Eminem, ex-wife agree to play nice

In the weeks following her second divorce from Eminem, Kim Mathers did a series of radio interviews in which she trashed the famed rapper, disparaging his sexual prowess and saying the mere thought of him made her vomit. She won't likely be doing that any more, as the estranged couple agreed in court today to not criticize each other in public. The hearing in Macomb County Circuit Court followed a motion, filed earlier this month by Eminem, seeking to prevent Mathers from making "derogatory, disparaging, inflammatory and otherwise negative comments" about him.

The couple agreed to refrain from making such comments in the future in an effort to protect their 11-year-old daughter, Hailie. According to the Detroit Free Press, Mathers attended today's hearing, as well as a closed-door meeting beforehand in the chambers of Friend of the Court Referee David Elias. Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, was not in court, but spoke via telephone in Elias' chambers. The two sides agreed to the deal, and it was announced at the court hearing.

Eminem and Kim had Hailie in 1996, married in 1999, divorced in 2001, remarried in January 2006, and separated three months later. Their second divorce was finalized in December.

Aretha Franklin talks biopic

In a forthcoming biopic about her legendary career, Aretha Franklin wants three people to play her. Not at the same time, of course. The soul queen told Access Hollywood that she would like multiple actresses to play her during different sections of the film, which will be based on her biography, Aretha: From These Roots. Franklin said she is considering one of the oft-suggested favorites, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson. "Well, I don't know. I'm not sure," Franklin said of the proposal. "The producers want to know how I feel about it, about her playing myself. What I'd like to see is three different people playing myself."

Auditions are set for May in Detroit, but Franklin said she has already seen several possibilities. "There's a young lady who opened the tribute [show] out in Los Angeles that the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) gave me who was very good and I've heard another little girl who was quite good," Franklin said. "Perhaps someone playing me from the age of 25 to about 40 and then someone else beyond that which is just a little bit." Franklin said she has already been approached by several studios about the film.

Snoop Dogg encounters visa issues in UK

A 2006 fracas that saw Snoop Dogg's posse tossing liquor bottles around and scrapping with security guards might be coming back to haunt the rapper. Currently on a European tour with Diddy, Snoop has encountered visa problems stemming from his arrest at Heathrow Airport in London last year. The latest stop on Diddy and Snoop's One Love Peace Tour is slated for tomorrow at London's Wembley Arena, and Snoop's rep told Reuters that he's still working to get the paperwork in order.

Snoop spoke with MTV International on Sunday, and said he was "shocked" by the decision. "I'm not sure what's going on right now. I've been denied entry into the UK. I don't know why. I'm here to perform and give people what they want. To be a peace figure. Me and Puffy come from a background where, with the East Coast and the West Coast, there were a lot of differences in the hip-hop community. But now we want to go around the world and show positive examples in the UK."

U2's The Edge giving away guitar

The Edge is donating his favorite instrument to an auction benefiting Music Rising, a charity the U2 guitarist cofounded to replace musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. But instead of picking an rarely used axe, the guitarist is giving away his 1975 Gibson Les Paul, which the 45-year-old musician has used throughout his years with U2. "I wanted to give something really significant that would really mean a lot for me to give. It deserved something that I would miss," The Edge told The Associated Press by phone from France.

The Icons of Music auction, administered by Julien's Auctions, features 196 rock-related items, including a saxophone signed by former President Clinton, a guitar that belonged to Jimi Hendrix, and an original Elvis Presley recording contract. An exhibit of auction highlights will travel from Los Angeles to Dublin, Ireland, and London before the sale ends April 21 with an event at Manhattan's Hard Rock Cafe. Fans may bid online or in person. The Edge's guitar was expected to fetch between $60,000 to $80,000, according to the auction Web site. Bandmates Adam Clayton donated a bass guitar, Larry Mullen gave a pair of tom-tom drums, and Bono donated a pair of Emporio Armani sunglasses.

Busta Rhymes loses plea deal

A plea deal that would have allowed Busta Rhymes to avoid jail time has been withdrawn by the court, forcing the rapper to face trial on two assault charges. Citing his recent arrest for driving with a suspended license, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Tanya Kennedy withdrew the offer that included probation, community service, and a series of lectures to troubled youth. "The court's offer is off the table," Kennedy told Rhymes.

Rhymes' attorney, Robert Kalina, has said previously that Rhymes had been prepared to accept the deal. After the judge withdrew her plea offer, the 34-year-old rapper rejected a follow-up offer by the prosecution of one year in jail for each of two counts of assault--to run concurrently--and a $500 fine for the suspended license charge, and will go to trial instead. Kennedy tentatively set the trial to begin May 8.

Rhymes--real name Trevor Smith--is accused in a complaint of beating Edward Hatchett, 39, his former driver, "with a closed fist about the head and neck" and kicking him in the ribs and torso during a dispute over back pay. In the other case, Rhymes is charged with assaulting a fan, allegedly for spitting on the rapper's car in August.

Rhymes has been consistently on the wrong side of the law in New York since the February 2006 shooting death of his bodyguard, Israel Ramirez. Police say Rhymes so far has refused to cooperate with their investigation.