Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mel and her cop
Spice star’s cosy date with married lawman
MEL B is pictured for the first time with the Beverly Hills cop she is said to have grown close to.
The photo shows the 42-yearold singer sharing a relaxed meal with married policeman Ryan Lawrence, who is 10 years her junior.
Mel and Ryan, a hostage and crisis negotiator, are rumoured to be having an affair amid claims he has stayed over at her house five nights a week.
The picture was taken by Mel’s daughter Phoenix, 18, and uploaded to Snapchat.
It dates from three months ago but has only just emerged – the first image of the couple together.
Sources say Mel and Ryan have been romantically involved since May. They were introduced at the beginning of the year by a senior Beverly Hills Police Department officer.
Ryan’s furious wife Morgan, 29, is said to have learned of the alleged infidelity only this month. She then branded Mel “Old Spice” and took to Instagram to say: “You’ll never replace me.”
The Lawrences’ year-long marriage is now said to be on the rocks.
But the couple were pictured together outside their California
home last week, both wearing their wedding rings. Ryan is said to be working on his marriage, but friends claim he still hopes for a future with the star.
A source said: “Ryan and Mel are still Face Timing each other. He hasn’t given up hope on a relationship.” And friends of Mel’s say she is still keen too.
It comes as the mum-of-three’s bitter divorce battle with ex Stephen Belafonte, 42, rumbles on. On Friday she went to court in Los Angeles to renew a temporary restraining order against her former nanny Lorraine Gilles.
Accompanied by her marriage therapist Dr Charles Sophy, Mel looked chic at court in a white dress and jacket.
Sources say Dr Sophy, who has been chaperoning Mel’s sixyear-old daughter Madison during supervised visits with Belafonte, has been her “rock” through recent tough times.
Court documents filed this week reveal Belafonte plans to call 18 witnesses in his fight with Mel amid a slew of accusations and counter-claims.