Sophie Kodjoe Reflects on Connecting with Gwyneth Paltrow's Daughter Apple Martin at Paris Debutante Ball: 'Whole Group Just Clicked'

Sophie Kodjoe, daughter of Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe, shared her memorable experience at the prestigious Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris. Here's what she said.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Dec 08, 2024 | 12:57 PM IST | 149K

Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin and Sophie Kodjoe with dad and brother (via Instagram)

Sophie Kodjoe, the 19-year-old daughter of Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe, was among the high-profile participants at the 2024 Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris on November 30.

The prestigious annual event introduces around 20 young women aged 16 to 22 into high society. This year’s cohort included notable participants like Apple Martin, the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, and Lucia Sofia Ponti, Sophia Loren’s granddaughter.

Sophie, now a student at Howard University, showed her excitement about being part of such an impressive group. She told PEOPLE that at first she was nervous because sometimes she gets nervous around new people.

Especially with all these amazing young women her age, who are all doing amazing things in other parts of the world. "I was like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have a title. I’m just Sophie from LA.’”

Despite initial nervousness, Sophie quickly bonded with her fellow debutantes. “Everyone was very nice, and I made lots of very nice friends instantly. It was like the whole group just clicked,” she shared.

Sophie recalled that Apple Martin had attended Crossroads and Harvard-Westlake, two Los Angeles schools also familiar to her. Sophie said that basically, all of her friends also went to Crossroads and Harvard-Westlake, so they were talking about people that they knew and their time in high school.

She found it fascinating how paths seemed to intertwine, even among an international group. Sophie shared that Apple is from LA, and Lucia lives sometimes in LA, sometimes in France. She said she just thought that was so crazy that they all knew someone or knew about each other in some way.

Sophie was impressed by the humility and grounded nature of her fellow debutantes, despite their high-profile backgrounds. She said she didn’t even think she would be this out in society because there are so many amazing women that she did this with. She added that not even just their titles, they’re quite pretty, talented, and well-traveled.

She appreciated the realness of their conversations. She said they were very grounded and just seemed like well-rounded, well-traveled, non-ignorant human beings that she was very lucky and happy to interact with. Discussions ranged from academic pursuits to shared experiences.

Reflecting on the event, Sophie described it as a whirlwind but rewarding experience. She shared that they were also very humble and very kind. They were just grateful. Meeting and connecting with other debutantes gave her a broader perspective on global connections and the strength of shared experiences.

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