Mel B to be honored with a Doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for her work with domestic abuse survivors

Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B, will receive an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University at the end of this month for her work in empowering and assisting domestic abuse survivors. She plans to attend the event in a graduation gown with a leopard print.

Mel B shared her thoughts on this recognition to the Sun and said—

"I completed a couple of courses in Trauma Informed Care at Leeds Beckett earlier this year. When I was told I was being given the doctorate, it was an incredible honor."

She has been a patron of Women’s Aid since the year 2018. She has also been awarded an MBE in 2022 for her services to charity and a cause for vulnerable women.

Mel B honored with a doctorate for domestic abuse advocacy

Brown was in an abusive marriage with American producer Stephen Belafonte for 10 years, and they separated in 2017.

In an interview with the U.S. Sun, she explained that while she always understood abuse emotionally, her marriage gave her a deeper, theoretical understanding of it. This new knowledge has fueled her desire to amplify her advocacy efforts.

For three months, Mel B attended lectures at Beckett University, where most of her classmates were unaware of her pop star status. She cherished the camaraderie in her class, and her celebrity identity never came up in conversations. However, towards the end, one student approached her, expressing disbelief that she was indeed a famous singer.

Reflecting on her academic pursuits, she recounted to the U.S. Sun that walking into her first university class was more nerve-wracking than performing at Wembley Stadium. Despite her global fame, she found herself embracing the role of a student, dedicated to learning and personal growth.

Now, with her challenging past behind her, Mel B looks forward to her honorary doctorate ceremony and hopes some of her Spice Girls bandmates will be there to support her.

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Mel B's experiences with abuse and advocacy

Mel B's marriage to Stephen Belafonte has had lasting impacts on her life. They have a 12-year-old daughter, Madison. On Loose Women, as part of the 'Facing It Together' campaign, the singer revealed that she still suffers from panic attacks and PTSD because of her past experiences.

She confessed that despite attempting to leave Belafonte six or seven times during their marriage, she remained out of fear of blackmail. After finally escaping, she returned to Leeds with her children and stayed with her mother, with whom she had been estranged for years.

She told the PA news agency,

"Since leaving my marriage, I told friends and family I’d love to go to university, but I don’t think people took it seriously. This gave me an opportunity to actually do it. I am proud to feel part of this university in my hometown and proud to have come here as Melanie Brown, proud to have worked alongside other students and received excellent guidance from the teaching staff."

However, Belafonte, a film producer, has always denied the singer's claims.