Why Was Apple Martin Invited to the 2024 Paris Debutante Ball?

Apple Martin made waves at the prestigious Le Bal des Débutantes event in Paris on Dec. 1 as she was officially presented to society.

As the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Apple is one of the most notorious celebrity children in the world (with perhaps the most memorable name of them all, to boot), making her a perfect choice for the status-minded event.

So, it makes total sense she would become the belle of a ball that gives modern Bridgerton vibes.

READ MORE: Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin Attend Apple's Graduation Together

Apple was born on May 14, 2004, to Paltrow and Martin, with little brother Moses following in 2006 before the parents infamously "consciously uncoupled" in 2014.

Now 20 years old, she's maintained a private life but occasionally makes an appearance on her mom's social media.

Apple Martin at Le Bal des Débutantes

Apple Martin's appearance at the ball made a big splash on TikTok after videos of the so-called nepo baby went viral and drummed up mean-girl allegations.

In one video shared by Paris Match, Apple appeared behind a fellow debutante to pose for the cameras.

Her entrance caused viewers to accuse her of stealing the spotlight from the other debutantes.

"She just came and stole that other girl's thunder," someone commented on the video.

"They could never make me like you Apple Martin," another person wrote.

Apple attended the ball with Count Leo Henckel von Donnersmarck, who is the younger brother of Countess Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck.

Lara opened last year's Bal des Débutantes, according to Tatler.

The count and countess are the children of Academy Award-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

However, some fans suspected things weren't going so smoothly between Apple and Leo after she seemingly rolled her eyes at him in yet another TikTok video.

In the clip, Leo appears to go over a dance move, which Apple seemingly responds to before rolling her eyes ahead of their debut at the ball.

In another video shared by Paris Match, Apple was seen dancing with her musician dad before posing for a photo op with her date.

Meanwhile, Paltrow was also present at the event along with her mother, actress Blythe Danner, and Moses, 18.

The Goop mogul posted about the ball on her Instagram account.

"A special long weekend in Paris," she captioned a carousel of photos from the lavish event.

Her photos showed her daughter's custom baby blue Valentino dress in more detail.

According to Vogue, the gown took 750 hours to make. The dress featured flowing tiers of ruffles and a big black bow in the front.

What Is Le Bal des Débutantes?

The Le Bal des Débutantes is an elite soirée featuring top aristocrats, celebrities, socialites and royals.

According to the Le Bal website, the event, which began in 1958, was revived in 1994 by organizer Ophélie Renouard in order to "raise money for Charities to help young women."

The event is held each November at a luxurious hotel in Paris, with this year's ball taking place at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Who Gets Invited to Le Bal des Débutantes?

About 20 prominent young women from around the world are selected to make their societal debut in haute couture at the invitation-only event.

A cavalier, a.k.a. date, is also selected to accompany each debutante.

The lucky attendees are reportedly chosen based on social status, fame, attractiveness, fashion savvy and intelligence.

Many débutantes are part of the European aristocracy, including princesses from different countries.

Others are the children of American celebrities or have a special circumstance, such as 2015 deb Olivia Hallisey, who won the Google Science Fair for inventing a test for Ebola virus.

Similarly, gold medal-winning Olympian Eileen Gu was presented as a debutante in 2022.

What Other Celebrities Have Attended Le Bal des Débutantes?

The ball has a long history of including celebrity children.

Some of the most notable include Lily Collins, daughter of Phil Collins; Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell; Sophia-Rose Stallone, daughter of Sylvester Stallone; Ava Phillippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon; Tallulah and Scout Willis, daughters of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis; Lori Harvey, daughter of Steve Harvey; and True Whitaker, daughter of Forest Whitaker.