Gwyneth Paltrow's Daughter Apple Martin Fires Back At Bullying Rumors
By Chukwudi Onyewuchi on February 17, 2026 at 12:30 PM EST

Apple Martin is stepping into the spotlight and shutting down rumors at the same time.
The 21-year-old daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin is pushing back against claims that she was expelled from school for bullying.
After online chatter grew louder, Apple took to social media with a clear message. Now, she is addressing the accusations directly while also opening up about her future plans and personal life.
Apple Martin Calls Expulsion Claims ‘Completely Untrue’

Apple Martin directly addressed the claims through her Instagram Stories on Monday.
The Vanderbilt University student reshared a comment she wrote, explaining that she wanted to share “just a quick little message from myself.”
In her message, as reported by the Daily Mail, Apple said, “Hi! I didn’t wanna respond, but this narrative is completely false and has gotten so out of hand.”
She firmly denied the accusations, adding, “I have never been expelled from any school, especially not for bullying anyone.”
While she acknowledged that not everyone online will like her, she made it clear that the rumor crossed a line.
“I completely understand people not liking me, and that is okay! The internet is a place where people can share their opinions.”
However, she stressed, “But this rumor is completely untrue, I am not that type of person, and anyone who is close to me knows that.”
Apple’s Paris Debut Sparked Online Backlash

The bullying rumors appear to connect back to 2024, when Apple Martin attended Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris.
During the event, a video surfaced that some viewers felt showed her attempting to step into another debutante’s photo moment.
Apple later went viral over footage said to show her making a bold play for a photographer’s attention while another attendee posed.
She was also photographed rolling her eyes at her date, Count Leo Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck.
The clips quickly sparked “mean girl” comments online. However, a source close to the family defended Apple and pushed back against that label.
Apple Martin Defended As A ‘Girls’ Girl’

Following the backlash, a source close to Paltrow told the Daily Mail that Apple is not what critics claimed.
The insider described her as someone who enjoys having fun and insisted the situation was misunderstood.
“Apple’s more playful and fun, and she’s really a total girls’ girl,” the source said.
They continued, “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.”
According to the source, the night had actually been a positive experience. They said, “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.”
Addressing the moment with her escort, the insider added that Apple and Donnersmarck share a “good rapport.”
“They had cameras on them all day long, and they were playing around,” the source explained. “It was in total jest and once again, not snarky, not anything negative.”
Apple Reveals New Post-College Plans

While dealing with online rumors, Apple Martin is also preparing for her next chapter.
She will graduate from Vanderbilt University in May with a degree in law, history, and society.
Earlier this month, she shared in an interview with Vogue that she has changed her career plans.
Although she once planned to attend law school, she admitted her earlier decision came from wanting to be different from her famous parents.
“I was in that rebellious 'I don’t wanna be like my parents' type of phase,” she said.
Now, she plans to pursue acting, following in her mother’s footsteps. However, she clarified that she will not follow her father into music with Coldplay.
“I don’t wanna be a singer. I like musical theater, but getting onstage by yourself to sing is so terrifying,” she said. “I love dancing, and I love acting. My dream is to act.”
Apple Martin Opens Up About Lip Filler And Public Life
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Apple has also been open about speculation surrounding her appearance. In a video for Vogue's YouTube channel, she spoke honestly about cosmetic enhancements.
“Time to come clean. I got lip filler one time,” she revealed. She explained, “I think I got it when I was 18. I just thought that it was too big.”
She also addressed online assumptions, saying, “Everyone seems to think that I have crazy lip filler,” before clarifying, “I just pout my lips a lot, and I put on a lot of lip liner.”
Apple Martin has slowly stepped further into the spotlight in recent years. In 2023, she made her fashion show debut, sitting front row at the Chanel show in Paris.
Her parents split in 2014 in what Paltrow famously described as “conscious uncoupling,” but they have remained friendly co-parents. They also share son Moses, 19.