one of us it is.' 

Meanwhile, Gerber appeared to be fully embracing her new romance as she was spotted taking a beachside stroll with boyfriend Lewis Pullman near her parents’ Los Cabos home in Mexico on Sunday. 

At 24, Gerber is nearly nine years Pullman’s junior, with insiders claiming sparks flew toward the end of 2024.

The timing raised eyebrows, coming the same month she split from longtime boyfriend Austin Butler.