There’s nothing like coming out the end of a dark tunnel, where there is so much sadness and uncertainty about life. Mel B. experienced her own dark tunnel during her marriage to her second husband, Stephen Belafonte.
Mel B spoke with Us Weekly about the tribulations she endured due to the marriage. In the May 13 interview, she reflected on the suicide attempt, her mental diagnosis, and where she’s at now that she’s on the other side of it.
Looking back on that time, she told the outlet, “I can’t deny that’s what I went through. That person’s still there, and I give her a hug when she crops up every now and again.”
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The artist, who is from the British pop group, The Spice Girls, was in a tumultuous marriage to Belafonte from 2007 to 2017. In her memoir Brutally Honest she reveals that she attempted to take her own life in 2014 by ingesting nearly 200 pills.
“I would never go to that dark place again,” she said. I have the tools to be able to acknowledge it and say ‘I’m sorry’ to that person, which is me, and not allow myself to feel like that. Because I’m better than that.”
During their last year of marriage, Mel B. obtained a temporary restraining order and accused Belafonte of a list of appalling actions. She said he was physically and emotionally abusive and threatened to leak sex tapes of her. As part of their divorce settlement in August 2018, they dropped the restraining order.
Additionally, the court ordered Mel B to pay Belafonte $5,000 a month in child support for their 13-year-old daughter, Madison Brown Belafonte. She also had to give him $15,000 a month in spousal support and pay his $350,000 attorney fees.
In turn, Belafonte denied the abuse allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Mel B in 2024. He is seeking $5 million.
Months before releasing her memoir in 2018, Mel B checked into a rehab facility after the death of her father and months of having to relive the abuse in court. She was seeking treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.
Listing out the strategies she uses to manage PTSD, she said, “I have music. Candles and incense. I like things to feel cozy because my work, which I love and don’t really call work, is so [fast-paced].” The 49-year-old also finds that doing Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy has significantly helped. “Talking is reliving it. EMDR eases that pain without words. For me, it was much more healing than any other therapy.”
Since escaping her alleged violent marriage, Mel B has found love again with a family friend and hairstylist named Rory McPhee. They reportedly started dating in 2018 and got engaged in 2022. She revealed that Rory became a huge part of her healing journey from her ex-husband. He tended to her hair after Mel B cut it off and dyed it blonde to help rid herself of any reminder of Belafonte.
“As [Rory] was nurturing my curls, he was nurturing my belief in love again and trust, which is a huge thing for me because the person I loved and trusted turned out to be the worst mistake I ever made. Up until two years ago, I was like, “You can find somebody else. I’m too broken.” Rory goes, “Melanie, I’m not going anywhere. Because I absolutely love you.”
She listed McPhee’s “compassion and understanding” as two qualities that make him a great fit. “He’s very special,” she said. “He’s a very confident man, and that, to me, is a man. He makes me feel so safe — I didn’t realize how unsafe I felt because that became normal to me.”
Mel B’s first husband was dancer Jimmy Gulzar, with whom she welcomed her 26-year-old daughter Phoenix Brown. She also has her 18-year-old daughter Angel Iris Murphy Brown. Her father is Mel B’s ex-boyfriend, famed actor Eddie Murphy.
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If you’re experiencing distress or need someone to talk to, you can dial 988 at any time for immediate support or the Trevor Project Hotline anytime at 1-866-488-7386. You can also text START to 678-678. Trained counselors are available to provide confidential support and assistance.
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