As Mel B files for divorce from Stephen Belafonte, we reveal where it all went wrong
CHEATING RUMOURS AND SCREAMING ROWS HER FAMILY CELEBRATED WITH CHAMPAGNE WHAT PUSHED HER OVER THE EDGE
Two became one last week, as Scary Spice filed for divorce…
It felt like it had been a long time coming, didn’t it? Last week, the news reverberated around the internet that Melanie Brown had at last filed for divorce from Stephen Belafonte, after ten years of what never seemed much like wedded bliss. Family and friends around Mel celebrated the end of what they called a “toxic” relationship, riddled with rumours of sex parties, cheating and violence. But, as they prepare to go to court over Mel’s $50million fortune, friends tell heat the ugliness between these two could only just be getting started.
“The split has been on the cards for a while,” says an insider close to the former Spice Girl. Mel’s father Martin passed away just three weeks ago, which our source says gave Mel a “moment of clarity” about her marriage. It was also when the 41 year old ended a lengthy feud with her sister Danielle and mum Andrea – who had both talked openly of their dislike for “controlling” Stephen, 41. The insider goes on, “Mel decided she’d had enough of Stephen for good, and having the support of Danielle and her mum has really helped her walk away. They opened a $3,000 bottle of Champagne when Mel told them she was getting divorced. There were a lot of issues in that relationship.”
That’s putting it mildly. We’re told those problems spanned everything from Stephen’s
resentment over his wife’s wealth, and feeling like the “manny” to her three children, Madison, (dad: Stephen), Angel, nine (dad: Eddie Murphy), and Phoenix, 18 (dad: Mel’s first husband, Jimmy Gulzar) – all the way to the more serious allegations of cheating and violence, which he has strongly denied. There have been rumours in the past about Stephen, who has a history with the police, including handling stolen goods in 1994, vandalism in 2000, and a brawl in 2010. He also admitted battery of his ex-girlfriend Nicole Contreras in 2003. Friends say Mel and Stephen had “screaming rows” and it’s hard to forget that infamous incident two years ago, when Mel failed to appear on The X Factor final due to being hospitalised. Some reports claimed Stephen didn’t visit her, and she went on the show the following week with a bruised cheek and arms, and without her wedding ring. Stephen denied being violent, saying, “I had nothing to do with hurting my wife. I did not touch Mel.” Mel also denied he’d hurt her.
We’re told Stephen’s alleged flirting with other women was another problem for the couple, who married secretly in 2007 after a five-month romance. “They’ve always had quite an open marriage, in that they were fine having nights out without each other,” says the source. “But they were spending more time apart recently.”
The pair had a notoriously wild sex life, too, which was rumoured to have included foursomes, and Mel admitted, “We love hitting raunchy nightspots. Our therapist has encouraged us to indulge our fantasies.” But in January, while Mel was performing as Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical Chicago, Stephen was seen cuddling a brunette woman at a restaurant in Manhattan.
The divorce papers filed by Mel list 28 December as the date the pair officially separated. “They had a big row before Christmas and had a temporary split,” says the insider. “But they were back together again soon after and Mel postponed the divorce.” In February, Mel gushed on Instagram about her “baby boo”, writing, “We have been through everything that would normally tear couples apart and have come out stronger.”
But now that it’s over for good, friends say Mel is concentrating on “rebuilding her confidence”, and a planned move back to the UK when she’s not working on America’s Got Talent. And, having offered Stephen joint custody of Madison, she’s desperately hoping they keep things amicable. Mel also reportedly drew up a prenup to protect her £50m fortune, but Stephen may well argue for spousal support. “She wants them to be civilised throughout this divorce,” we’re told. “She doesn’t want things to get nasty between them over her money – but it all depends on Stephen.” ■ LUCY VINE
‘The split has been on the cards for a while’