Chris Martin-Jennifer Lawrence romance flourishes

Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin are slowly going public with their new romance.

While Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin have worked hard to keep their growing romance under wraps, Hollywood friends of the new couple say the high-profile stars knew that couldn’t last very long.

After dodging photographers for several months — making sure they arrived and departed separately from all kinds of events and venues — the Oscar winner and the famous rock star finally were snapped by paparazzi over the weekend as they arrived via private jet at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. The couple were returning from the iHeart Radio Festival in Las Vegas, where Martin and his Coldplay band performed and Lawrence was an enthusiastic audience member.

Since first meeting in London earlier this year, Lawrence has become increasingly smitten by the handsome singer and songwriter. “He’s quite the romantic,” a close friend of Lawrence’s told me Tuesday. “He’s also a great gentleman and is so attentive to Jen.”

The relationship is the first for Lawrence since ending her long on-and-off romance with actor Nicholas Hoult. As for Martin, this is also his first stab at dating since the official collapse of his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow.

According to a Hollywood source close to Paltrow, the actress is said to be perfectly happy that Martin is now seeing Lawrence, “especially since this whole thing had nothing to do with her. Chris met Jennifer well after he and Gwyneth announced they were no longer a couple,” added the source. “Frankly, Gwyneth thinks highly of Jennifer and is glad Chris is seeing someone appropriate and smart.”

It’s also reported that Martin has begun to introduce Lawrence to his very small, intimate circle of close friends — making it clear he thinks she’s the one for him now.

Of course, it’s inevitable that there will be funny headlines written in the weeks to come with some wag or another writing “Martin Lawrence” romance and running a shot of the comedian and actor, Martin Lawrence!