"The Naked Truth" – Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive

Marvelyn Brown, a former top track and basketball star, was young, beautiful, in the best shape of her life, and in love. On one fateful day, when a sudden illness landed her in intensive care, a battery of tests revealed that the then 19-year-old had acquired the HIV/AIDS virus.

Now as a 24-year-old, Brown's new memoir, 'The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive' (Amistad/HarperCollins, August 2008) reveals her intimate journey living with HIV/AIDS and learning to use her voice to educate and empower others from making the same choices which led to her diagnosis. She continues her mission of education and empowerment as a guest blogger for Blackvoices.com's More Than Words. Read her story below and then pick up a copy of 'The Naked Truth.' It's powerful and may just save lives.

Phil Collins Trumps Paul McCartney in Mega-Divorce

Phil Collins' ex-wife may no longer be in his heart, but she'll definitely always have a place in his bank account. The easy-rocking star has waved good-bye to marriage No. 3 and hello to a reported $46.68 million divorce settlement which, if accurate, shapes up to be the biggest ever celeb payout in British legal history, trumping even the astronomical amount Heather Mills received—said to be $45.37 million—from Paul McCartney earlier this year. Collins, 57, and Orianne Cevey, 35, were married for seven years before separating in 2006. They have two children together, sons Nicolas, 8, and Matthew, 4.

Jamaican reggae star fined $70 for swearing

Jamaican reggae and dance hall star Bounty Killa has pleaded guilty to using profanity at a recent show and paid a $70 fine.

Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, entered the plea and paid the fine during an appearance in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court in western Jamaica on Thursday. He could have faced up to 30 days in jail.

Killa was arrested and charged last month during the staging of Reggae Sumfest, one of the world's top reggae festivals. Fans heckled him after he made uncomplimentary remarks about two disc jockeys, and he responded with a barrage of expletives then walked off the stage.

Jamaican law prohibits profanity in public performances and police have been more vigilant in recent years about enforcing that law.

(Reuter)