Apple Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is once again being slammed online. This time, for a modeling campaign critics have called “narcissistic.”
The backlash stems from a now-viral X thread posted on November 30, which compiled clips from her September campaign with fashion house Self-Portrait. Shortly after the brand introduced the 21-year-old as their newest face, many viewers said she only got the opportunity thanks to her parents.
Shortly after the announcement, Apple recorded herself celebrating the news in a video that struck some as self-indulgent and overly performative.
“Is she an insufferable nepo-baby or am I just in a bad mood?” the post read.
Apple Martin was criticized online after celebrating her collaboration with fashion house Self-Portrait with a clip considered “narcissistic”
Image credits: self-portrait.com
The campaign features photos taken by Ryan McGinley, aiming to “explore different sides of Apple’s personality.”
The photos are playful, putting the model in what many interpreted as the role of Eve from the Bible.
In one image, she’s perched atop an apple tree in a denim dress, surrounded by ripe fruit. In another, she wears a flowing white gown while a white snake coils around her body.
Image credits: mrselfportrait
In one of the videos, the model addresses the camera directly from the floor of her home.
“It is me, Miss Apple Blythe Alison Martin, coming to you from the floor in a gorg self-portrait little baby tee and these cute *ss earrings,” she said. “And I’m so excited to be the new Miss self-portrait and for the campaign to come out.”
Image credits: mrselfportrait
While her fans defended the video as Apple simply expressing her enthusiasm. Critics said the tone felt smug.
“Obviously full of herself with no reason to be. Disgusting,” a user commented under the clip.
“Vanity is the most repulsive manifestation of human ego,” another argued. “Whether it’s a man or a woman, it’s the most disdainful part of a person.”
Image credits: mrselfportrait
Apple, whose fashion trajectory includes sitting front-row at Chanel and wearing Valentino at Le Bal des Débutantes, is no stranger to privilege.
But the harshness of the criticism has grown as her public appearances multiply, especially given past behavior that’s been labeled rude or attention-seeking.
Apple was previously slammed for “hijacking” a French debutante’s spotlight at Le Bal
Image credits: JebraFaushay
Only a year ago, Apple was similarly criticized for allegedly stealing the spotlight from French Countess Alienor Loppin de Montmort during the elite Paris debutante ball known as Le Bal.
As Bored Panda reported, Apple walked into the background of the countess’s photo, posing and dancing in a way that derailed what should have been a moment for the only French debutante at the event.
“Money can’t buy class,” one viewer wrote at the time.
Image credits: MarieIsabellaB
Image credits: mrselfportrait
In a follow-up scandal, billionaire heiress Peyton Spaht – also a debutante at the ball – shared TikTok clips of Apple making kissy faces, sticking her tongue out, and generally acting “immature,” as one post described it.
The behavior, captured in multiple angles, further cemented the “mean girl” label many have since attached to her.
Image credits: mrselfportrait
Despite the criticism, Apple continues to climb in the fashion world.
In joining Self-Portrait, she joins the ranks of global icons like Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, and Kate Moss, who also partnered with the brand. Apple, by contrast, is only starting her career and already has access to top-tier campaigns.
The model said she’s aware of the negativity surrounding her, and that she intentionally avoids social media because of it
Image credits: AvionLukas
Image credits: mrselfportrait
Nepo baby accusations have long followed Apple, with critics accusing her of coasting on her parents’ fame rather than merit. The backlash has become so relentless that she now avoids reading online comments altogether.
In an April 2025 interview with Interview Magazine, Apple admitted the scrutiny has taken its toll.
“Then I quickly realized why everybody has always said, ‘Don’t do it,’” she said, referring to reading online comments. “Because even if you see a million positive things, there can be one thing that absolutely wrecks you.”
Image credits: Sye_Lokata
Image credits: applemartin
She even added that she avoids social media entirely, calling it a “plague.”
But to some, her recent Self-Portrait campaign tells a different story. Not only did Apple star in the brand’s photo series, but she also filmed herself giddily celebrating the collaboration.
“The second they said they’d named her Apple, I had a feeling she’d grow up to be insufferable,” a viewer wrote.
For Apple, the path forward may depend not just on brand deals or fashion week invites, but on whether the public can ever separate her work from her name. Right now, her critics still see a young woman flaunting her access instead of a talented model.
“Trying way too hard.” Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on Apple.
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