Spice Girl Mel B to divorce after rocky ten-year marriage
FORMER Spice Girl Mel B has filed for divorce from her second husband after a tumultuous ten-year marriage.
The 41-year-old star, whose full name is Melanie Brown, cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ for her split from American film producer Stephen Belafonte in divorce papers lodged in Los Angeles.
According to court documents, the former X Factor judge is seeking joint custody of their five-year-old daughter, Madison, and has asked a judge to deny spousal support to Belafonte.
Since marrying in 2007, the couple’s relationship has been overshadowed by Belafonte’s chequered past, which has included prosecutions for handling stolen goods, vandalism, beating a mallard to death and an assault conviction for hitting his then girlfriend Nicole Contreras in 2003.
Speculation about their marriage came to a head in 2014 when Miss Brown missed an episode of the X Factor after being taken to hospital, and then reappeared on the show without her wedding ring and what appeared to be scratches. Belafonte strongly denied accusations he had assaulted his wife, calling them ‘disgusting’ and ‘untrue’.
Last month, Miss Brown, worth an estimated £35million, posted a photo on Instagram of herself and Belafonte, also 41. In a post accompanying the photo, she wrote: ‘We have been through everything that would normally tear couples apart and we have come out on the other side stronger. You loved me before I even [knew] how to really love myself, you are my world honey and let’s not forget you are a bit of a d***head too.’
Miss Brown, who is a judge on America’s Got Talent, also has a nine-year-old daughter, Angel, from a relationship with actor Eddie Murphy, and an 18year-old daughter, Phoenix, from her first marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar. Belafonte also has another daughter, Giselle, from a previous relationship.