Since becoming world famous, Jennifer has found her love life very firmly under the spotlight, with her every move analysed, dissected, discussed and critiqued just as much – if not more – than her movie roles.
In 2011 she started dating British actor Nicholas Hoult, who first found fame as the nerdy kid who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Hugh Grant’s carefree bachelor character in About a Boy (2002). Jennifer and Nicholas met on the set of X-Men: First Class in 2010, where he played the character Beast, and sparks flew as soon as they were introduced. Rumours about the nature of their close friendship began to swirl, and the romance was confirmed when they went public for the first time by attending the Screen Actors Guild Awards as a couple at the start of 2011.
While they tried to keep a low profile, the pair found it hard to hide their true feelings. In one interview Nicholas described Jennifer as ‘special’ and she in turn happened to mention how good-looking she thought he was, while in another interview he talked about how down to earth he felt Jennifer had stayed, despite her stellar career. He went on to say that dating her meant he had less privacy, but otherwise his life remained unchanged.
Although Jennifer had been linked many times to her Hunger Games co-star Josh Hutcherson, and the two friends admitted they did love each other, they insisted they were actually more like ‘brother and sister’ and there was no romantic connection between them.
Within months of dating, there were suggestions that Nicholas had proposed to Jennifer, but when asked to confirm rumours of an engagement, Jennifer told Marie Claire magazine: ‘We’re so young that it would almost be like if we lived in the same city, what would happen? We’d be living together.
‘At least this way he’s in the same boat as I am: We can go out and have our own lives and know that we have each other.
‘When we’re busy, we agree to mutually ignore each other. Not completely, but neither of us gets mad when the other doesn’t text back or call. Life’s super busy. Obviously you know what they’re doing, and you trust them.’
Although they spent much of their relationship apart, due to the demands of hectic filming schedules, the pair managed to enjoy a couple of years together until they appeared to have split up in January 2013.
At the timem a source told Us Weekly magazine: ‘They just weren’t together a lot, her life is a whirlwind. It just got to be too hard for now.’
Nicholas was then spotted out with Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, actress and model Riley Keough, while at a nightclub in New York City, and they appeared to be casually dating until May 2013.
But Jennifer seemed to be taking the split from her first serious boyfriend very much in her stride, and a source revealed that their break-up had been extremely amicable. ‘They spent a lot of time apart because of work and it was difficult on their relationship. It was a mutual split. There was no scandal, no cheating,’ a close pal of the duo exclusively told Radar. ‘The distance was just too much. It put a strain on the relationship and it just wasn’t working anymore.’
But Riley seemed to be out of the picture when Jennifer and Nicholas were reunited in June 2013. They were thrown back together as they were working alongside one another on the X-Men sequel, Days of Future Past. To many it appeared as if their brief separation was a distant memory as they were spotted at the cinema together, as well as enjoying romantic lunch dates in their trailers and the two of them even went on a trip to an amusement park during a rare day off.
Jennifer and Nicholas were also seen out and about with their co-stars. They joined James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and director Bryan Singer at the Canadian Grand Prix, and enjoyed a movie double date with Hugh Jackman and his wife, actress and producer Deborra-Lee Furness.
McAvoy is a huge fan of Jennifer’s, and when he picked up an Empire award for Best Sci-Fi Fantasy in March 2015, he joked that she had taken the spotlight from him because of her skimpy costume. ‘I’d like to thank Jennifer Lawrence’s wonderful blue hue and naked body for ensuring I didn’t even feature in that clip,’ joked the British actor.
Meanwhile, with their romance very much back on, Jennifer and Nicholas were also spotted at an HBO boxing event, and it seemed that they were delighted to be a couple again.
Jennifer confirmed they were back together in a frank interview with fashion bible Vogue, saying: ‘He has absolutely no idea how good-looking he is. I think a lot of women and men hate me because of that.’ She also joked that they had previously split up over his sloppy attitude to cleaning. ‘He would never wring sponges out,’ Jennifer explained. ‘We were in the kitchen once, and I picked up the sponge, and it was soapy and wet, and I was like, “See? These are the kinds of things that make me think we are never going to work.”’
Nevertheless, later that year Nicholas took Jennifer on holiday to Britain to meet his family. His sister Clarista revealed that she was impressed by how down to earth, lovely and easy to talk to Jennifer appeared to be during the visit. ‘Jen is lovely. She’s really easy to talk to,’ she told Heat magazine. ‘She’s really family-orientated, so she fitted in well with us. She doesn’t seem like a Hollywood type, she just mucked in.
‘We’re a very unglam family. In our house, if you want a drink, you get it yourself.’
Jennifer spent some of Christmas 2013 with Nicholas and his loved ones, but rather than chatting about her upcoming movies or how she had just been nominated for an Oscar for American Hustle, the star preferred to be much more low-key. She enjoyed lunch at a local pub and settled down with the Hoult family to watch Christmas television shows. She also apparently helped Nicholas’s father Roger make a chicken pie, and baked some cakes.
But reports that the couple were making plans to settle down in Britain by buying a house there together turned out to be false. It was claimed that Jennifer and Nicholas were planning to invest in some property in the English countryside, which they had apparently viewed while visiting over the Christmas holidays.
However, Clarista insisted the pair were a long way from investing in property. Of a home the actor had recently bought in London, she said: ‘It’s Nick’s house, they’re not buying it together. It’s his first house, he’s very excited. He’s getting furniture from IKEA.
‘They’re just a normal couple – they get on really well. They see each other as much as possible and they Skype and FaceTime. She’s just really chilled and normal.’
But Clarista suggested that Jennifer might have found Nicholas’s family life in Wokingham, Berkshire, a little quiet. She added: ‘We don’t drink alcohol at home – it’s orange squash, that’s what she had to be happy with. My mum doesn’t drink, so it was how we were brought up. There’s no vintage wines or anything like that with dinner. Jen went to the local pub instead for a drink.
‘Jen just says what she feels and we’re a bit more reserved as a family,’ she added.
Nicholas appeared delighted to be by Jennifer’s side to support her at the Golden Globes in January 2014, where she picked up the Best Supporting Actress prize for American Hustle. He cheered her on at the ceremony, and Jennifer later described how they had played games with a friend’s child while getting ready for the show. ‘My stylist Rachel [Zoe] brought over her adorable son, Skylar, and we played “tickle monster” for a while,’ Jennifer said about her typically chilled-out preparations for the awards. ‘I had my friends and family come over, too, so it was like a party, which is always really fun.’
Throughout their relationship there were frequent rumours that the couple were planning to marry, and they emerged publicly again in November 2013 when Jennifer was spotted wearing a new ring on her left hand during a press event for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. And in April 2014 she was seen wearing a turquoise ring while out with Nicholas. She was still wearing it on a trip to London, but later denied any wedding plans, and the couple broke up again in the summer of 2014, once more blaming their hectic schedules. And this time the romance seemed to be over for good, according to reports that the on-again, off-again couple had no choice but to part ways because of the demands of their respective careers.
A source told E! News: ‘They spent a lot of time apart because of work and it was difficult on their relationship.’
It was not long before Nicholas appeared to have picked up the pieces and was dating again – he was spotted having lunch with Twilight star Kristen Stewart at Daiwa in Tsukiji Fish Market in Los Angeles, and a source explained: ‘Nick has been dating several girls for the past few weeks. But he and Jennifer have been broken up longer than people realise.’
According to the Daily Star, he and Kristen met while filming their new science fiction movie Equals in Japan, just as his relationship with Jennifer was crumbling. Although they had always kept typically tight-lipped about any suggestion of romance, a source told the newspaper that behind closed doors, the new relationship was official: ‘Nick is besotted with Kristen. They’re a match made in heaven, as they’re both anti-fame and share a very strong work ethic.
‘Almost as soon as Jennifer told Nick it was over between them, he began seeing Kristen. But they were both worried about making the news public. For one thing, they’re private at the best of times, but they also didn’t want people thinking there was any overlap in their relationships.’
Kristen and Nicholas spent a great deal of quality time together, both on and off the set. ‘Kristen and Nicholas have really connected with each other on so many levels,’ an insider told HollywoodLife.com. ‘They really get each other [with] their wacky sense of humour. They both basically bonded over pranks and pachinko — a really fun kind of arcade game in Japan.
‘He brings out her silly self and they just spend a lot of time laughing together and pulling pranks on the cast and crew members. They’ve become super-tight and it’s been healing for both of them to have someone to really lean on,’ the source added.
Since all the stars involved are notoriously private, few details were ever confirmed. Some sources say that Nicholas’s heart was broken by Jennifer, and his romance with Kristen was little more than a rebound fling. Celeb Dirty Laundry suggested Kristen hated Jennifer for that reason, and Life & Style claimed that Nicholas was still in love with Jennifer. An insider reportedly told the magazine that Jennifer was still the love of his life, and they would be getting back together, making any new relationship impossible.
It also emerged that Kristen was only dating Nicholas to get back at her former boyfriend and Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, who had also moved on and was now in a relationship with British singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, better known as Tahliah Barnett.
While Jennifer was not short of men wanting to date her, and friends said she was not in a hurry to jump into another relationship because she was too busy with work, it was only a matter of weeks before she was first linked to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
The initial suggestion of romance between them sparked headlines across the globe since the British musician had recently split from his wife, Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow.
Shortly before the rumours began to swirl, Jennifer said in an interview that she was ready to date again. ‘Basically, what I’m saying is all I need in a relationship is somebody to watch TV with me,’ she said, before adding that she also wants a guy who will be super comfortable around her and feel like he can be himself – in every way: ‘You know, a guy who isn’t afraid to fart in front of me,’ she said. ‘Also, rather than have big, passionate love I’d rather have just a peaceful time. Those relationships are deeper because you can be your true self with somebody, and somebody can be their true self with you.
‘I don’t like fighting, and I find argumentative people the most annoying people on the planet. Like, why do you still want to be fighting? It’s just unattractive. I would just rather have somebody that has the same taste in reality TV,’ she told Vanity Fair.
And when asked about her budding romance with Martin by French magazine Madame Figaro, Jennifer appeared very embarrassed, as they had only been dating a matter of weeks. She giggled and stammered: ‘I do seem to like Englishmen, don’t I? Oh gosh, I don’t know. You guys [Englishmen] are just so charming. Oh God, now I’m blushing and scratching and itching and sweating.’
While there were suggestions that Jennifer had perhaps started dating Chris before he and Gwyneth officially ended their ten-year marriage, this was never confirmed. The pair were first officially linked three months after his much-publicised ‘conscious uncoupling’ from Gwyneth. The high-profile power-couple announced their somewhat unconventional split on Gwyneth’s lifestyle website Goop, which has often been mocked for advocating unusual diets, expensive designer clothing and wacky beauty fads, such as vaginal steaming!
In a blog post revealing the end of their marriage, Gwyneth wrote: ‘It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate.
‘We are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children, and we ask for their space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner.’
But the carefully chosen wording of their announcement caused much amusement and mockery – especially on Twitter. British publicist Mark Borkowski identified ‘conscious uncoupling’ as the phrase of the morning, and at the end of the day blogger Perez Hilton signed off with: ‘I’m going to consciously uncouple from my laptop now. I kindly ask for privacy while I sleep.’
Businesses ‘consciously uncoupled’ from their directors, and actor Colin Firth announced his ‘conscious uncoupling’ from the voice of Paddington Bear when Ben Whishaw took over the role. Meanwhile the Plain English Foundation declared the phrase to be 2014’s worst example of spin and jargon.
Months later, Gwyneth admitted that the phrase was ‘kind of goofy’, but added that it simply boiled down to separation ‘with minimal acrimony’.
She said: ‘We’ve made a lot of mistakes, and we’ve had good days and bad days but I have to say, I’m proud of us for working through so much stuff together and not naming and shaming.’
In April 2014, Chris told BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe that he felt he had to split from Gwyneth in order to work on his own emotional wellbeing. ‘I wouldn’t use the word breakdown,’ he said, when asked about the end of his marriage. ‘This was more a realisation about trying to grow up, basically. If you can’t open yourself up, you can’t appreciate the wonder inside. So you can be with someone very wonderful, but because of your own issues you cannot let that be celebrated in the right way.’
He went on to tell the DJ: ‘What changed for me was, I don’t want to go through life being scared of it, being scared of love, being scared of rejection, being scared of failure.
‘About two years ago I was a mess really because I can’t enjoy the thing that we are good at, and I can’t enjoy the great things around me because I’m burdened by this. I’ve got to not blame anyone else and make some changes.’
While Chris seemed to move seamlessly on to his low-key romance with Jennifer pretty swiftly, many sources say they had in fact agreed to take their relationship very slowly for the sake of his two children, Apple and Moses.
It later emerged that he and Gwyneth had quietly separated about a year before making the actual announcement – which came as a shock because two months prior to their official split, they made the usual move of appearing in public together three times. Although they had gone to great lengths throughout their marriage to avoid being photographed together, the pair made a rare show of togetherness over the Golden Globes weekend in 2014, culminating in Gwyneth singing his praises at the awards bash held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
While Iron Man actress Gwyneth was not up for an award that year, Chris was nominated for Best Original Song from the soundtrack to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, with a song called ‘Atlas’ by his band Coldplay. Few could have predicted that in a matter of months, in an unexpected turn of events, the couple would be estranged and Chris would be dating The Hunger Games’ leading lady.
In July 2014, during an interview with the Valentine in the Morning radio show, Chris confirmed he was back on the market, and once again opened up about his relationship with Gwyneth post-split, saying: ‘The thing we told everyone at the beginning of the year is true. We are very close. We are not together. But we’re, you know, that’s the truth and that’s it. You know, there’s a lot of love. No scandal, I’m afraid. I wish I could give you scandal.’
Jennifer, meanwhile, made it clear she was also available, and looking for her ideal man, just as her romance with Chris gradually began to gather momentum. The couple were spotted together on several different occasions, despite their best efforts to keep a low profile in the early stages.
A source told People magazine: ‘Even though they are busy, the relationship is solid. They see each other when they can. Jennifer understands that the children come first with Chris and that his relationship with Gwyneth is based around the family and will always be a part of his life. Things are good between them.’
However, the cat was well and truly out of the bag in the summer of 2014 when Jennifer was spotted kissing Chris at a Kings of Leon concert in LA. Up until that point they had managed to keep their romance under wraps, rarely being pictured in the same place at the same time. But it had proved impossible for the relationship to go on undetected any longer.
Sparks had first flown after they had been introduced following a Coldplay concert at the Royal Albert Hall: ‘Jen was blown away at his London show. His music is absolutely part of the attraction,’ a source told Us Weekly. ‘The better she gets to know him, the more she likes him.’
It seemed they had hit it off immediately when first introduced at the after-party held at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London, following the concert.
After texting for six weeks and enjoying a few initial dates, Chris introduced Jennifer to his friends over dinner and then to his grandparents. She in turn took him to meet her parents. But they kept it quiet until the Kings of Leon concert at the Hollywood Bowl, where Chris was a surprise performer. Jennifer was spotted taking pictures of him on her phone while he played piano on two numbers. After the concert, it was reported on gossip website Just Jared: ‘They engaged playfully with each other, appearing like a couple in love. She kissed him on the lips several times.’
Us Weekly reported that Jennifer had arrived with friends and Chris seemed to be looking for her, then when he performed on stage he could not take his eyes off his new girlfriend. ‘Just before the show was supposed to start, Jennifer Lawrence walked toward the stage, surrounded by a couple girlfriends, trying to find their seat,’ a source said. ‘They looked a little rushed, like they wanted to get to their seat before the show started, so someone on the theatre staff helped them out.’
The insider continued: ‘Chris gave a good look around the room and then spotted someone up on the balcony. He pointed and said, “Aha! I see you!” and then smiled and waved. He kept looking up in the direction during the show and smiling, pointing, singing to her.’
A source told E! News that Jennifer ‘danced the entire time and knew every word to every song.’
The insider continued: ‘She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Jennifer stared adoringly at Chris, both hands in the air, dancing and singing along to “Magic”.’
After the show she left through a back exit, trying to leave unnoticed by holding her handbag over her face as she was led towards a waiting car.
That was the first official contact between the two, although Jennifer had been spotted at a number of Chris’s gigs in various locations over the previous three months, and spectators had started to suggest that she was rather more than just another devoted fan. Shortly after that now infamous Kings of Leon gig, she was seen backstage, taking pictures of Chris as he performed at the sell-out iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
Jennifer was pictured walking around backstage at the festival, where Chris and his band were performing. While the pair had yet to confirm their romance the official Twitter account of iHeartRadio hinted that they were already going strong: ‘SPOTTED #JenniferLawrence Backstage! Wonder who she’s here to see? *Cough New b/f #ChrisMartin Cough* #iHeartRadio,’ a post read.
And a source told RadarOnline.com: ‘At around 7pm on Friday night, Jennifer and Chris were making out backstage in an area that only allows security and a select group of celebrities in.
‘She had her arms around his neck. They were kissing passionately before he took the stage!
‘Jennifer was watching from backstage and looked like the proudest girlfriend in the world! They spent the entire weekend together. They were not trying to hide it at all.’
After two songs had played – ‘Talihina Sky’ and ‘Notion’ – the pair were snapped together making their return to Los Angeles by private jet, and by that stage things were clearly getting serious. Just a few weeks later they were spotted on a romantic dinner date at La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills, according to People magazine: ‘They were super cute together,’ an eyewitness said. ‘They were laughing a lot and Jennifer was acting all goofy!’
And a source told HollywoodLife.com: ‘The evening took a romantic turn when Jennifer leaned over the table to get a kiss and was met halfway by a waiting Chris. That really was the most PDA [Public Display of Affection] that was seen during the dinner, but they definitely were having a blast. Plus, the way the seats are, they are more like a booth feel, so they were next to each other and close.’
The site also reported that the couple shared a bottle of red wine and also their food: ‘They had a lot of food, calamari, a couple of pastas, the steak, I don’t remember everything they had but I was impressed because they ordered a lot and they finished it all,’ the source added.
And although they had not been dating very long at that stage, Chris was supportive of Jennifer when the hacking scandal broke, and nude photos of her were leaked on to the internet; he himself had years of experience when it came to handling public scrutiny.
‘Chris has been right there for Jen. She doesn’t know how she would have got through this without him,’ an insider told Grazia magazine. ‘Chris is being totally calm and like a rock. He has deep feelings for Jennifer and is broken-hearted that she’s been targeted in such an intrusive way.’
After the initial shots were posted on a photo-sharing website, it was claimed Jennifer had sought refuge at Chris’s Malibu home. He was not staying there at the time as he was spending time with Gwyneth and their children, but let her use his house to escape the press attention.
He had apparently tried to reassure her, saying the situation would run out of steam, but when that showed no sign of happening and a second wave of photos was released shortly after, Chris made sure Jennifer had all the practical and emotional help she needed.
‘Jennifer is one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood, so of course she is worried about what people think. She also feels violated and betrayed. Privately, she tried to laugh it off the first time, but to have it happen a second time is horrific,’ a source explained.
Another source added that Chris and Jennifer had fallen for each other and despite the embarrassment caused by the scandal, he had no plans to leave her: ‘Chris doesn’t care that Jennifer took naked pics of herself, he’s more concerned that her privacy was invaded,’ a source told HollywoodLife.com. ‘The whole thing is disturbing and Chris has just been very supportive.’
The source revealed that Chris is not the kind of man who would break up with Jennifer when she needed him most: ‘He would never end things with Jennifer over something like this. The couple are using humour to get through this negative situation. It will pass, that’s what he tells her. And he just uses his quirky sense of humour to help her look at the funny side. They both do a lot of laughing together, which is what really attracted them to each other in the first place.
‘Jen is horrified over this leak and knows that this will possibly affect her upcoming roles.
‘She knows that A-list stars don’t have this type of controversy attached to them and is very much horrified over the whole situation.’
Chris apparently told friends that he was attracted to Jennifer because she was the polar opposite of Gwyneth: ‘Jennifer is loads of fun and they can’t stop laughing when they are together,’ a source told The Sun newspaper. ‘Chris feels he is dating someone who has everything he’s been missing out on in the past eleven years.’
Friends believed that Jennifer was a good boost for Chris following his split from clean-living Gwyneth, who is renowned for her healthy diet and strict fitness routine, while Jennifer smokes and drinks, loves red meat, only exercises when she has to and admits she enjoys tucking into junk food.
The source added that Chris felt the Hunger Games star had given him a ‘new lease of life’, adding, ‘Jennifer doesn’t take herself too seriously and when she is not filming she just wants to hang out and have a good time.’
And their budding relationship took a serious turn when the Coldplay singer started to write love songs about his new girlfriend: ‘He writes her songs and loves taking her to private romantic spots. Chris is sweeping Jen off her feet. That’s his thing,’ an insider told Us Weekly.
They also shared a special afternoon together at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard in California to celebrate Jennifer’s twenty-fourth birthday in August 2014: ‘They were there on a date,’ the source dished. ‘They were very low-key, nobody realised who they were. The setting was super-romantic. They watched the sun go down.’
But their initial happiness was plagued by suggestions that Gwyneth was still very much on the scene, with some saying that she and Chris were actually involved in an open relationship, and were even considering a surprise reunion.
That said, reports were certainly confused and conflicted, as E! News reported: ‘On weekends, if one of them has the kids and the other doesn’t have plans, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow will meet up and do something all together. They truly love one another and think the world of each other, they just aren’t a couple.
‘They will spend the holidays together and make sure the kids know they are always going to be a family.’
Another problem widely speculated upon was the thirteen-year age gap between Chris and Jennifer, and by October 2014 they appeared to have cooled things off as Chris spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and what would have been his eleventh wedding anniversary with Gwyneth, Apple and Moses. And at that time it began to look as if Jennifer would be left out in the cold as reports suggested that Chris was reuniting with his ex-wife.
He was a surprise performer at the amfAR gala in Los Angeles in October 2014, and Gwyneth, who hosted the event, was by his side all night. She kicked off the event by bringing Chris and his bandmate Jonny Buckland up on stage to perform the band’s hit songs, ‘Paradise’ and ‘Viva La Vida’. Introducing them, she gushed openly about her former husband, whom she described as Father of the Year to the crowd. ‘This brilliant singer-songwriter has sold 8 million records,’ said Gwyneth. ‘He has won every single award that there is to be won, especially Father of the Year, which he has won consecutively since 2004.
‘I am speaking of Chris Martin,’ she added, ‘and the incredibly talented Jonny Buckland, who together make up one-half of the legendary band Coldplay.’
There was still no suggestion that Chris had been in touch with Jennifer to offer her any words of reassurance when he was spotted with Gwyneth shortly after the gala at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, where his estranged wife was seen tenderly stroking his face. There were even suggestions that Gwyneth herself had called the paparazzi to capture the intimate moment in an attempt to drive a wedge between Chris and Jennifer.
And that same night, a glum-looking Jennifer was pictured elsewhere in the city having dinner with a friend, apparently furious that Chris and Gwyneth still appeared so close.
But then Gwyneth decided to go public with her new boyfriend, Glee producer Brad Falchuk, who she took to the premiere of her new film, Mortdecai. Not only did she hold hands with him, but she also made sure that photographers captured every romantic moment between them.
The situation confused Jennifer and as she struggled to make sense of it all, she escaped to the solace of her family home. A source told MailOnline: ‘Jen got tired of watching Chris play happy families with Gwyn and was annoyed that he was trying to keep her hidden away.’
While Chris was spotted in Malibu having dinner and celebrating the holidays with Gwyneth in an apparent attempt to keep the season as normal as possible for their young children, Jennifer flew home to Kentucky to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with her family in 2014.
She cheered herself up by rooting for the Louisville Cardinals, her hometown college basketball team, standing out among a crowd of revellers, cheering and flashing signals as the NCAA college basketball game got underway. As images of her were beamed onto the scoreboard, prompting cheers from the crowd, the actress formed an ‘L’-shape with her hand as a sign of support for her favourite team, who were playing against the Kentucky Wildcats.
She even wore a black University of Louisville T-shirt, skinny jeans and a red Louisville Cardinals cap during the game at the KFC Yum! Center. Her team lost by eight points, but in a video posted to YouTube, she could be seen performing the university’s ‘C-A-R-D-S’ cheer and enjoying a slice of pizza.
Before the start of the game she’d been ushered to the locker room, where she posed for a photo with radio personality Terry Meiners.
For her part, Jennifer was certainly doing her best not to be seen to be pining for her boyfriend; instead she tried to make the most of a normal holiday with her family. Renowned for her down-to-earth approach to fame, she followed a traditional turkey dinner with a day spent shopping with pals. And practical Jennifer dressed for some serious bargain hunting at the holiday sales in comfy flats, jeans and a long cardigan jacket. Her skin was make-up free and a simple beanie covered her hair.
But there were suggestions that Chris could be back in touch, as Jennifer seemed to be spending an awful lot of time checking her phone. As she joined the scrum of Black Friday shoppers hunting down bargains, it appeared she was taking a call from her on-off lover. Whoever was on the line, Jennifer was certainly very happy to hear from the caller, grinning as she saw their name on the screen.
Whether or not he was checking in by phone, Chris’s absence came as a major disappointment for Jennifer’s grandmother, who had been very excited about meeting him. Carolyn Koch told the Sun On Sunday that she was expecting him to join in the family’s celebrations: ‘Jennifer’s mum flew to Los Angeles to meet Chris,’ she explained of her daughter Karen. ‘We will have to get another chair for the dinner table at Christmas. The family is getting so big we might have to split up for gatherings.’
Although neither Jennifer nor Chris was prepared to discuss any aspect of their relationship, they did manage to meet up whenever their schedules would allow.
Meanwhile, Gwyneth had first met TV producer Brad Falchuk in 2010 when she guest-starred on the hit musical-comedy drama series Glee as a glamorous Spanish teacher. In March 2013, his marriage to wife Suzanne, with whom he has two children, ended in divorce and there were even whispers that an affair with Gwyneth was the reason behind it.
In August 2014, Gwyneth and Brad spent a romantic weekend at the luxurious Amangiri luxury resort in Utah, with an eyewitness telling American magazine Star: ‘They were lying next to each other, Gwyneth was topless.’
Their relationship dipped below the radar after that sighting, when it appeared that Gwyneth and Chris could be heading for a reunion, but then in January 2015 she was holding hands with Brad at a party following the premiere of her new film, Mordecai, in LA: ‘Their relationship has been stop-start, but is finally getting off the ground,’ a source told Grazia magazine. ‘After finally agreeing to dissolve her relationship with Chris, Gwyneth is ready to take things to the next level with Brad. Bringing him as her date to Robert’s birthday was a big step.’
And so, having been patient for well over a year, Jennifer and Brad seemed to finally be getting the romances they had waited for: ‘Both Brad and Jen have previously expressed dismay at being third wheels in Chris and Gwyneth’s marriage,’ the source explained to Grazia. ‘Eventually, they both realised that they couldn’t keep living in limbo, and would have to make the final cut in order to move on with their lives.’
But while she waited for Chris to extricate himself from his complex marital situation, Jennifer was forced to deny that she was romantically involved with her close friend Bradley Cooper. Speculation had always been rife that the close-knit pair were more than just good friends and they were spotted leaving a New York hotel together in March 2015.
At a party following a gala screening of their film Serena, Jennifer told Us Weekly magazine: ‘We are pretty much work husband and wife, you could say. But there is no sex! I know what you’re thinking!’
But the next day Bradley left a hotel in Tribeca with Jennifer, carrying her dog Pippa under his arm. The intimate gesture caused many to speculate that there was more to their friendship than met their eye, and they were branded ‘The new Brad and Jen’ in reference to one of Hollywood’s most infamous A-list couplings, between Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
Grazia magazine reported that Bradley’s on-off girlfriend, British model and actress Suki Waterhouse, was unhappy when she saw the pictures, adding that Jennifer and Bradley were being seen as a hot new couple. ‘They’ve always shared a great vibe – they hit it off straight away when they first began filming together and have been close ever since,’ a source told the magazine. ‘They genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
‘The timing hasn’t been right before, but it’s different now and friends think it’s only a matter of time before they hook up. Bradley has been leaning on Jen since splitting from Suki and they’ve become even closer. There’s always been chemistry between them – even if they won’t admit it, everyone else can see it.’
But just as the rumours began to gather pace, Bradley was spotted hugging Suki at the Coachella music festival in April. The pair hung out with veteran actor Clint Eastwood at the event in California, and there was no sign of Jennifer, who spent Easter Sunday with Chris – he flew into Boston where she was filming on a private jet from New Jersey.
Just as she dismissed suggestions that she was dating Bradley, Jennifer was also dealing with hints that romance was blossoming with her Hunger Games co-star Liam Hemsworth, who had endured a high-profile split from singer Miley Cyrus roughly a year earlier.
According to a report in Heat magazine: ‘They’ve always had insane chemistry, but they’ve never been single at the same time before. In fact, when they first met on the set of The Hunger Games, Liam’s then-fiancée Miley Cyrus flew out, possibly to keep an eye on them, I think, because she was jealous.’
It seemed the Wrecking Ball star was planning to talk to Jennifer at a Christmas party at the end of 2014. ‘Miley wants a showdown,’ an insider said. ‘She’s told everyone she’s planning to confront Jen at [Australian TV presenter] Paul Khoury’s party in a few weeks – he’s Liam’s best friend and he stayed friends with Miley after the split.
‘Paul knows Jen through Liam, so all of them are invited. Jen has no idea what’s coming. She hates confrontation, but it would be a chance to settle the score. Liam would be furious and, if he finds out, he may try to stop Miley going. Miley always suspected Jen is the real reason Liam wouldn’t get back with her,’ the source added.
Liam and Miley started dating in 2009, when they costarred in the Nicholas Sparks’ film, The Last Song. In 2012, Liam proposed with a 3.5-carat Neil Lane diamond ring, but the couple made their last public appearance together at the premiere of his film Paranoia at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles, before he officially announced his split from her at the end of 2013.
‘Jen and Liam have been friends for years and she’s always confided in him about the drama in her love life. She’s really leaned on him during all the drama with Chris Martin,’ the Heat report continued. ‘Jen started pouring her heart out about Chris and things got personal. Liam knows Jen loves koala bears so, the next day, he had an enormous stuffed toy koala sent to Jen with a note saying, “Hold out for the perfect man”.’
Jennifer had raved about her handsome Australian co-star in an interview with Nylon magazine, saying: ‘I guess the thing that surprised me is that I would never expect to ever have a man this good-looking ever be my best friend.
‘I just would never assume those things could happen, but he is. He’s the most wonderful, lovable, family-oriented, sweet, hilarious, amazing guy.’
She went on to credit the younger brother of Australian actors Chris and Luke Hemsworth for teaching her to stand up for herself: ‘It’s my biggest weakness: negotiating. I’m a wimp about standing up for myself and Liam is always fair. He’s always on time, he’s always doing his job, and he’s good about making sure that things stay fair. He’s teaching me to toughen up a little bit. That was important, I need that.’
And it seemed that Liam felt exactly the same way about Jennifer: ‘You couldn’t ask for a better co-star than her, she’s great,’ the 6ft 3in heart-throb said of the actress on Good Morning America. ‘Jennifer cares about the people around her, she has a big heart, she’s amazing at it,’ Liam told Robin Roberts.
Although there was nothing to suggest an actual romance had begun Liam had reportedly been single since a very brief fling with actress Eiza González earlier that year. But he still managed to crack a joke about having to film romantic scenes with Jennifer: ‘Any time I had to kiss Jennifer was pretty uncomfortable,’ the actor told chat show host Jimmy Fallon. ‘When you look at it on the outside it looks like a great picture. She’s one of my best friends. I love her.
‘But if we had a kissing scene, she would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish or something that was disgusting.’
Although Jennifer continued to insist that she and Liam were nothing more than very good friends, in a separate interview with the Associated Press, Liam spoke movingly about their friendship, adding that she had helped him deal with the fallout after calling off his wedding to Miley Cyrus. ‘For a few years, I went down a path where I forgot to be in the moment and enjoy the moment,’ he revealed. ‘But being around someone like Jen, who is so honest and laughs all day long, I am forced to be in the moment right now. I’m much happier.’
Naturally, their kind words about each other led to speculation, and OK! magazine was among the many media outlets reporting regularly on the suggestion of a budding romance. One source claimed that their romance first began around the time that Jennifer was getting over the nude photo leak, which came at the same time as her relationship with Chris briefly cooled: ‘It happened while they were in Germany, promoting the movie, having a heart-to-heart in Liam’s hotel room. Jennifer was overwhelmed by all the publicity surrounding her split from Chris Martin and her nude photo scandal, and he was more than happy to listen to her vent,’ said the source, who went on to reveal that consolation from Liam brought out romantic feelings in them both.
‘Liam said something to lighten the mood, making Jen laugh, then she wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug. Jennifer definitely had a moment. It was as if she suddenly knew he was The One,’ the source added.
‘Liam obviously felt it too, because they decided then and there that they wanted to be together.’
The source went on to suggest that while there ‘has always been a connection’, it was not until this specific moment that everything suddenly clicked into place.
According to OK! magazine Jennifer and Liam had a sudden moment of realisation that they were indeed secret soul mates. Another insider claimed that ‘Jennifer definitely had a moment’ with Liam.
And according to Heat magazine: ‘They intend on keeping things very low-key so they can both see where fate takes them. They’ve always had insane chemistry, but they’ve never been single at the same time before. Jen and Liam have been friends for years, and she’s always confided in him about the drama in her love life. She’s really leaned on him during all the drama with Chris.’
The pair had also apparently bonded over their love of dogs – Liam is known as a ‘dog whisperer’ among the Hunger Games cast. The actor, who stars as Gale Hawthorne in the film franchise, is always especially happy to share his pet wisdom: ‘Liam always gives me dog advice. Which I don’t actually ask for. He’s what I call a pet supremist,’ Jennifer laughed to Heat magazine.
Liam interjected: ‘Well, if your dog’s gonna be an idiot and piss everywhere and you’re not gonna know what to do with it…’
‘He’s a whisperer, a dog whisperer,’ co-star Josh Hutcherson added.
Jennifer agreed that Liam is good at training wayward hounds, but she refuses to listen to his pet tips, as her pooch is too ‘cute’ to reprimand.
The tight-knit trio was also quizzed on whether their friendship means they now do kind things for each other. Initially they insisted they do not, before the Jennifer admitted she does have a sweeter side.
‘I did get Josh a helicopter drone for his birthday,’ she explained. ‘I was worried he’d guess what it was, so I told him it was one of those remote control vacuum cleaners you control with your phone, and he believed me. So I was like, “I’m just kidding – it’s a helicopter!” But Liam and I don’t really do anything nice.’
That might not be strictly true, as Jennifer and Liam appeared to be closer than ever on the publicity trail. Their flirtatious behaviour certainly seemed to suggest that they were in the early stages of a romance, and by the end of their promotional tour Jennifer was sad to be parting ways: ‘I think we’re done with the press tour. I’ve got, like, one more thing to shoot for Hunger Games. We just have one scene to do for the end,’ she told Interview magazine. ‘I’m not happy about it at all. And now Liam’s doing a movie in Australia for two months. It’s the longest that the three of us have ever spent apart.’
It was also reported that Jennifer’s family were pushing for her to take her relationship with Liam to the next level: ‘Liam and Jen have always been close – there’s a real bond between them and they turn to each other when they have problems,’ an insider told Heat. ‘Her friends and family are desperate for her to ditch Chris – they feel Liam’s a better match and doesn’t carry all the baggage of Gwyneth and children.
‘It has been difficult for Jennifer to get her head around, which is why she has been leaning on Liam.
‘Jen wants commitment from Chris, but he is still spending time with Gwyneth because of the kids. Jen’s sometimes lonely and Liam is filling that gap. They’re in contact all the time. There’s genuine love there between them,’ the insider added.
Other friends of Jennifer reportedly hoped she would finish with Chris and end up with Liam.
‘There’s definitely some kind of “race” on between Chris and Gwyneth to see who can settle down first with a new partner,’ OK! magazine reported.
Heat revisited the idea that she might end up with Liam: “Liam and Jen have always been close – there’s a real bond between them and they turn to each other when they have problems,” a source told the magazine. “Her friends and family are desperate for her to ditch Chris – they feel Liam’s a better match and doesn’t carry all the baggage of Gwyneth and children.”
Other sources suggested that Chris and Jennifer had cooled their romance after just four months of dating because he felt insecure about her hunky bodyguard. Indeed Justin Riblet had caused quite a sensation when he was photographed escorting the actress through Los Angeles International Airport in December 2014, sparking a Twitter frenzy. Chris was supposedly none too happy with all the attention. Celeb Dirty Laundry reported that Chris feared there was ‘more to their relationship than just security details’.
The fact that Riblet is well-rounded and educated, as well as handsome, only increased Chris’s anxiety, and many fans openly wondered why Jennifer would date Chris when she was with Riblet round the clock.
‘He looks like a freaking model,’ one Twitter user wrote.
‘If I were Jennifer, that would be my next boyfriend,’ another fan wrote. ‘I want to be Jennifer for one day with JR by my side.’
Meanwhile The Cut magazine branded him ‘The Hottyguard’.
According to Riblet’s LinkedIn profile, he is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a degree in Criminal Justice. He graduated in 2007 and spent five years with the US Army, serving as a Special Forces weapons sergeant.
While there was no evidence to suggest he and Jennifer enjoyed anything beyond a professional relationship, she would not of course be the first celebrity to have fallen for their bodyguard. Supermodel Heidi Klum was romantically involved with her bodyguard Martin Kirsten for about eighteen months before they called it quits following the break-up of her marriage to the British musician Seal. Other celebrities who reportedly fell for their bodyguards include Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Kate Gosselin, Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian. And Karl Lagerfeld’s bodyguard, Sebastien Jondeau, is so attractive the creative director of Chanel chose him to star in advertising campaigns.
Around the same time as her cooling-off period from Chris Martin, Jennifer had to deal with yet more dating rumours after she was spotted hanging out at movie producer Gabe Polsky’s house for more than five hours one evening. ‘They ordered a couple of pizzas and about 30 minutes later another delivery man came with more pizza,’ a source told the New York Daily News. ‘They definitely weren’t in there reading scripts. They were having a good time.’
She was seen arriving at the Beverly Hills home of the handsome film producer and director with her little dog Pippi in her arms, dressed down in workout gear. Jennifer sported a grey hoodie and leggings, along with trainers and a black tank top and wore a white beanie over her blonde hair.
She had a brief scare when her pup ran out on the street, but Polsky came to the rescue and retrieved her pet. A source told the Daily News website: ‘The two were spotted hanging out at his residence for about five hours, with Lawrence departing later that night. During their time together, the duo ordered pizza – not once, but twice.’
Although he had been dating one of Jennifer’s best friends and the pair could have been discussing work on a future project together, there were immediate suggestions that there was more to her friendship with Gabe Polsky – who just so happens to bear quite a resemblance to one Chris Martin.
Polsky wrote, directed and produced Red Army (2014), a documentary about the Soviet Union and its ice hockey team. With his brother Alan he owns production company Polsky Films, the studio behind Nicolas Cage’s Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009). The brothers have also collaborated on other movies, including The Motel Life (2013), which starred Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and Dakota Fanning, and Little Birds (2011), starring Juno Temple, Kate Bosworth and Leslie Mann.
The scrutiny proved overwhelming for Jennifer, and on Christmas Eve 2014 she fled Hollywood again and flew back home to be with her family. During her brief trip to Kentucky she found the time to pose for photos with children at Louisville’s Kosair Children’s Hospital. Jennifer delighted dozens of families of sick children with bedside visits, including Gage Besing, a six-year-old boy battling Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
Jennifer also visited Tyler Foster from Muhlenberg County, who was being treated for bone cancer. Tyler’s family posted on Facebook that the one celebrity he wanted to meet was Jennifer Lawrence – and his wish came true.
While Jennifer was away, Chris enjoyed the festivities with his family. ‘It wasn’t dramatic,’ an insider told E! News. ‘Things just didn’t work out,’ the source continued, adding Chris and Jennifer had split a few weeks before the news went public. ‘There are no hard feelings between them.’
Whether he and Jennifer had parted ways or not, Chris appeared to be very much with his ex-wife and kids when Christmas rolled around. He and Gwyneth took their children to Tribeca’s i-Plaza Nail & Spa: ‘They seemed very affectionate toward each other,’ a source told PageSix.
The estranged couple were ‘laughing a lot, making jokes, and Chris even had his arm around Gwyneth,’ said another source. Chris also entertained his children by dancing and singing along to Christmas carols playing in the salon, while he waited for Apple to finish her manicure.
Apparently Gwyneth had hated the idea of her first Christmas as a single woman and she did not want Apple and Moses to have to split their time between their parents. An insider told Closer magazine: ‘She suggested he come over for the holidays. She’s asked him to invite his family, too, and she’s planning a big Christmas Eve party and massive feast the next day.
‘Gwyneth said last year’s festivities were so tense between her and Chris, but now they’re in a much better place and they can really enjoy themselves,’ the source added.
And days later they seemed ‘inseparable’ during the opening of a Goop store in Dallas, which of course had nothing to do with the children. ‘They tried to avoid the cameras, but he stuck to her like glue. There was a tenderness that you’d associate with a couple in love,’ a source told Radar Online.
They also travelled to New York together to support their mutual friend Cameron Diaz when she hosted Saturday Night Live. ‘Despite being separated, they’ve been awfully affectionate! There’s a buzz among their friends that they are still sleeping together,’ a source said. ‘They even stayed in the same hotel rooms in both Texas and New York.’
Neither Gwyneth nor Chris made any suggestion that they might consider reconciliation, but their closeness was believed to be the reason Jennifer kept her distance over the holidays. She was said to have often felt like a third wheel when she was with Chris, and felt like she had no choice but to step back while he remained so close to his ex. According to a HollywoodLife source: ‘Jennifer just couldn’t compete and didn’t want to. Chris is clearly not over Gwyneth and his main priority is his kids. Jennifer really respects him, but she wants a man of her own. And Chris has been spending lots of time with Gwyneth and their kids lately.
‘It was just a bit too much for Jen. She doesn’t want to be second to anyone. You can’t blame her. Gwyneth still has a lot of control over him, which isn’t exactly desirable to prospective girlfriends.
‘The way things are at the moment, no sane person would want to be an accessory to their conscious uncoupling.’
It then emerged that Chris was planning to take time off from his band to focus on his personal life, and fans expressed their shock when it was suggested that Jennifer had threatened to walk away for good unless he stopped spending all his free time with Gwyneth.
‘It’s hard for her to understand the feelings between Chris and Gwyneth,’ a source told Celeb Dirty Laundry: ‘It’s unclear whether Jennifer dumped Chris because she figured out he was still sleeping with Gwyneth, or if Chris and Jennifer had a completely unrelated falling out, so he ran and hopped back in bed with Gwyneth because he can’t stand to be single for a day.
‘Regardless of the circumstance, one thing is for sure, Chris Martin is playing a dangerous game.’
At the end of December 2014, Gwyneth confessed that she still sometimes had doubts about splitting from Chris. The actress spoke candidly to Harper’s Bazaar magazine and explained that there are times when she thinks it would be better if they had stayed married: ‘We’ve made a lot of mistakes, and we’ve had good days and bad days, but, I have to say, I’m proud of us for working through so much stuff together – and not blaming and shaming.
‘Of course, there are times when I think it would have been better if we had stayed married, which is always what your children want. But we have been able to solidify this friendship, so that we’re really close.’
The family had relocated from London to Los Angeles, and Gwyneth revealed how happy she felt following the move. ‘There’s a deep comfort about it because it’s so familiar. The other day I was lying on the grass and the kids were playing and I was looking at the sky and the palm-trees – and there was something about the weather and the smell and I was, like, eight years old again,’ she said. ‘I had such a strong memory of being a kid here. It’s a really nice place to be a little kid, and it’s great to watch my children have that experience.’
But as soon as the Christmas holidays were behind them, Jennifer and Chris reunited and appeared to be doing their best to get back on track again.
They saw in the New Year together – to everyone’s surprise they were spotted at a Japanese restaurant in LA, leading to fevered speculation that they had rekindled their low-key romance. A photo emerged of the pair sitting in a quiet restaurant called Kiwami Sushi in the Studio City area, chatting happily across the table as they ate with chopsticks.
Jennifer wore a grey jacket and black trousers, while Chris was equally casual, sporting a thick layer of facial stubble. Despite suggestions that Jennifer had ended the relationship because she felt Gwyneth’s meddling had became too much for her to handle, they both appeared happier than ever.
An eyewitness said: ‘They were engulfed in their little world of conversation. They were into each other and not noticing anyone else around them. They seemed to be just content with each other. He was really listening to what she was saying.’
And from then on, things became better than ever for the couple, with Jennifer even planning a style and fashion makeover. Friends revealed that while she is known for her modest and classy wardrobe, Jennifer wanted to update her image to fit into the live music scene: ‘She really wants to look cool as the girlfriend of a rock god,’ an insider told the American edition of OK! magazine. ‘This new relationship will see her immersed in a whole new lifestyle involving concerts and tours. She’s totally into the whole scene and loving her new life as the leading lady of a music legend.’
According to the whispers, Jennifer was eager to get rid of her ‘gawky image’ and replace it with something more alternative: ‘She has splashed out on a whole range of new edgy T-shirts and jeans so she looks the part backstage when Chris is performing.
‘It’s all part of her “I don’t care” approach to life since the humiliation of her nude picture leaks,’ the source concluded.
Chris and Jennifer decided to make their romance official when they made a public appearance together after both being invited to celebrate Harry Styles’s twenty-first birthday at a glitzy star-studded bash in February 2015. As well as the One Direction star’s Victoria’s Secret model girlfriend Nadine Leopold, other guests at the raucous party at Lulu’s Cafe in LA included David Beckham, Adele, Courtney Cox and Cara Delevingne.
It was the first time the couple had openly attended such a high-profile event together, and according to website Just Jared, they stuck by each other’s side throughout the £200,000 bash. But apparently their display left British model Alexa Chung feeling ‘totally thrown’ since she and Chris had briefly enjoyed a few dates following his split from Gwyneth but their relationship had never really got off the ground: ‘Alexa hadn’t seen Chris since they dated last year and was totally thrown when he walked in holding hands with Jennifer Lawrence,’ a source told Closer. ‘She avoided them all night and got a little upset in front of friends, saying how hard it was to see Chris with someone else.’
It seemed Chris and Jennifer were openly flirtatious with each other at the party, and despite her best efforts at putting a brave face on the situation, Alexa was thought to be upset by the vibe at the event: ‘Chris and Jennifer were really tactile with each other, which left Alexa feeling even more hurt,’ an insider added. ‘She tried to say hello to him while Jennifer was talking to other friends but told her pals it was really awkward.’
Days later Chris and Jennifer were out again, this time sharing an intimate dinner at trendy Hollywood hotspot Chateau Marmont.
‘The better she gets to know him, the more she likes him, she says he’s super funny and sweet.’
Despite spending as much time as she possibly could with the Coldplay lead singer, Jennifer refused to ditch her female friends and did her best to carry on with her normal life. Just days before their date at Chateau Marmont, she came under fire for making an obscene hand gesture while out celebrating a friend’s birthday. At a party for Lauren Ash, she was snapped by actress Rebel Wilson, who posted the photo on her Instagram account, leading to widespread comments about how different party-loving Jen is to Chris’s clean-living ex-wife Gwyneth.
Jennifer also enjoyed nights out with award-winning singer Adele – the two were spotted out together, grabbing a bite to eat at exclusive Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood. According to Just Jared, they looked like they were having a great time as they caught up over dinner while sitting in a corner booth: ‘Adele and Jen were both in very good spirits the whole night,’ a source told the website. ‘They were both wearing heels and dressed in head-to-toe black. Jen wore her hair down in a straight bob and looked super cute!’
Stacey Kubasak, Dior’s director of Entertainment Relations, and a male companion, joined the high-profile pair.
Days later Jennifer and Chris were spotted enjoying a candlelit dinner date at Madeo, a swanky restaurant in Los Angeles. They arrived through the back door but dined in the main restaurant for two hours and ordered several items from the menu. The pair shared a mille-feuille dessert, and an onlooker said that the two were seen ‘giggling’ and ‘laughing’ during their date and seemed delighted with each other.
A source told the New York Post’s Page Six column: ‘They were totally into each other. The romance is on, for sure.’
Another onlooker told People: ‘They looked happy and just focused on each other. They were smiling, talking and very friendly.
‘Even though they are both busy, the relationship is solid. They see each other when they can. Jennifer understands that the children come first with Chris and his relationship with Gwyneth is based around the family and it will always be a part of his life,’ the insider continued. ‘Things are good between them.’
Their unexpected decision to step out into the spotlight followed Gwyneth seemingly giving their relationship her stamp of approval during a series of revealing interviews, which led to Jennifer feeling more comfortable about taking things to the next level: ‘Jen took Gwyneth’s comments as the green light to go public with their relationship. She’s persuading Chris to make things official,’ a source told Closer. ‘She’s tired of sneaking around trying to keep it a secret – it’s making her feel as if their relationship is controversial or she’s doing something wrong. She’s now keen to show the world she and Chris are an item.’
When asked about their relationship Gwyneth told Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show: ‘Who says I don’t approve [of Jennifer]? Why not? Why is it going to be an issue?
‘I respect him as the father of my children. It’s his life and it’s his decision and I do think that he loves the kids so much and I don’t think that he wouldn’t be with someone who isn’t great. And if I’m wrong, I’ll come back here and tell you.’
Explaining her friendship with Chris, she went on: ‘The idea is you try to do it with minimal acrimony and you say, “Look, we have kids, we’re always going to be a family and let’s try to find all the positives in our relationship, all the things that brought us together, the friendship.”
‘He’s lovely,’ she added. ‘He’s such a sweetheart. We actually have a really strong friendship and we laugh and we have fun.
‘But there are times when it’s really difficult and things happen and you’re like, “I’m sure he doesn’t want to hang out with me and I don’t want to hang out with him”. But for the sake of the kids you do it. But you also don’t do it all tense.’
When asked how ‘consciously uncoupling’ works, Gwyneth explained: ‘It’s a very noble idea, it is kind of a goofy term. You say, “I really want to find my love for you, and I want to forgive you and I want you to forgive me, and let’s have some fun as a family.” Because, you know, he’s going to be in my life for the rest of my life.
‘When I was talking to friends of mine who had grown up and their parents were divorced, there was a common thread which was, “Oh yeah, now my parents are great and they were both at my wedding, but there was five years where they didn’t talk”, or “There were seven years where they wouldn’t be in the same room.” And I was like, “Can we just skip that?” Because I don’t want to do that to my kids.’
She added: ‘We’re lucky in that our parenting styles and philosophies overlap a lot. We see eye to eye on how to do it.’
Stern then asked Gwyneth how she would she feel if he dated Rihanna. ‘She’s cool,’ she responded.
When asked about actress Lindsay Lohan, Gwyneth replied: ‘There’s redemption, people get their acts together.’
She also talked about her famous relationship with Brad Pitt, saying: ‘I definitely fell in love with him. He was so gorgeous and sweet. I mean, he was Brad Pitt! I was such a kid, I was twenty-two when we met. It’s taken me until forty to get my head out of my ass.
‘You can’t make that decision when you’re twenty-two years old. I wasn’t ready, and he was too good for me. I didn’t know what I was doing.’
Within days of Gwyneth appearing to give their relationship the thumbs up, Chris and Jennifer seemed more relaxed about appearing in public. And there were even suggestions that they had never actually split up at all, but had somehow managed to keep their meetings very private in the hope that people would lose interest.
Celeb Buzz reported: ‘Sources close to [Jen and Chris] are revealing they never actually broke up in the first place. They just wanted the public to think they did.’
Despite Gwyneth appearing to be relaxed about it, there were also contradicting reports that privately she was not happy about Chris moving on, so he was perhaps being cautious and respectful towards his ex-wife. ‘Chris feels torn – he knows he could risk losing Jen if he doesn’t make it official soon, but he’s told her he is trying to tread carefully for Gwyneth’s sake,’ an insider explained. ‘It seems he isn’t sure if she’s ready to watch him and Jen become Hollywood’s newest couple.’
As The Stir reported: ‘Apparently, Chris and Jen have even found a way for him to visit her Los Angeles home when he’s in town without anyone finding out. Considering how swift the paparazzi are – they’re basically ninjas with cameras – this is quite a feat on their part. I imagine both have a pretty solid support system built around them and that their people are damn good at keeping secrets.’
Meanwhile Radar Online claimed that Chris was so smitten that he wanted Jennifer to meet Apple and Moses. ‘Chris has fallen hard for Jen, and they are having a lot of fun together,’ a source told the website. ‘It’s happened very fast, and it’s extremely intense. Apple and Moses haven’t met their dad’s girlfriend, yet. Chris hasn’t been discussing the relationship with Gwyneth, out of respect.
‘It won’t be happening right away, Chris wants to make sure this relationship is not going to just fizzle out before taking such a big step.
‘He sees this relationship going the distance,’ the source added. ‘But it seems he isn’t sure if Gwyneth was ready to watch him and Jen become Hollywood’s newest couple.’
By that stage, Jennifer had not even met Gwyneth, and she deliberately stayed away from the 2015 Oscars because Gwyneth wanted to go, and they wanted to avoid an awkward encounter on the red carpet.
‘Chris hasn’t wanted them to meet just yet,’ a friend of Jennifer’s told Us Weekly. ‘Gwyneth and Chris are co-parenting without Jen involved for now.’
Meanwhile Gossip Cop suggested that Gwyneth did not want Jennifer around her children, but Chris was waiting for the right time to introduce them, adding that he was the one putting the brakes on a potential meeting date. But Celebrity Dish fuelled the rumours that all was not as harmonious as it appeared, by reporting: ‘According to the latest report from Naughty Gossip, Jennifer Lawrence has “demands” for Chris Martin.
‘More specifically, Jennifer has ordered Chris to stay away from his ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, not see her, not talk to her, and basically have the most limited interaction with her as possible. Obviously, they are raising two children together, so a complete cut-off isn’t possible.
‘Naughty Gossip’s sources add that Chris apparently isn’t taking Jennifer’s demands seriously, and he thinks they’re all rooted in jealousy and insecurity.’
If the situation already seemed confusing to outsiders, the rumour mill went into overdrive on Valentine’s weekend in February 2015, when Chris decided to spend the romantic holiday with his ex-wife instead of Jennifer, prompting yet more speculation that a reconciliation might be on the cards. The estranged couple spent the day on the beach with Moses and Apple. They even walked arm in arm along the sands, as their Maltese dog, Daffodil, lingered behind, in what appeared to be the epitome of a happy family scene.
The famous couple also brought along actress Kate Hudson’s young son Ryder, who is friends with Moses. Jennifer, meanwhile, was thousands of miles away in Boston, where she was seen having dinner with friends, including producer John Davis at Scampo, a restaurant in the Liberty Hotel.
It was suggested at this point that Chris was hopeful of a reunion. According to Grazia: ‘He has been jumping through hoops to make it happen in the last year, including doing “homework” by reading stacks of self-help books suggested by Gwyneth to help him “actualise” himself. He’s written her love songs, and has put his relationship with Jen on hold more than once.’
According to the magazine, the singer’s efforts were paying off. ‘Gwyneth has always made it clear there’s a hope that they could get back together. They even decided to postpone the official divorce indefinitely, but it’s only in the last few weeks that she’s seemed keen to become a couple again.
‘It was at her suggestion that they spend Valentine’s Day together.
‘Neither of them gave much weight to the occasion itself, but obviously she felt it would be a nice gesture for the kids, and it looks like she’s testing the waters for a full-blown reunion. They seem closer than ever right now.
‘Chris has made it clear to Jen that Gwyneth and his family are his priority, and they’re keeping things casual while it works itself out.’
But then, just a couple of weeks later, Chris was back on the beach with Kate Hudson, who was laughing at his jokes and wearing a very skimpy Mara Hoffman bikini. She had been single since breaking off her engagement with Muse frontman Matt Bellamy and briefly dating Dancing With The Stars pro Derek Hough. Later that evening the pair were seen at a restaurant, with Kate’s son Bingham: ‘The children are already mates. Kate has a lot of the qualities Chris liked about Gwyneth – she’s a great cook and family is very important to her – but she is very different in a way he likes, too.
‘She’s very laid-back and funny, basically a combination of Jen and Gwyn,’ an insider told British magazine Heat. ‘Kate’s fancied Chris for ages. They’ve been friends for years, but she was with Matt Bellamy.
‘In October, Chris went to Kate’s Hallowe’en party and everyone was talking about their chemistry. Then, she broke up with Matt just before Christmas, but Chris was with Jennifer. Now, the timing is finally perfect.
‘It’s not like Gwyn wants him back, but she doesn’t want him dating one of their good friends.’
In Touch also reported Chris’s shock move in their April edition: ‘Since Kate and Matt split last fall, she’s been clingy with Chris, calling him all the time to suggest get-togethers under the guise of setting up play dates for the kids – which is exactly how the beach day and dinner date came to be,’ a source told the magazine. ‘Kate knew Gwyneth and Jennifer were out of town, so she took the opportunity to make a major play for Chris.’
Meanwhile Star magazine reported that Chris had turned to Kate after Jennifer gave him an ultimatum – divorce his wife or end their relationship. Apparently he chose his marriage over Jennifer, and then found himself another woman who appeared not to mind that he and Gwyneth were not yet divorced.
According to the 30 March 2015 edition of Star, Chris and Kate had been dating in secret for weeks: ‘The couple, who weren’t shy about shamelessly flirting in front of the paparazzi, turned their day date into a family affair. Kate brought along sons Ryder and Bingham, while Chris brought his kids Apple and Moses. Showing up together on the beach was their way of going public with their relationship, they knew they would attract attention.’
The suggestion of a blossoming romance between Chris and Kate apparently came as another major blow to Gwyneth, who was reportedly so devastated that she embarked on an extreme diet and exercise regime.
‘Gwyneth prides herself on having a better body now than when she was twenty-two, but seeing that Chris is dating someone so young has made her really want to make sure she’s in top shape,’ a source told Radar. ‘It’s not even for him. It’s for her, but she needs to feel like she is better looking than anyone else he could ever date. She’s relentless about her figure.’
Friends feared the actress was losing touch with reality: ‘Her friends are on midlife crisis alert,’ an insider told Heat magazine. ‘No one in Hollywood is more competitive than her. She’s also taking more risks with her fashion to try and look younger,’ said the source.
And Grazia magazine reported that it had ruined Kate and Gwyneth’s friendship – they had grown close when they both lived in London with their British rocker husbands. ‘Gwyneth feels like this is a betrayal. She and Kate used to be very close but their friendship has cooled in recent years. To see Kate and Chris getting on so well is hard for her,’ a source told the magazine. ‘Kate and Chris have always had a great relationship but there’s definitely chemistry between them now. Kate is relaxed and easy going, which Chris loves, while Kate’s really into her music – she’s a sucker for a musician. They enjoy spending time together.’
But Chris and Kate’s public outings left things rather awkward for their mutual friendship group: ‘Gwyneth is devastated that Chris is spending so much time with someone she once considered a good friend,’ reported Grazia. ‘It’s not lost on her that they all used to hang out together, and Kate and Gwyneth have mutual friends like Stella McCartney and Liv Tyler, so there’s a lot of tension in the circle right now.
‘Kate and Chris wouldn’t have gone public with the children if they weren’t confident about their friendship – they’ve both been very good at keeping their families out of the spotlight in the past.’
According to the website Design&Trend, Jennifer was determined to win Chris back, though, with an insider adding that she ‘won’t go down without a fight’.
‘Jen’s just not going to let this happen,’ said a source. ‘She’s invested a lot of time into making this relationship work.’
Of course Jennifer was free to date other people as well, and around the same time it emerged that she was still in contact with her old boyfriend, Nicholas Hoult. According to a February 2015 edition of OK! magazine: ‘Jen reaches out to Nicholas Hoult all of the time for advice and emotional support.’
A friend of Jennifer’s explained: ‘If Chris can keep in touch with Gwyneth Paltrow then why can’t she lean on Nick? She’s hedging her bets and playing a bit of a game. She realises there are no guarantees and wants to keep Nick in the picture.’
Various sources claimed she had been growing close to her ex-boyfriend again, with another revealing: ‘Their relationship is getting closer and his family would love for them to get back together. He still adores Jennifer and so do his family.
‘He’s been calling her and they’ve been speaking regularly on Skype.’
Jennifer was also being romantically linked to her co-star Josh Hutcherson. Within days of the speculation, he appeared to be dating Glee actress Dianna Agron, though. They were seen dancing together at a party held at Los Angeles pop-up club Bungalow 8, while rapper Diplo performed. ‘Diplo came out unplanned and Josh hit the dance floor with Dianna,’ reported Page Six. ‘They both love to dance and have a good time. They looked like a new couple, still flirting.’
However, E! News reported that nothing romantic happened between them. ‘There was no PDA, flirting or kissing,’ an insider told E! And according to J-14, Josh was actually dating his co-star from Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014), Claudia Traisac.
By a bizarre coincidence Dianna was later linked to Nicholas Hoult, after they were spotted together in a string of low-key London pubs in April 2015. Apparently Nicholas was showing her his favourite places, and they were even seen kissing in a pub in West Hampstead over Easter. A source told The Sun: ‘No one thought much about it but recently they’ve become very close and are behaving quite couply. They’ve been friends for a long time. It’s early days but things between them are ticking along nicely.’
And a source told People magazine: ‘They came in with each other and ordered some drinks. They sat down and had a conversation just like everyone else.
‘They seemed like they had a nice time, but we didn’t see them kissing. But then, we were working, so we weren’t really looking.
‘It was definitely them. Both of them are very beautiful, so it’s difficult to miss them,’ the source added. ‘They weren’t flirting or kissing or anything. It wasn’t like they were a couple. Maybe they were just getting to know each other.’
To add to the web of confusion, Jennifer, Josh and Liam were spotted out for dinner together in early March. The three Hunger Games co-stars met up at Italian restaurant Locanda Verde in New York.
Jennifer was also linked to Luke Hemmings, of the band 5 Seconds of Summer, after he admitted that he admired her. He told Top of the Pops magazine: ‘If I could spread a rumour about myself, it would be that Jennifer Lawrence and I are dating. Even though that’s never going to happen.’
At this stage, despite all the confusion and conflicting rumours, slowly the gossip began to die down and it gradually became clear that Chris and Kate Hudson were just friends; he was in fact still dating Jennifer, and would soon be divorcing Gwyneth.
In an interview with Marie Claire Australia in February 2015, Gwyneth had shed more light on her split from Chris, confirming that the marriage was very much over: ‘There was nothing dramatic or anything,’ she said. ‘I had built my life on trying to be all things to all people, and I just couldn’t do it anymore, and I really had the sense that I wasn’t allowed to have needs, and I had to prove my specialness or self-worth by doing all this stuff and taking care of everybody else, and I just sort of hit a wall.
‘We’ve worked really fucking hard to get to [this] point. But we’re very, very close, and it’s so nice.
‘I feel like it’s, in a way, the relationship we were meant to have.’
Meanwhile Chris and Jennifer still managed to snatch occasional dates together, which was easier said than done, given that their work commitments often kept them on opposite sides of the country.
While Jennifer was filming in Boston in the spring of 2015 they had just enough time to squeeze in a romantic weekend in New York, where they shared brunch at the exclusive Tavern on The Green restaurant. While bodyguards kept over-zealous photographers at bay, Jennifer tucked into a roast beef sandwich and Chris enjoyed eggs Benedict, before they strolled together through Central Park: ‘It was an affectionate and romantic date for Chris and Jen,’ reported OK! magazine. ‘They were whispering to each other and giggling.
‘They see each other when they can, yet each continues to do their own thing. Both have full plates, and they like it that way.’
And it seemed Jennifer was so determined to impress Chris that she even began to tone down her goofy persona. A source told Celeb Dirty Laundry: ‘Chris is conservative, especially in social settings and it has rubbed off on Jen, who is learning to keep some things private.’
But they only had a day together in New York before he flew off to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico with Gwyneth and their children to celebrate their son Moses’ ninth birthday. They were seen on the beach, looking like any normal happy family, although Gwyneth had been pictured days earlier attending Robert Downey Junior’s 50th birthday party with her boyfriend, Brad Falchuk.
However, it appeared Chris and Gwyneth were at last heading towards finalising their divorce, a year after announcing their split. TMZ reported their ‘divorce mediator is working towards a property and custody settlement, and once it’s a done deal, the petition for divorce will be filed.’
And an insider confirmed to the Daily Mail: ‘A divorce is definitely 100 per cent on. They are working out a deal privately and there will be no leaks. This is a very amicable break-up and the resolution is near.
‘Papers will be filed soon and the divorce will be dealt with quickly. They both love their children and they still have the utmost respect for each other. But they are not getting back together.’
Insiders suggested that Jennifer had been putting pressure on Chris to push ahead with his divorce, and that had been discussed at their surprisingly public brunch date in New York: ‘Chris and Jennifer had been struggling to move forward with their relationship because she couldn’t handle always coming second to Gwyneth,’ reported Grazia magazine in April. ‘She put a huge amount of pressure on Chris to make a statement to show his commitment to her, which he wasn’t prepared to do until now.
‘They [Chris and Gwyneth] decided to finally bite the bullet, with the support of their conscious uncoupling guru. They both felt the time had come to move forward with their new relationships.’
However, although the papers were ready to be signed, divorce would not signal the end of their close relationship, as the pair were determined to continue to spend time together with their children. ‘They have been using their business managers to work out a settlement agreement involving both property and custody,’ reported the Daily Mail. ‘The settlement is confidential but insiders claim there were no big problems with money or custody of their two children.’
The official documents were expected to cite irreconcilable differences between the pair, who married on 5 December 2003. ‘They’ve decided to draw up a “family schedule”, which they will both have to adhere to once the divorce is finalised,’ added the Daily Mail’s insider. ‘It will include at least three family holidays a year, designated joint days out with the kids and even “date nights” to discuss the children and remain on good terms.’
And People magazine reported that the couple would continue to focus on ensuring their children were as happy as possible: ‘This is a natural evolution for Gwyneth and Chris as friends and as a couple,’ a source told the magazine. ‘They remain close, and they remain totally committed to Apple and Moses – as they find their way forward as individuals, they will naturally be more public about seeing other people, if not showy about it.’
Whoever Jennifer eventually ends up with, it seems likely that having children will be high on her list of priorities. She remains as close as ever to her tight-knit family and, after playing bridesmaid when her brother Blaine married his girlfriend Carson Massier in October 2013, she went on to be a very doting aunt when their son Theodore was born in September 2014. Perhaps playing ‘mother’ might prove to be her most challenging role to date?