Around this time last year, we were focused on Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin’s on-and-off relationship. Chris was only a few months removed from his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow, and while Chris definitely seemed to have a mountain of baggage, he still managed to bag America’s Farty Sweetheart. For her part, Gwyneth Paltrow bided her time. She didn’t insult J-Law publicly. Gwyneth simply demanded more of Chris’s time… for the kids! For their darling children, and don’t you think it would be a bad signal to send poor Apple and Moses if Lady Farts-A-Lot was suddenly introduced into their tender world? Of course, Chris agreed. Because Gwyneth has always been a great manipulator.

Even though Chris and J-Law did the on-and-off thing for many more months, it definitely felt like Gwyneth was still able to pull a lot of strings in Chris’s life. So… Chris has a new girlfriend. Her name is Annabelle Wallis. She’s 31, blonde and an actress (Chris has a type). Annabelle and Chris are all over each other in public, in a way he never was with Gwyneth. So what will Gwyneth do about it?

According to sources, Gwyneth Paltrow is “desperate” to meet Chris Martin’s new muse, Annabelle Wallis, after Chris went public with the actress in Paris last month.

“Gwyneth’s been bombarding them with invitations to double date,” a pal tells Star. “But it’s way too early. Chris is begging her to back off, but Gwyneth’s not giving up. She’s already messaged Annabelle on her own.”

After all, Gwyneth argues, if Annabelle, 31, is going to spend time with their kids, then she should get to know her too. However, Chris believes his nosy ex-wife has ulterior motives.

“Gwyneth did the same thing with Jennifer Lawrence… she pushed herself into that relationship as well, and look at how that went. It’s no wonder he’s gone to such great lengths to keep Gwyneth from scaring Annabelle away.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Is Gwyneth Paltrow an evil genius? She very well could be. The thing is, most women of a certain age (say, past 30) don’t have a problem dating a divorced guy or a guy with kids. It’s all part of life and everyone has their baggage. But Chris’s baggage seems particularly intense. Not only does he have two young children and an ex-wife, his ex-wife is a manipulative elitist hellbent on “befriending” his girlfriends. Gwyneth reads The Art of War too much.

Oh, and the British tabloids claim that Gwyneth is also hellbent on doing a couples-vacation for Thanksgiving. She wants Chris and Annabelle to spend Thanksgiving in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with the kids, herself and Brad Falchuk. God, that sounds awkward as hell.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.