Eva and Fonzworth RIP THE RUNWAY in Style as BET's First Fashion Special Premieres March 24

Eva and Fonzworth RIP THE RUNWAY in Style as BET's First Fashion Special Premieres March 24

Special Appearances by Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Amerie, T.I., Fabolous, Brooke Valentine and Doug E. Fresh Set Off a Night of Hot Fashion and Performances

NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 9 p.m. ET, BET premieres an electrifying night of lights, cameras and fashion with its ultra-sexy fashion and music special RIP THE RUNWAY. Hosted by America's Top Model winner Eva Pigford and the self-proclaimed leader of the "gentleman's movement" Fonzworth Bentley, the worlds of style and hip-hop explosively collide for this one-hour must-see event. Urban America's top designers Sean John, Baby Phat, G-unit, Def Jam University, swimwear designers Aqua Couture and Bathhouse all showcase their new lines, accompanied by on- stage performances from T.I., Fabolous, Doug E. Fresh, Brooke Valentine and Amerie.

New York City's Roseland Ballroom is on fire during the RIP THE RUNWAY spectacular as celebrity guests, gorgeous models and a beautiful crowd drench the evening with glitz, glamour and fun. The audience ignites in excitement as playful co-hosts Eva and Fonzworth introduce each clothing line and the accompanying live performer. Hip-hop artist Fabolous opens the show with his chart topper, "Breathe" for Kimora Lee's sexy female line, Baby Phat. Rap legend Doug E. Fresh keeps the show hyped as models stroll the runway to a medley of his old school hits. The "King of the South" T.I. vigorously performs "Bring 'Em Out," giving the chic models some extra pep for their sleek and stylish steps. R&B singer and newcomer Brooke Valentine gets into the act by belting out her new single "Girl Fight." The sexy men of Sean John model the label's latest trends as Amerie performs her new club banger, "One Thing," and tears it up. To top it off, "Mr. Sean John" himself -- P. Diddy - - wraps the show sporting a stylish metallic gray number as only he can.

BET explores the world of high fashion and music by giving the style- conscious consumer a glimpse of what's in style before its in vogue. Don't miss 800-plus dazzling audience members, 100 glamorous male and female models, six fashion lines from Urban America's top designers, five show-stopping performances, and two fabulous hosts all on one network -- BET.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks -- BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New Spirit imprint.

Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-3327, Marcy.Polanco@BET.net, or
Tricia Newell, +1-212-975-8230, Tricia.Newell@BET.net, both of BET

Web site: http://www.bet.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Downloadable images of BET's RIP THE RUNWAY available at www.bet.com/pr

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