Why is Mel B being sued for defamation? Everything to know about ex-husband Stephen Belafonte's $5M lawsuit against Spice Girl

Mel B, popular for her work as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, was recently sued by her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte on May 29, 2024. The duo divorced back in 2017 after being together for almost 10 years and they also share a daughter named Madison Brown Belafonte.

Page Six acquired the legal documents related to the lawsuit, which stated that Stephen has accused the singer of harassment. He additionally claimed that Mel B was involved in a "deliberate and wide-ranging campaign to cause him severe emotional distress and destroy his reputation."

Furthermore, the documents mention that Belafonte could not get inside his residence and meet his children due to the allegations put forward by Mel B. The accusations included "r*pe, illegal gun possession, s*x trafficking, production of illegal p*rnography, domestic battery, and child endangerment."

The lawsuit was filed at a court in Florida and the singer has not shared any response to the accusations stated in the court documents.

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Stephen Belafonte's lawsuit contains a lot of shocking claims about Mel B: Accusations and other details explained

As mentioned earlier, Mel B, also known as Melanie Brown, shares a child with her former husband Stephen Belafonte. The lawsuit details obtained by Page Six stated that Brown hardly came to visit her daughter, whose primary custody was granted to Belafonte. He also claimed that their marriage was badly affected due to Mel's addiction to drugs, cocaine, and alcohol.

Belafonte has also accused Mel B of using her association with Women's Aid for personal benefits. The documents feature conversations of Brown with bandmate Geri Halliwell in which the former reportedly wrote that "Charity doesn't pay the bills." Halliwell replied by telling Brown to be careful of what she is sending and added:

"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]!!!!!!"

Meanwhile, Belafonte is seeking $5 million which, he told Page Six, he would be sharing with an abuse program for women. Apart from that, Stephen is demanding a trial alongside punitive damages and restricting Mel from revealing any information to the public.

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Mel B had made some serious accusations against Stephen Belafonte after their split

Melanie Brown's divorce with Stephen Belafonte did not get settled easily. Melanie sought a restraining order in April 2017 and her declaration addressed Stephen's reportedly violent behavior over the years, as per Page Six. She alleged that Belafonte choked her on one occasion and pushed her to the floor.

Later, The Sun reported that Mel B allegedly restricted Stephen's access to their bank accounts and that Belafonte reached out to his ex-girlfriend Nicole Contreras, saying that he was having financial trouble. A source close to the matter claimed at the time:

"He's even been back in touch with Nicole moaning about it – insisting it has left him struggling to get by. He has had instant access to a fortune for such a long time that he doesn't seem to know what to do."

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While the divorce was finalized in 2018, Mel B spoke up on her experience with abuse while appearing on The View this year. She said that it is hard to move on after such a situation and is planning to bring a separate version of her book Brutally Honest which will offer help to women who have been through the same.