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Mel B, aka Scary Spice, was one of the founding members of the Spice Girls along with Emma Bunton, Geri Horner, Victoria Beckham, and Melanie C. The band sold over 100 million records, making it the best-selling girl band ever.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the inception of Spice Girls and fans went into a frenzy when Mel B dropped hints of a potential reunion tour in an appearance on Loose Women, released on March 7, 2024. When asked about the possibility of the tour, she said:
"We are definitely doing something."
However, the tour never materialized and we have yet to get a future update.
Spice Girls superstar Mel B has been part of a wave of controversies concerning her bandmates over the years. The 49-year-old has been infamously involved in incidents ranging from allegedly badmouthing her bandmates to accusing bandmate Geri Horner of faking her age.
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Major controversies surrounding Mel B explored
Here, we dig deep into Scary Spice's controversial moments over the years.
Mel B once called her Spice Girls bandmates "d*ckheads"
Mel B once called her former bandmates "d*ckheads" for not wanting to do a reunion tour to celebrate Spice Girls' 30th anniversary.
In an April 2024 appearance on TV’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks 90s special, she revealed that the singer was removed from the band's official Whatsapp chat group for bombarding them with texts about a reunion tour.
"I’m Northern and say what I think and feel and I’m constantly saying to the girls, ‘We need to go back on tour’,” she said.
When the host further pressed her on why the band ditched her idea, she said:
“Because they’re d**kheads.”
Scary Spice was also asked whether the reunion could happen on a Sky Max panel show. However, the songstress didn't provide a concrete answer for the same.
Scary Spice once accused Geri Horner of faking her age
Mel B once accused Geri Horner of faking her age. In a 2024 appearance on the podcast So Wrong It's Right, Scary Spice said that she didn't believe Geri was honest about her age.
"No, well no one knows how old Geri is. No one's seen her passport. I mean, I know we've travelled the world, but I still don't know how old she is. Well, she claims she just had her 50th birthday, but I don't believe her," she said.
Mel B rubbed salt in the wound during Geri's 52nd birthday this year, sharing a photo of the two on social media and wishing her "Happy 75th Birthday."
Stephen Belafonte's $5 million lawsuit against Mel B and the leaked chat controversy
On May 29, 2024, Mel B's ex-husband Stephen Belafonte lodged a $5 million defamation case against the songstress in a Florida court. The lawsuit claimed that she had “engaged in a deliberate and wide-ranging campaign to cause him severe emotional distress and destroy his reputation,” according to a Page Six report on May 29, 2024.
The two got married in Las Vegas on June 6, 2007, and welcomed their daughter Madison Brown Belafonte on September 1, 2011. Scary Spice filed for divorce in March 2017, accusing Belafonte of physical and emotional abuse. The divorce was finalized on December 15, 2017.
According to Belafonte's defamation lawsuit, Mel B allegedly began harassing him with claims of domestic violence in 2017.
“Nevertheless, the damage had been done. As a result of Ms. Brown’s false allegations of r*pe, illegal gun possession, s*x trafficking, production of illegal p*rnography, domestic battery and child endangerment, Mr. Belafonte lost access to his home and children,” the lawsuit further alleged.
The lawsuit also reportedly included text messages exchanged between Mel B and her bandmate Geri Horner, allegedly showing her “true intentions are to leverage her charitable appeal for further sales, celebrity and opportunity.”
In the leaked chats, Mel B and Horner were reportedly discussing their reunion.
“Charity doesn’t pay the bills,” Mel B allegedly wrote.
Horner responded:
“I hope nobody ever hacks your texts!!!!! I believe we should do something good and kicking off with a charity gig would be hugely positive. The power of our brand is enormous and all of our work is off the back of it including Vikki [Victoria Beckham]!!!!!!”
Scary Spice reportedly doubled down on her statement, claiming that her messages were "fine." Through the texts, the lawsuit allegedly accused her of “enriching herself through her charity ambassadorship at Women’s Aid.”
In addition to the $5 million in damages, Belafonte demanded a trial by jury, punitive damages, and a gag order against his ex-wife.
Last year, rumors of a potential Spice Girls reunion surfaced, especially when Scary Spice told The Daily Telegraph that Victoria Beckham had taken the initiative of doing something together for their 30th anniversary. However, no official confirmation came in the ensuing months.
