Jennifer Lawrence, Kristen Stewart Battling Over Boyfriend? Lucky Nicholas Hoult

Like most major stars, Jennifer Lawrence has “people.” And those “people” have been busy this week swatting away rumors about the American Hustle Oscar nominee and her love life. Specifically, her relationship with 24-year-old British thespian Nicholas Hoult.

First it was the rumor that Jennifer Lawrence, 23, and Nicholas Hoult got engaged over the holidays when he allegedly accompanied her back to her family home in Lexington, Kentucky. That one was more than a “rumor” — it was a cover story in a national supermarket gossip mag, OK! Magazine.

But Lawrence’s people quickly batted that rumor down — which of course didn’t stop the internet from blowing up with the phony “news” anyway.

Now, with that rumor denied, the handlers of Jennifer Lawrence must contend with another, weirder piece of scuttlebut. Call it “J-Law Vs. K-Stew!”

Yes, the latest gossip to be quashed by Jennifer Lawrence’s people would have you believe that the Hunger Games star is worried sick that Twilight leading lady Stewart is out to steal her boyfriend. No comment yet from the English actor regarding the rumor, which must be flattering to his masculine ego, but can’t be terrific for his ongoing relationship with Jennifer Lawrence.

This time, it’s another tabloid stirring up trouble, the venerable National Enquirer, the old warhorse in the celebrity scandal trenches.

The International Business Times cites the tabloid’s allegation — which is not yet on the tabloid’s own web site — that J-Law is “terrified” that K-Stew will seduce Hoult on the set of the film Equals, in which the pair co-star.

“Considering Kristen’s history with British men, she’s the last person Jennifer wants to see kissing her boyfriend on the set,” an “insider” told the checkout-counter tabloid.

Lawrence, who is currently in the midst of the time-consuming task of shooting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, as well as making appearances on the red carpet of every awards show leading up to the March 2 Oscar ceremony, in nonetheless, “determined to make time to visit the Equals set and keep a watch over Nick,” the supposed “insider” said.

Gossip Cop, a web site that actually tries to verify or refute celebrity rumors, reached a friend of Jennifer Lawrence who slapped down the rumor as “ridiculous.”

This isn’t the first time the National Enquirer has tried to start a battle between the stars of the two, massive teen-movie franchises. In April of 2012 the tabloid ran a story headlined “Why Kristen Stewart Hates Jennifer Lawrence’s Guts,” in which the paper claimed that Stewart was “nervous about going head-to-head with Jennifer for roles,” according to yet another “source. “Kristen doesn’t consider herself a natural beauty, and she knows Hollywood is so fickle that it’s always the pretty girl who wins the big parts.”

So who’s your money on in the largely fictional battle of Kristen Stewart Vs. Jennifer Lawrence?