Mel B ‘hooked on coke’
Singer took cocaine in front of her children, claims Belafonte
MEL B took cocaine regularly in front of her children, explosive court papers claim.
The ex-spice Girl’s husband Stephen Belafonte alleges she fought an “habitual and consistent addiction” to the class A drug and booze which impacted on their marriage and her ability as a mother.
The film producer backed other claims about their split with a series of texts presented in the documents yesterday.
In the papers, Belafonte, 42, alleges the star’s “abuse of cocaine and alcohol” was “the biggest reason for my concern with respect to the safety of the children”.
He said Mel B’s sacking of nanny Lorraine Gilles “made matters worse” for him as there was no one to keep an eye on her.
He claimed his wife’s “drinking and drug abuse had been a major issue throughout our marriage and was witnessed by the nanny, the children, and her own therapist, Dr Sophy”.
Belafonte – married to Mel for 10 years before she filed for divorce in March – made the legal submission in a bid to gain access to stepdaughter Angel, 10, whose father is actor Eddie Murphy.
Mel, 42, is also mum to his six-yearold daughter Madison, and 18-year-old Phoenix from her marriage to ex-dancer Jimmy Gulzar.
RANDOM
In the documents, Belafonte claims Mel “agreed upon a plan” of routine drug testing drawn up by Dr Charles Sophy, a psychiatrist acting as an ‘intermediary’ between the couple.
It included daily doses of chronic alcoholism treatment Antabuse and monthly injections of Vivitrol which stops drug users relapsing.
Belafonte’s claim also stated Mel, 42, had agreed to have a “hair test” to detect drug abuse every 60 days as well as random weekly testing. In the 10-page dossier submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Belafonte says Angel was unaware who her real father was.
He wrote: “Angel regularly calls me ‘Daddy’. Prior to our separation, she had no idea I was not her biological father.”
He said he had raised her as his own ever since she was a month old.
ABUSE
Belafonte’s text messages detail how he felt Mel had attempted to sign a divorce deal before their separation was made public – but that she had reneged on the pact. He said he was broadsided when she filed courts papers seeking a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him. He wrote: “I have repeatedly, and adamant denied the allegations of abuse.” The papers were filed as police officer Ryan Lawrence, 32, – helping with Mel’s security during her bitter divorce battle – was fighting to save his own marriage after being accused of having an affair with her. The trained crisis negotiator denies the claims, but his wife Morgan, 29, is said by friends to be “utterly devastated”. Meanwhile, as Belafonte’s lawyers lodged his declaration, Mel was seen stepping out in Hollywood while visiting her legal team. Wearing a skin tight pink pencil skirt, matching lace body and stilettos, she seemed in high spirits. A source close to the Leedsborn star said: “Mel fully expected he would make allegations. Her lawyers have told her to remain quiet.” Belafonte is not the first of Mel’s husbands to claim she abused drugs. In a court statement in 2004, Gulzar, 49, said: “The last time I was aware of her using drugs was approximately one and a half years ago. Melanie also drinks quite heavily at times.” The singer has claimed Belafonte had an affair with 26-year-old German nanny Gilles. The nanny denies it.