Inside Mel B’s fiery marriage
Was reconciling with her estranged family a sign all was not well between Melanie Brown and her husband?
When former Spice Girl Mel B, 41, announced she was filing for divorce from Stephen Belafonte after 10 years of ‘ toxic marriage’ – citing irreconcilable differences – some were shocked.
But perhaps the writing was on the wall for a relationship that, in recent years, was plagued by allegations of domestic abuse – which were strongly denied by the pair.
According to reports, Mel had confided to friends that she’d been tempted to pull the plug for the past two years on what’s thought to have been a very controlling partnership.
After almost a decade of barely speaking to her family, Mel revealed – following dad Martin’s death on 4 March – that they’d reunited and she ‘vowed’ to stay close to them.
These were the relatives Stephen, 41, called ‘the cut-off crew’ on Twitter, after Mel’s late father asked her to get in touch in 2012.
Apparently, it was her father’s death that prompted the America’s Got Talent judge to have a ‘moment of clarity’.
It was after Mel’s 2007 Las Vegas wedding to Stephen, who was previously charged with – and didn’t contest – beating up ex-girlfriend Nicole Contreras during a drunken row, that the family rift began. It saw Mel estranged from her mum, Andrea, dad, Martin, and sister, Danielle, over their alleged doubts about Mel’s new man.
Court papers state the excouple actually separated on 28 December 2016, yet they continued to post snaps of each other on social media.
In late January, Mel posted an Instagram snap with the gushy caption, ‘My baby boo @stephen-thinks11. We have been through everything that would normally tear couples apart and we have come out on the other side stronger...’
Soon after Mel’s seeming declaration of love, film producer Stephen was seen cosying up to a mystery brunette at a New York restaurant, while Mel was round the corner performing on Broadway as Roxy in Chicago.
Mel and Stephen have a five-year-old daughter, Madison, who will inevitably be drawn into this.
According to reports, the singer – who also has daughters Phoenix, 18, and Angel, nine, from previous relationships – is agreeing to joint custody, but not spousal support. Clearly, she doesn’t want Stephen to get a penny.
Poor Mel. Still grieving for her father, she’s now contending with an already messy marriage breakdown…
She’d been tempted to pull the plug for years on what’s thought to be a very controlling partnership