Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mel B cop’s crisis talks with wife
Fight to save marriage after claims he spent nights at star’s LA home
mirror.co.uk/ mustsee THE Beverly Hills cop accused of having a “full-blown affair” with Mel B was last night said to be in crisis talks to save his marriage.
Ryan Lawrence, 32, and wife Morgan, 29, were holed up at their home in California after details of his alleged relationship with the Spice Girl emerged.
The officer, a trained crisis negotiator, was trying to talk his way out of his own emergency just a year after marrying Morgan at Serendipity
Gardens in Oak
Glen, Southern
California.
For two weeks, he has been denying claims that he has been seeing Mel, 42, telling Morgan he was helping her with security during her divorce from Stephen
Belafonte, 42.
But friends are now telling
Morgan, who is a registered nurse, she should leave her husband.
A source said:
“When Morgan was tipped off about Ryan seeing Mel she refused to believe it was true.
“He denied it, saying he had been working for Mel for a short while. She has now learned it has been the talk of his precinct since April.”
Morgan was said to be “heartbroken, utterly devastated” by the revelations.
The source said: “They were the picture perfect couple and she doted on him. Now she is in pieces. She doesn’t know if she can work through this. Her heart is broken.” We told yesterday how Mel fears being branded a homewrecker, the very thing she accused her ex-nanny Lorraine Gilles, 26, of – claiming the German had an affair with Stephen.
Mel is understood to have grown close to Ryan six months ago after an officer at his precinct introduced them.
Friends of Morgan say her husband never told her he was staying up to five nights a week at Mel’s Beverly Hills home. A source said: “Ryan never told her he was working for Mel and she is asking herself why. Whoever keeps working for a famous person secret from their husband or wife.”
After being told of the alleged relationship last week, Morgan went to friends in San Diego .
She returned home on Sunday to discover Mel had blocked her from Instagram.
Five hours later, after fleeing to her parents, Morgan posted: “You will never replace me #scaryspice #morelikeoldspice #melb#roastbeef.”
A source close to Stephen, who is in a custody battle with Mel over daughter Madison, six, said: “Understandably, he has concerns over the reports Mel has been allowing another man to stay over at her house.
“Just like any father who has limited contact with their child during a divorce, it is painful to think they may be confused or upset by the fact someone else is on the scene. It calls into question her parental judgement.”