Despite the fact that EVERYONE hates Balthazar Getty’s relationship with Sienna Miller — and the tension it’s causing on the set of Brothers & Sisters has Balthazar’s job in jeopardy! — the two are still out and about together. They were caught this week canoodling in Mexico City while trying to hide from the paparazzi.

If you feel like you have to hide what you’re doing, don’t do it!!!

People magazine won the bidding war for the first pics of Bristol Palin’s baby — for a $300K price tag, reportedly.

According to one source, bidding for the baby photos began at $100,000. People won out in the end, but In Touch was the only other weekly to make serious bids, according to several sources involved in the process.

The price didn’t soar immediately, according to the sources, because Sarah Palin stories just didn’t sell all that well for the weeklies on newsstands.

“Sarah was on the cover of People, Us Weekly, and OK! the same week, and really only People saw a bump in sales,” says a source.

The drug-related arrest of Johnston’s mother, however, caused the price tag for the photos to go up.

“The bidding started well before the baby was born, but once Levi’s mom was arrested — well, then you had a story,” says one editor.

What do you guys think Bristol and Levi will do with the cash? I mean, you can’t buy class, and I have a feeling this kid ain’t going to college, so they’ll probably just buy a bunch of cars.

Take that, Benjamin Button!

Marley & Me topped the box office at $36.3 million this weekend, while Benjamin Button fell to the #3 slot (behind Bedtime Stories). It’s notable that Button is longer than Marley and showed in about 500 fewer theaters, but Marley still had a higher per-screen take ($10,450 to $8,987).

Looks like theater-goers would rather get their holiday cheer from a desperate and childless bachelorette and a suicidal alcoholic, just so long as they’re aging in the right direction.

Congrats to Jen and Owen!

There had been rumors that she was dating Benji Madden — which I didn’t report here, because they were bullshit — but now we have some more dirt on Britney’s love life. The British tabs are reporting that Britney has been hooking up with Indian hottie Sandip Soparrkar, who choreographed her Womanizer video.

Britney, 27, even flew to Jodhpur for a romantic three-day Christmas break with Sandip who is a pin-up in his native India.

The couple, who have been dating for three weeks, exchanged homemade pressies under the tree.

Our source reveals: “It’s early days but their romance is going from strength to strength.

“Britney and Sandip tried to keep their reunion in India hush-hush as they’re determined to have a relationship just like any other couple.

“Sandip is very down to earth and keeps Britney grounded. He’s also quite spiritual and sensitive, which is a side of him she adores.

“For Christmas, Sandip – or Sandy as Britney calls him – presented her with a traditional Indian sari. She wore it during a candlelit dinner.

“The pair were whispering and giggling all night. Sandy ordered local delicacies including chicken tikka and a cottage cheese curry. Britney was nicking the dough balls from his plate. It was really cute.”

Britney, who met Sandip at a party thrown by Madonna earlier this year, is spending the New Year back in LA. And Sandy may jet over to see in 2009 with her.

Ya know, this wouldn’t be the first time Britney fell for a choreographer. It’s long been rumored that her relationship with Justin Timberlake fell apart after she cheated on him with choreographer Wade Robson, who then admitted the affair to his buddy Justin (who later wrote “Cry Me a River” about it). I guess the girl has a soft spot for men with moves.

I love Samuel L. Jackson.

Here he is at the Capri Film Festival with his wife, LaTanya Richardson, whom he met in college and married in 1980. The two have been together ever since. Not only is he still married to the woman, but he takes her all around the world with him to his promotional events. Nearly thirty years later and he still wants her around, despite the fact that his fame and his money mean he could easily flit off to Capri by himself and bed a different supermodel each night.

I want a marriage like that.

Her personal life may not have had a record-setting year, but Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour was the highest-grossing North American tour of the year, bringing in $105.3M. Second place went to Celine Dion with $94M, and The Eagles took third with $73.4.

Country music star Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and rock band Bon Jovi ($70.4 million) came in fourth and fifth.

The top ten was rounded out by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band ($69.3 million), Neil Diamond ($59.8 million), Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million), The Police ($48.0 million) and Tina Turner ($47.7 million).

Who wants to start taking bets that Britney Spears tops this list for 2009?