Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp dating on the sly

A new year, a new romance: Actress

Meg Ryan

and veteran rocker

John Mellencamp

are reportedly dating on the quiet.

Newly separated Mellencamp, who announced his split from wife of 18 years Ellen in late December, began dating the Hollywood actress several weeks ago,

claims People.com

.

A source close to Ryan tells the magazine that the pair has been dating for seven weeks, adding that the Mellancamps were already separated at the time.

Speculation has been rife that Ryan was the third wheel which came between the Mellencamps and brought down the curtain on their marriage. Not true, sources say.

"Meg came into the picture much later - well after they decided to split,"

a source

tells Usmagazine.com

.

So what fuelled the coupled-up speculation? The twosome were snapped together walking hand-in-hand in Manhattan last October. See exhibit A

here

.

The couple was also snapped together in New York yesterday.

Naysayers say their relationship is strictly platonic, adding that the pair is working together on a new musical adaptation of Stephen King story

Ghost Brothers

, which Mellencamp has written a song for.

But we know a budding romance when we see one.

Mellencamp and his new lady have been

spotted out and about

in Martha's Vineyard having coffee and doing a spot of grocery shopping together in New York City.

"She usually comes in by herself or with her daughter. I thought that was her husband because they seemed for comfortable and familiar with each other, just like an old married couple," a Martha's Vineyard resident tells

People

.

Mellencamp has been married three times and has five children. Ryan divorced her husband of 10 years, actor

Dennis Quaid

, in 2001. Then she had that fling with

Proof Of Life

co-star

Russell Crowe

.

Ryan spoke of her Crowe hook-up in an interview with

InStyle

magazine three years ago. She also alleged her ex-hubby Quaid had done the dirty on her.

"Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very painful. I am not a victim. I was there. I was in that marriage for a really long time."

She also trashed talk that Crowe broke up her marriage.

"Russell didn't break up the marriage. I was a mess. I hurt him too at the end. I couldn't be in another long relationship. It wasn't the time for that. So I got out."

That she did, for years. She's been a single gal since...until now. Well, unless you count a rumoured fling with

Susan Sarandon

's ex

Tim Robbins

. Quite the scandal.

Good luck, you crazy kids.

Lohan's ex appeal

She's only been out of rehab for a day and she's already causing strife.

Lindsay Lohan

, who left the Betty Ford Clinic yesterday after a 90-day court-mandated stay, could be facing another spell in the slammer if she's found to be in violation of her probation after that squirmish at the clinic in December.

The Betty Ford staffer

who claimed LiLo walloped her

during an argument had initially "desired prosecution," but she's since said she doesn't want to "do anything that would violate Lindsay's probation or cause an arrest."

Case closed? Not likely.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department tells CNN that Lohan violated her probation during the December 12 altercation and want her charged with battery.

But LiLo's got other problems on her hands. Her ex-lover

Samantha Ronson

.

Ronson, who split with LiLo over a year ago, is spitting tacks because the starlet has decided to shack up in her neighbourhood in Venice Beach, California - right next door to her.

Word is Ronson is non-too pleased about the move.

When she spotted LiLo's father

Michael

moving things in to her new digs, "Samantha walked out of the building next door. She was shaking her head and looking disgusted. She kept saying, 'I didn't plan it this way',"

a source says

.

Ronson's grump was also caught on camera. Check it out

here

Cheer up, Ronson, word is Lohan's only rented the pad for a month. Meantime, you could always break the ice by offering her a bowl of sugar.

Ah, neighbourly love.

Blogger's Briefs

This lot just in...

*

Hugh Hefner

's fiancée says she

doesn't notice the age difference

* Did

LeAnn Rimes

get a boob job?

* Check out

Kelly Osbourne

's

new man

*

Robert Pattinson

confirmed for

People's Choice Awards

*

January Jones

gets naked for Versace

(SFW)

*

Romeo Beckham

one of

Britain's best-dressed

*

Justin Bieber

covers

Vanity Fair

with

lots of kisses

*

Jessica Alba

covers

Harpers Bazaar Australia

*

Arnold Schwarzenegger

looks for a job

*

Jay-Z

and

Kanye

releasing joint album this week

*

Kelly Osbourne

interview

comes back to haunt her

And finally...

Mamma mia! ABBA to reform?

Agnetha Faltskog

has dropped a major hint that the disbanded Swedish supergroup may reform for a one-off charity gig.

She told Swedish magazine

M

, "I just feel it would be fun to meet, chat about the old days and perhaps perform," Faltskog was quoted as saying.

"We would not get together again for a tour like the Rolling Stones and other old bands do.

"I think we would all consider a one-off reunion."

Pardon me while I spontaneously combust. Bring it on, Agnetha.

Lovely to be back in the gossip saddle, folks. Happy New Year to you all!

Blogger Bites Back

* Read more celebrity news and gossip from Myrddin Gwynedd (MG)

here