Mel B £1.6m trial bill fear
‘Home wrecker’ nanny’s libel case boost
MEL B may be hit with a £1.6million damages bill after an ex-au pair won the right to sue the star for defamation.
Lorraine Gilles, 26, can take Scary Spice to trial in July after being called a “home wrecker” in legal papers from the singer’s divorce battle with Stephen Belafonte, a judge said.
Mel already faces a £195,000 legal bill, which may quadruple if she defends the Gilles case. She could end up another £1.56million ($2million) out of pocket if she loses.
Los Angeles judge Dalila Lyons urged the Spice Girl, 42, and nanny to strike a deal before the trial starts.
It came as America’s Got Talent judge Mel, sporting white hair, poured water over fellow judge Simon Cowell, 57, and stormed off set after he made a joke about her wedding night. Lawyers for mother-of-three Mel had argued she had to name Gilles to get a restraining order against Belafonte, 42. After filing for divorce in March, Mel claimed Gilles took part in threesomes with her and Belafonte. The singer accused her of getting pregnant with her husband and using her money for an abortion. But Gilles claims the star acted as “camera man” to film their threesomes, and that Mel was more her lover than Belafonte. Friends of Mel, once said to be worth £40 million, fear huge bills may leave her close to bankruptcy. A legal source said losing in civil court “could mean a $2m payout, and also covering Gilles’ lawyers”.