While Paris Hilton partied at Sundance, her lawyers got down to business in the $10 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by Zeta Graff, the ex of her ex Paris Latsis. On Tuesday, they asked the court for permission to have their psychologist examine Graff, since she's claiming emotional distress. Hilton's attorneys also told the Los Angeles judge that they plan to file a countersuit against Graff. The case is due back in court on March 2. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will be stopping by Bolling BX Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, where they'll be doing a signing for U.S. military personnel. The band's latest album, City of Evil, features a song supporting the nation's troops titled "M.I.A." ... Hot on the heels of his collaborations with Gwen Stefani ("Luxurious") and Beyoncé ("Check on It"), Slim Thug says he's recorded a track for Busta Rhymes' upcoming LP, The Big Bang, due in March. ...

Remy Ma's There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, due February 7, will feature one of the last recorded tracks from her late mentor, Big Pun. The duo recorded the tune, called "Thug Love," in 1999, according to Remy. ... Lil Wayne is one of four Cash Money artists offering up songs as ring tones to Virgin Mobile users through February. Twenty popular Cash Money tracks will be available, as well as five exclusives: Lil Wayne's "Way of Life" and "Where You At," Mannie Fresh's "Conversation," Big Tymers' "Beat It Up" and Hot Boys' "Respect My Mind." ...

Hilary Duff is going back for seconds with Candie's, posing once again for the shoe and clothing brand, but this time she's got a little help from Ciara, Michelle Trachtenberg and Samaire Armstrong. Together, the girls have a pillow fight (for the newly launched home collection) and saunter down the red carpet with their shopping bags in tow for the spring television and print campaign. The campaign, which will launch in March, features Duff's song "Supergirl." ... Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes will be honored in April by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, during the organization's annual Media Awards. GLAAD's picked Bright Eyes as the recipient of its Special Recognition Award; actor/director John Cameron Mitchell, who helmed the band's video for "First Day of My Life," will share the honor. The video features straight and gay couples sitting on a couch, listening to the track for the first time. The GLAAD Media Awards will air on Logo on April 15 and VH1 on April 16. ...

Now that he's got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx is giving a little back to his city. Sixx is scheduled to announce the official launch of his new fundraising initiative, "Running Wild in the Night," on Friday in L.A. The creative-arts program with an emphasis on nurturing musical talent will benefit Los Angeles' Covenant House, which helps youth on the streets of California and around the world, according to his spokesperson. Sixx has already raised $40,000 for the cause by selling personal items on his Web site. ... Music from the Darkness' latest album, One Way Ticket to Hell ... and Back, is the focal point of an online video game called "The Darkness: Duel With the Devil." "Duel," which is reminiscent of the handheld electronic game Simon, features a guitar-playing Beelzebub strumming Darkness chords. Each shred illuminates a candle, and gamers must click on the candles in the exact same order -- or, predictably, you're cast into the fiery pits of hell. You can check the game out at duelwiththedevil.com. ...

Death Cab for Cutie are teaming up with Guitar Center to give one lucky fan a VIP concert experience. Starting on February 1, fans can enter to win a trip for four to see Death Cab perform in Los Angeles, plus an autographed Fender Telecaster guitar, the complete catalog of the band's albums and more. ... On Wednesday night, Bokeem Woodbine ("Ray"), Wood Harris ("Remember the Titans") and Jo D. Jonz performed at the Hollywood Knitting Factory to celebrate the release of Jonz's band Boku's self-titled debut live album. The event benefited New York's George Jackson Academy, which is dedicated to helping boys from low-income families. ...

Nintendo announced on Thursday (January 26) that its popular two-screened handheld gaming machine and PlayStation Portable competitor, the Nintendo DS, will be redesigned and offered in a shorter, thinner and narrower model that is 2/3 the size of the current device and sports brighter screens. The Nintendo DS Lite will go on sale in Japan in March; an American release remains to be announced. ...

1.25.2006

Pink plans to release her new album, I'm Not Dead, on April 4. Her "Stupid Girls" video premieres Thursday on MTV's Overdrive. ...

Just in time for the Super Bowl, Jessica Simpson is shilling for Pizza Hut once again, along with Miss Piggy, who appeared alongside the singer in an ad two years ago. This time, Simpson and the Muppet wear matching outfits for a commercial for Cheesy Bites Pizza, which will parody Simpson's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " with a new song, "These Bites Are Made for Poppin'." The spots, which were taped last week in Los Angeles, will appear during the pregame segment of the Super Bowl. ... Brandy, an action hero? Well, sort of. The singer/actress has inked a deal with Los Angeles video game firm Matty/ Markus Games to help develop an as-yet-untitled sci-fi/action game that will utilize her voice and likeness, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Brandy will play a strong female character who is put into a situation that she must react to -- one which has the fate of the world hinging on it," Matty Rich, one of the developers, told the trade paper. Brandy will also help concoct the game's original soundtrack, which is set to drop just before the game hits store shelves next year. ...

Nick Cannon's playing a classic trickster in the animated film "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit," which will be released on DVD March 21. Cannon's voicing the title character, who outwits his animal friends with clever schemes. Danny Glover (as Brer Turtle), Wayne Brady (as Brer Wolf), and D.L. Hughley (as Brer Fox) all lend their voices to the flick. ... February means sweeps, so a whole host of UPN shows are opening their doors to guest stars this coming month. Juelz Santana plays himself on "Cuts" (airing February 2 at 9:30 p.m.); Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams plays an HIV-positive record producer in a three-episode arc of "Half & Half" (starting February 13 at 9:30 p.m.); Ja Rule plays an established record producer looking for new talent on "South Beach" (airing February 15 at 8 p.m.); Kristin Cavalleri plays a closeted cheerleader who's being blackmailed on "Veronica Mars" (airing February 15 at 9 p.m.); Brandy joins her brother Ray J for two episodes of "One on One," playing his character D-Mack's sister Michelle (starting February 20 at 8 p.m.); and Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland plays an attendee at a "Sisters Speak Out" seminar who needs a little mentoring on "Girlfriends" (airing February 20 at 9 p.m.). ...

The Eagles of Death Metal, who will release their second album, Death by Sexy, on April 11, have been confirmed as the support act for all of the dates on the Strokes' forthcoming spring tour, which kicks off in New York on March 3. ... Trent Reznor is up in arms about the fur industry in China, the world's leading exporter, which uses millions of cats and dogs to augment its supply. The Nine Inch Nails frontman narrates a graphic video exposé for PETA that shows the practice of captured cats and dogs being slaughtered in a Chinese animal market -- some with their collars still on them, "proof that they were someone's beloved companion," Reznor says. "What you're about to see may shock you," he says at the open of the two-minute video. "There are no regulations governing the Chinese fur industry," he notes, which leads to systematic abuses and fur being mislabeled as that of other animals. ...

The Fiery Furnaces are still working on the Rehearsing My Choir follow-up, Bitter Tea, but that's not stopping the group from hitting the road this winter. A trek has been booked beginning February 10 in New Haven, Connecticut, and ending March 4 in Providence, Rhode Island. ... Self-proclaimed "original dirty rapper" Blowfly -- the masked marvel whose bawdy toasts have been sampled by everyone from the Wu-Tang Clan to Diddy -- was on the receiving end of a rather rude gesture when his touring van was broken into following a gig in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday. In addition to guitars and cymbals, 'Fly also lost his backpack containing his lyric book and a bag containing his many disguises, including a rubber devil mask, one Uncle Sam mask and "a Blowfly bug mask with antennae." ...

Want Poison's Bret Michaels to wish you and your better half a happy anniversary this year? Well, for $100, it could happen. According to Michaels' Web site, he's up to his eyeballs with "requests for personal messages." But time is money, and Bret's short on time. So for $25-$100, you can purchase both standard and personalized audio and DVD Bret greetings. All come with CD artwork and certificates of authenticity. ... The original members of Candlebox (frontman Kevin Martin, guitarist Peter Klett, bassist Bardi Martin and drummer Scott Mercado) have reunited for a three-month U.S. tour which will kick off on July 1. No specific word yet on what cities the trek will hit. The band, best known for its 1994 hit "Far Behind," will be touring in support of a forthcoming greatest-hits collection, due later this year through Rhino Records. ...