Rev Run and wife suffer tragedy

Another tragedy struck Run DMC yesterday when the newborn child of Rev Run (Joseph Simmons) and wife Justine was pronounced dead shortly after its birth, according to AOL-owned celebrity site TMZ. The child's birth was a much-hyped event for the hit MTV reality series, Run's House and MTV cameras were reportedly present at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Tuesday for the birth. But the baby girl, delivered via C-section, was born with organs outside the body and died shortly after birth. Justine's pregnancy was a running storyline in Run's House, which MTV picked up for a second season after the couple and their five children won over audiences. It is unclear if MTV's cameras were in the delivery room when the tragic event took place. Run DMC was shattered in 2004 when group member Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) was shot and killed at a recording studio in New York.

Pink links with Human Rights Campaign

Pink has signed on as a participant in the Human Rights Campaign's "Project Snapshot," which encourages gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual people to talk about their sexuality. Pink will be featured in the project's online photo exhibit, "designed to encourage conversation about GLBT people's lives, the issues confronting them, and how all Americans, GLBT or straight, can support equality and fairness." Anyone can contribute to the project by downloading a "Talk About It" sign and taking a digital picture of themselves with their sign along with friends, family, or coworkers.

"Pink is one of millions of straight Americans who supports fairness and honesty for everyone--GLBT or straight," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. "This project will show the faces of countless Americans who support openness over painful silence and isolation. Young people who are afraid to come out will see these pictures and faces and know that they are not alone."

Eurythmics producer's HBO show lands Bono

When in doubt, call Bono. The ubiquitous U2 frontman will be the first guest on the forthcoming HBO music show hosted by Eurythmics musician/producer David A. Stewart. Described as "musicians on musicians," the show will feature Stewart interviewing fellow artists about their craft. One of the show's producers, Jimmy Iovine, runs U2's Interscope Records label. HBO has scheduled six half-hour episodes of the show for early next year.

U2 played a big role in the return of NFL football to the New Orleans Superdome Monday night, performing a cover of the Skids' "The Saints Are Coming" with Green Day. All proceeds from the sale of the song, available through Rhapsody, will go to Music Rising, the charity founded by U2 guitarist The Edge to benefit musicians from the area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Paris Hilton faces DUI charge

Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton was charged yesterday with driving under the influence earlier this month, a charge that could land her up to six months in jail. Hilton will be arraigned tomorrow in LA Superior Court following the September 7 incident in which she was pulled over in her Mercedes-Benz SLR for speeding and driving recklessly. The singer claimed she's been shooting a music video all day and went to a charity event, where she had one margarita on an empty stomach. Hilton said she was rushing to get a late-night burger when she was pulled over.

The DUI charge could lead to a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, though first-time offenders are often given probation and required to attend alcohol counseling, Los Angeles City Attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan told Reuters.

Foxy Brown dodges jail term

Embattled rapper Foxy Brown, facing several court cases for her allegedly abusive behavior, got some good news yesterday when former associate Rasheeda Ellis agreed to drop charges against her. The women appeared in Jersey City Municipal Court yesterday, where Ellis dropped her claim that Brown--real name Inga Marchand--made terroristic threats against her in exchange for having some items that belonged to her returned. Both ladies agreed not to have contact with each other or to discuss the case or one another with the press. A judge refused Brown's bid to bar photographers from taking her picture and ordered her to remove her sunglasses in court.

Brown pleaded guilty last month in a New York court to misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a 2004 fight with salon workers over a manicure. The plea deal spared her jail time but required her to serve three years' probation and take anger-management classes, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office.

Fantasia's father files libel suit

Since his daughter Fantasia's 2004 American Idol win and subsequent success, Joseph Barrino doesn't like how he's been portrayed in both a book and a subsequent Lifetime movie. Barrino has filed a $10 million libel suit against Simon & Schuster, the publisher of the 2005 book Fantasia: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, a book written by Fantasia that her father claims was written by her grandmother, Addie Collins. Joseph Barrino claims the book contains "false, exaggerated, sensational, intentional, and malicious untruths," some of which were his hostility to the music industry, his frequent request of money from his daughter, and that his children's musical careers were more important than their education.

"The unfortunate publication of Fantasia's life story by Simon & Schuster seeks to capitalize on her American Idol success through disparaging certain members of her family. The lawsuit seeks to redress these wrongs and restore the integrity of the family members," Joseph Barrino's attorney, Kendall Minter, said in a statement. Fantasia Barrino was not listed as a defendant in the case.