21-year-old daughter of Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, has officially fired…
LOS ANGELES — Apple Martin, the 21-year-old daughter of Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, has officially fired back against viral allegations of bullying and rumors that she was expelled from school. The controversy, which reached a fever pitch on social media, prompted the star-kid to issue a rare and direct response to set the record straight.
Setting the Record Straight
On Monday, February 16, 2026, the Vanderbilt University student took to her Instagram Stories to address the claims with a firm statement. Responding to a narrative she described as having “gotten so out of hand,” Martin clarified that the reports of her being kicked out of school were entirely fabricated.
“I have never been expelled from any school, especially not for bullying anyone,” she wrote in a comment shared with her followers. “I completely understand [people] not liking me and that is okay… But this rumor is completely untrue. I am not that type of person”.
The Source of the Speculation
The rumors appeared to stem from context-free video clips from the 2024 Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris. In the footage, some social media users interpreted Martin’s body language including a moment where she stepped into a photo setup with another debutante as “entitled” or “mean girl” behavior. The online chatter quickly mutated into serious, unverified claims that she had been expelled from Vanderbilt University (and previously Harvard-Westlake) for bullying her peers.
Support from Peers
Despite the digital backlash, those actually present at the events in question have come to Martin’s defense. Aliénor Loppin de Montmort, the fellow debutante seen in the viral video, previously dismissed the “mean girl” labels. “She was the nicest girl ever towards not only me but all the debs!” Loppin de Montmort told PEOPLE magazine, adding that Martin did not deserve the online vitriol.
A New Chapter in Hollywood
The timing of the controversy comes as Apple begins to step more intentionally into the spotlight. In a recent interview with Vogue, she revealed a significant shift in her career path. Although she has been studying law, history, and society, she admitted to dropping her previous plans for law school to pursue acting and dancing.
“I was in that rebellious ‘I don’t wanna be like my parents’ type of phase,” she told the magazine, noting that while she loves musical theater, the idea of being a solo singer like her father is “terrifying”. By addressing the rumors head-on, Martin appears determined to enter the industry on her own terms, free from the shadow of baseless online scandals.
