It was a rare public outing for , but one where she almost managed to crack a smile.
Posing with her sister Sian last week, the embattled WAG – who has understandably found it difficult to be overly joyous in recent years amid her husband ’s repeated infidelities – appeared happy and content as she enjoyed a lunch to celebrate International Women’s Day at Manchester’s five-star Lowry hotel.
Among the gathering was fellow WAG , confirming that Annie remains firmly in the top ranks of the footballers’ wives set.
This, surely, is something her nemesis – who is, of course, Kyle’s former mistress – would be truly envious of.
And while Annie’s pregnancy bump was neatly concealed by a sleek black blazer, she is said to be thrilled to be expecting her fifth baby with former Manchester City footballer Walker – their first girl, to add to their existing squad of boys.
Those who know Annie say her recent outing is a sign she’s finally moved on from the emotional devastation of Kyle fathering two children with Lauryn.
‘Annie is good,’ says a friend. ‘She has finally managed to reconcile with Kyle, somehow. They’re back together and looking forward to meeting their little girl.’
Notably, this child will be the philandering Kyle’s seventh. And the birth will come at a crucial moment for Kyle, his footballing career and finances – all of which promise potentially explosive changes for Lauryn, who has long been a brutal thorn in Annie’s side.
Annie Kilner and her sister Sian pose at a lunch celebrating International Women's Day at the five-star Lowry hotel in Manchester last week
Annie is thrilled to be expecting her fifth baby with her husband Kyle Walker, a former Manchester City footballer
Indeed, while Annie has found a whole new level of peace and security, Lauryn now faces a future which is entirely less certain.
The 34-year-old influencer gave birth to Kyle’s son Kairo six years ago, and then his daughter Kinara, in 2023, and has spent much of the last two years in a vicious legal war with her former lover.
It led to her eventually achieving an eye-wateringly lucrative maintenance deal from the footballer, which included an annual £140,000-a-year tax free income, along with a car and nanny allowance, a £2.7million home, nursery and school fees and several other one-off items.
However, Lauryn’s gold-plated lifestyle is likely to be dramatically reduced and fast, thanks to two significant factors: first, the forthcoming birth of Annie’s fifth baby, and second, the rapid waning of Kyle’s lucrative sporting career.
The law regarding child support allows a paying parent to amend the terms of their financial contributions under specific circumstances which include a drop in earnings of at least 25 per cent, or the addition of an extra child to provide for – both of which look likely to apply, imminently, to Kyle.
Indeed, this week England’s one-time superstar defender announced he had retired from international football after a decade of playing for his country.
While it might have been something of a performative move given new manager Thomas Tuchel is yet to call him for duties since taking over last year, it is a signal that the 35-year-old former Manchester City player is not the star he once was.
Added to Kyle’s downbeat prospects is the fact his current team Burnley are fighting to stay in the Premier League, sitting 19th out of 20 places. They have just 19 points mere weeks from the end of the season.
Kyle’s income has already been slashed from his former £200,000-a-week salary at Manchester City. It has also been reported that his ongoing two-year deal at Burnley, signed last year after a permanent move to Italian giants AC Milan failed to materialise, is dependent on him appearing in at least 70 per cent of their games and the team avoiding the drop.
All of which combined means Kyle’s wages are likely to plummet next year – which no doubt will send the money-minded Lauryn into a fit of rage.
Walker playing for Burnley last year. The birth will come at a crucial time for him, his footballing career and finances
It also means a lot of uncertainty for Lauryn Goodman, with whom Walker has Kairo, five, and Kinara, two
Because while he could, of course, move elsewhere, it is unlikely Kyle will play in the Premier League again after this season, which means his salary will be in the region of £50,000 a week, maximum.
And for Lauryn this can only mean one thing – her payments from her former lover will be slashed.
One source who knows Lauryn tells me: ‘She has massively underestimated just how quickly things are likely to take a downward turn.
‘She thinks she’s won the battle, but may well soon find out the hard way she hasn’t necessarily won the war if Kyle looks to renegotiate.’
And Annie will surely be pushing him to do so as the payments to Lauryn must make up a large chunk of their finances. Why, she must think, should the woman who made her life a misery for so long sit pretty in her lovely house with an expensive car and money for a nanny when Kyle’s career is on a downturn?
‘Lauryn was so smug about what she was getting from Kyle. She insisted her children would not be treated any differently to his children with Annie,’ my source tells me.
‘Who knows, at some point she might have to consider getting a proper job, rather than writing a blog and working as an influencer.
‘She has a beautiful home which is decked out with brand new interiors and even towels embroidered with her children’s initials.
‘Not bad considering she has worked for so little of her adult life.’
For those unfamiliar with the Kyle/Annie/Lauryn triangle – which admittedly has had so many twists and turns that even those watching closely have struggled to keep up – it all began in 2020, when Lauryn told Kyle he was the father of her oldest child, Kairo, now five. He was left to break the news to his devastated wife just hours before it became public knowledge.
He moved out of the family home to rental accommodation in nearby Hale, Cheshire, before Annie agreed to take him back. Kyle guaranteed he would sever all contact with Lauryn beyond his then financial commitments to their child.
Those familiar with the drama say there’s no doubt that Annie has, despite past humiliations, emerged on top, writes Katie Hind
Bad as this was, things soon became a whole lot worse. On December 27, 2023, Lauryn told Annie on a WhatsApp message that Kyle was the father of her second child, daughter Kinara, then six months.
While Annie initially looked like she would ditch her cheating husband and even began to file divorce paperwork, the couple have subsequently patched up their differences.
Some close to the situation say Lauryn’s relentless efforts to drive them apart through endless attacks in the media actually ‘brought them closer together.’
They were vindicated, somewhat during the humiliating High Court child support showdown in July 2024, when Judge Edward Hess criticised Lauryn’s ‘insatiable greed’ and accused her of exaggerating her needs and ‘cashing in’ on the betrayal.
That said, he still ordered a substantial settlement based on the footballer’s then enormous salary at Manchester City, his lucrative endorsement deals with sportswear brands like Puma, and other considerable assets.
But times – and bank balances – change.
A source added: ‘Obviously the gravy train isn’t going to stop entirely for Lauryn today, and Kyle has always been a good financial provider despite their personal disagreements, but it might well slow down quite substantially.
