Rev Run and Justine Simmons, a power couple in both the music and television industries, have an enduring love story. From the early days of the iconic group, Run-DMC, to the reality TV spotlight, their relationship has stood the test of time. Rev Run and his wife are grounded in faith, family values, and mutual respect. Altogether, they’re one of the most enduring couples in the industry. Let’s take a journey through their inspiring relationship.
Joseph Simmon, famously known as Rev Run, and Justine Jones crossed paths for the first time while they were teenagers. The pair met at a Kurtis Blow concert where Joseph was performing, and Justine immediately fell for him. Intrigued, she and her friends went backstage to meet him and get an autograph. After that, she handed a flier with her number written on it to a woman and asked her to give it to Joseph. He called her the very next day and despite the long distance, they became friends. They called and wrote letters, and in one of them, Justine promised to marry Joseph one day. Sadly, they drifted apart.
Years later, after Joseph had made a name for himself as Rev Run, and his rap career had blown up, the two miraculously reunited. Fate seemed to have had plans for them, using Joseph’s cousin and Justine’s sister to reconnect the long-lost lovers. Soon after, Justine and Rev Run began attending church together and soon started a relationship. While Rev Run had been married and freshly divorced, he entered the relationship with an open heart, ready to love. Evidently, it paid off as they’ve been together ever since.
The culmination of their love story took place on June 25, 1994, when Rev Run and Justine exchanged vows in a beautiful ceremony. This marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment, and the couple embraced the journey ahead with enthusiasm and dedication. Along with Rev Run came his three children from his previous marriage: Vanessa, Angela, and Joseph “Jojo” Ward. Justine welcomed them with open arms. The couple went on to have their first child together a year later -- Daniel Dwayne “Diggy” Simmons III, on March 21, 1995. Two years later, their second son, Russell Simmons II, was born on August 30, 1997.
As their family grew, so did their public presence. The Simmons family opened their doors to the public in 2005 through the reality television series Run’s House. Rev Run became one of the first rap OGs to have their own reality show. Run’s House famously ran for four years and provided viewers with a candid and heartwarming glimpse into their lives. Altogether, the show showcased their daily joys, challenges, and their hilarious family dynamics. The reviews were positive, with fans loving the representation, emphasis on faith, and the enduring bonds that held the Simmons family together.
Rev Run and Justine were open and honest about everything. They made a point to show the world everything they were going through. In 2006, the couple welcomed Victoria Anne Simmons. She was born through cesarean section. Victoria sadly passed away shortly after birth due to omphalocele, a birth defect that causes organs to grow outside the body. The entire birth and death were documented by the camera crew of the show, a vulnerable leap at the time. In September 2007, the couple adopted a baby and named her Miley Justine Simmons.
After Run’s House came to an end in 2009, the family pretty much waned from the public eye. Almost 10 years later, Rev Run announced that he and Justine would be starring in a Netflix series titled All About The Washingtons. The series was a short-lived, but lighthearted family sitcom that was a fictionalized take on their real-life dynamic. Rev Run played a retired rapper who was now navigating the challenges of being a stay-at-home dad. On the other hand, Justine’s character pursued her career. The series explored humorous situations, family dynamics, and the timeless theme of balancing work and home life. While it was loved by audiences, and brought the couple back into the spotlight, it was canceled after one season.
In 2020, the couple wrote and published a book titled Old School Love: And Why It Works. The book was a compelling and brutally honest exploration of their relationship. It delved into the timeless principles of love, respect, and commitment that have sustained their marriage for decades. Through personal anecdotes, insightful reflections, and the Holy Scriptures, Rev Run, and Justine Simmons offered invaluable wisdom on nurturing relationships with authenticity, communication, and a steadfast dedication to each other's happiness.
The book was a massive success, not only catapulting them to newfound levels of attention but also reaching the people who they believed most needed it. In an interview with EBONY, they revealed the inspirations for the book. Moreover, they shared their hopes for the book. “Joey and I wanted to help people in their marriages, so much so that we wanted to give them our all and say, ‘This is what we are doing and, hopefully, if you try it this way, it could help you in your own marriage,’” Justine said.
“We were blessed to have mentors that were trying to make their marriages work, so we had that early on to look at and see how to make our own marriage work. We just wanted to make sure we gave you all the lessons we've learned over the years,” she continued. The couple and family have since continued to thrive welcoming grandchildren. Above all, it seems Rev Run and Justine Simmons are the epitome of a joyous and thriving power couple.
NEWS
Massive Attack have been using their latest live show to challenge American data analytics and software company Palantir, with the band describing the firm's ambitions as "terrifying".
The pioneering trip hop group have woven criticism of the controversial surveillance technology company into their new stage production. During their upcoming performance at Primavera Sound, they plan to deploy "custom-made facial recognition software" capable of "scanning a 75,000-person crowd" and projecting audience members onto giant screens with tongue in cheek labels such as "11 weeks no time off, burnout" and "unfinished books", according to Novara Media.
Speaking with the publication, the visual concept takes direct aim at Palantir, the company established two decades ago by billionaire Peter Thiel. Backed financially by the CIA, the firm counts the US and Israeli militaries, ICE, the FBI and the NHS among its clients.
After unveiling the production in Helsinki, Robert Del Naja told Novara Media that he wanted audiences to better understand how Palantir's reach has expanded from supplying "kill chain tech" reportedly used in Gaza to now having access to the medical records of people across Britain.
"We really need a much wider debate on the suitability of a company like this having such capture of our societal infrastructure," he said. He explained that the criticism is embedded throughout Massive Attack's two hour performance and was developed alongside long time collaborator Adam Curtis and London art collective United Visual Artists.
"One visual element represents how a Palantir Gotham monitoring and ‘decision chain’ interface might look," Del Naja explained. "Using facial recognition technology, it lands on groups and individuals – implying a consequential outcome for a given target."
Novara Media also detailed how Palantir's software can connect information from multiple databases. The outlet reported that ICE allegedly combines the platform with body camera footage, social media data and information gathered through Israeli developed hacking software Paragon to identify protesters involved in resistance to immigration raids.
The publication further claimed that Palantir contributes to Maven, a software platform used by the US military, which has recently faced criticism after being linked to the bombing of a girls' school in Iran.
"I find their declarations, objectives and moral framing pretty terrifying," Del Naja said. "To enable AI systems to map police records, satellite tracked locations, health records and personal financial transactions and place all of that information – for the first time – into the hands of a company with an overt political agenda and social objectives of its own is a huge, potentially irreversible and dangerous overreach."
Another moment in Massive Attack's current live production appears during the closing section of "Girl I Love You", when a quote from Peter Thiel is projected on screen reading: "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible".
Last year, Massive Attack introduced the satirical "facial recognition" sequence during their concerts and quickly rejected suggestions that genuine data recognition systems were being used on audiences.
"No Massive Attack live show has ever recorded or stored personal data," the group stated. "Only government departments, relevant authorities & approved contractors can access public databases in the UK, & doing so in multiple cities/countries would be impossible."
The band also pointed to the growing use of facial recognition technology across Britain, arguing that authorities are "overreaching almost all other western democracies with their use of public facial recognition … while there is no specific legislation regulating police use of these systems."
The statement arrived shortly after Massive Attack welcomed Kneecap onto the stage during their major show at the OVO Wembley Arena, introducing them as a group "who refused to be silenced for their solidarity with the Palestinian people."
Massive Attack have consistently spoken out in support of Palestine and a range of other progressive causes. More recently, they pledged to boycott Spotify following reports that CEO Daniel Ek had invested heavily "in a company producing military munition drones and AI technology integrated into fighter aircraft."
During their headline appearance at London's LIDO Festival last summer, the band were joined by actor and activist Khalid Abdalla along with Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. Earlier this year, Del Naja also criticised what he described as a "draconian government" after being arrested while protesting the ban on Palestine Action.
The musician was one of hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in Trafalgar Square on April 11 to oppose the Palestine Action ban. He carried a placard stating "I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action".
Police removed him from the protest and arrested him on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation. He later responded with an extensive statement posted to Instagram.
Back in February, the band revealed a small run of European dates for the summer. The tour began on May 27 at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki before continuing to Dalhalla in Rättvik on May 30.
The Bristol trip hop pioneers have not released new material since the 2020 EP "Eutopia". Their most recent studio album remains 2010's "Heligoland".
Speaking with NME in 2024, Robert Del Naja revealed that the band had "some new music which we've been sitting on for four years". He later shared in November that he hoped to finally release some of that material in 2026.
