Apple Martin is a ‘girls’ girl’ not a ‘mean girl,’ a source close to her mom Gwyneth Paltrow told DailyMail.com after her behavior at a debutante ball raised eyebrows.
‘Apple’s more playful and fun and she’s really a total girls’ girl,’ the source said after Martin, 20, was accused of trying to hog a camera and filmed rolling her eyes at Saturday’s event.
‘She would never mean to take the spotlight from anyone, that was not her intention. To characterize her as a mean girl is very untrue.
‘She really had such a wonderful evening and I feel bad that this is even taking away from that because it was such an uplifting evening for her and the other girls.’
Martin donned a stunning Valentino frock to attend the Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris with her Goop tycoon mom and Coldplay singer dad Chris Martin
The Vanderbilt student went viral over footage said to show her making a brazen play for a photographer’s attention while another attendee had her photo taken.
Later, Martin was snapped rolling her eyes at date Count Leo Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck.
But the source insisted to DailyMail.com that Martin has a ‘good rapport’ with her aristocratic escort.
‘They had cameras on them all day long and they were playing around,’ they said.
A source close to Gwyneth Paltrow hit back at claims her daughter Apple Martin is a ‘mean girl’ after video emerged of her ‘rude’ behavior at a famous Paris debutante ball
Martin appeared to steal the spotlight from a fellow debutante in one of the videos
‘It was in total jest and once again, not snarky, not anything negative,’ the source added.
Fans of Martin also rushed to her defense and pointed out that the video was possibly not the full picture.
Many also praised her stunning strapless blue haute couture number from Valentino’s 2025 collection.
Taking to X, one observer wrote: ‘Apple doesn’t give me bully vibes at all?? Especially with a dad like Chris Martin.
‘I don’t know for sure ofc cuz I’m not there but that’s just what I see, and of course lots of people of tiktok like to blow things out of proportion.’
Referencing the now notorious moment Apple appears to gatecrash fellow debutante photo opportunity, a third wrote: ‘You can CLEARLY see the photographer motion her to stop for a photo and she playfully indulges him.
‘She seems excited to be outside and was just being silly. Y’all better leave Chris Martin’s Apple alone.’
But a source who knows her well insisted the videos were taken out of context and that Martin was just joking around
Apple’s mom Gwyneth attended with ex-husband Chris Martin and their son Moses, 18, as well as her mother Blythe Danner, to celebrate her
Martin was joined by her mom, dad Chris Martin, brother Moses, 18, and grandmother actress Blythe Danner for the glitzy event.
The family and the other debutantes gathered at the $1,000-a-night Hotel Shangri-la for the ball, which featured traditional ballroom dancing.
While the debutantes take center stage, each is paired with a ‘chevalier’ who are often young men from similarly distinguished backgrounds, to make their grand entrance at the ball.
Martin’s escort Leo is the son of film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and Christiane Asschenfeldt, the first International Executive Director of Creative Commons.
He is the descendant of a large and noble Austro-German family who were central figures of the 2nd Industrial Revolution, spearheading technological innovations like mild steel puddling metal factories, three-high rolling mills and soda-pulping in Germany.
Martin also took to the floor with her father in a sweet moment which was captured on camera.
The family joined an exclusive list of attendees who are all personally invited by the ball’s host, Ophélie Renouard.
Renouard invites her guests based on their appearance, intelligence, and family connections.
Martin was accompanied to the glizy event by Count Leo Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck who was in the ‘eye-roll’ video. However the source said the two have a good rapport
The event is billed as a charity fundraiser and will benefit two entities connected with children’s health, according to Hello!
Debutantes on the list of attendees include European royalty as well as the daughters of A-list celebrities.