Is Gwyneth Paltrow braced for a Vanity Fair hit piece?

Gwyneth Paltrow might have gotten off easy with Martha Stewart. But that might not be the case if the rumors are true about a looming Vanity Fair profile of the Oscar winner.

Some are anxiously awaiting the arrival of an upcoming Vanity Fair profile of the bestselling cookbook author and self-styled lifestyle expert who has an online empire called Goop.

For in Vanity Fair’s glossy pages, many predict, will be a hit piece. Or, in the language of the media industry, a take-down of epic proportions.

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Suspicions -- and they’re just suspicions -- are that the story will delve into why Paltrow often finds herself in the public’s crosshairs.

Her cookbook, for one, has caused an uproar over its assertions about avoiding gluten and dairy, and the dangers of feeding children white flour, ice cream and sugar. It has also been lampooned for its recipes calling for duck eggs for the perfect egg-white omelet, or Thomas Keller’s gluten-free flour blend ($20 for a 3-pound bag).

And more than one parent has bristled when they hear Paltrow talk about her “no McDonald’s” policy for her kids or say things such as “I’d rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can,” and “I would rather die than let my kid eat Cup-a-Soup.”

So we’ll just have to wait and see what the Vanity Fair piece says.

Let’s not forget that the golden girl everyone either loves or hates has been lovingly photographed on the cover of Vanity Fair no fewer than five time, and has graced its inside pages many more times. So who knows? Maybe this will be a puff piece about Paltrow, Goop and her seemingly picture-perfect life.

Earlier in the week, Paltrow, 41, was dragged into the media spotlight after Martha Stewart spoke during a video interview about Paltrow’s determination to become a “lifestyle arbiter.”

Stewart spoke factually, but with perhaps with a bit too much clip in her voice, when she said Paltrow “is a charming, pretty person who has a feeling for lifestyle, she wants to be a lifestyle arbiter. Fine. Good. I think I started this whole category of lifestyle.”

Still, that seems like a mere blip on the radar when compared with the “evidence” that Vanity Fair might be cooking up something with a little more bite.

Paltrow and Vanity Fair, clearly, had a falling out at some point.

The New York Times reported this year that Paltrow had emailed friends to ask them not to participate in any way with an upcoming article about her: “Vanity Fair is threatening to put me on the cover of their magazine,” she supposedly said. “If you are asked for quotes or comments, please decline. Also, I recommend you all never do this magazine again.”

Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter has been quoted as saying Paltrow’s reaction effectively forced his hand. (Can’t have a celebrity demanding what Vanity Fair can and cannot do, right?)

What do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing the Vanity Fair piece and deciding for yourself?

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