Scary Spice was so afraid for her life back then that she had to return home to England from California.
Spice Girl Mel B detailed the harrowing aftermath of her relationship with film producer Stephen Belafonte, with whom she was married for almost a decade.
Mel B Opens Up About 'Abusive' Relationship
Opening up to BBC, Mel B revealed that she felt "powerless" after her relationship with Stephen Belafonte. The couple's divorce was finalized in December 2017, and she credited it and her father's death as her reasons for seeking treatment for PTSD.
Mel B has always been public with the struggles and challenges she faced during the traumatic period of her life. Aside from being physically and emotionally abused by Belafonte, she also had to live frugally amid all of it.
"I wasn't just emotionally and physically abused, there was all the financial abuse, too. I didn't realize that I didn't have as much money as I thought I had," she painfully recalled. "So I literally had to eat humble pie, live with my mum."
However, recuperating after such an event took a toll on Mel B. Thankfully, her mother was there to console her.
"My mum was the kind of person that would say, 'Oh you've left him now, you're fine.'" she added. "Obviously any situation is better than being with your abuser, but when you've left that kind of abusive situation, it's like starting all over again. You have to learn to trust people. You have to learn to trust yourself."
Being with her family, Mel B saved up enough after she paid legal fees and payments to her ex-husband.
READ ALSO: Mel B Pours Water On Simon Cowell's Head - Here's What Happened!
Mel B Divorce Settlement
Mel B filed for divorce from Belafonte in March 2017, and it was finalized by December 2017. She even dropped the abuse claims. Despite being the one who was abused, Mel B still paid Belafonte $5,000 a month for child support, including $15,000 for spousal support and $350,000 for his attorney fees.
Since moving back to England, Mel B has been engaged to Rory McPhee, and they were engaged last October 2022. Reports of their wedding remain mum up to this day.
