Mel B made her name known worldwide as Scary Spice of the Spice Girls in the 90s, but the mother and “America's got talent” judge has been enduring her own real-life scary nightmare with estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte for years, according to reports. The gregarious and playful English native is famous for her phrase of “off the chain” from her judge’s seat on the TV talent competition, and it seems her home life has been off the rails for some time. Mel B, a.k.a. Melanie Brown, has never been known to allow circumstances to sink her, and now the court has granted a restraining order against Belafonte, and her sister is speaking out on Mel’s behalf.
Troubles from the start
Mel B filed for divorce from Belafonte, whose real last name is Stansbury, on March 23. The two married in 2007, and it seems that for years, the devoted mom tried to put marriage and family above torments that began early. Deception began early, too, as the groom purported himself to be the son of silk-voiced singer, Harry Belafonte. “Beat downs” seemed to happen any time something good happened in Mel B’s career, as a way to “show her who’s in charge,” and the pain and stress of the continuing abuse led the singer and model to an aspirin overdose, during which she was locked in a bedroom and “told to die” per Belafonte. MSN reports that the restraining order was granted on Monday, April 3.
Belafonte is to stay 100 yards away from Melanie and the children, including daughter, Madison, 5, whom they share. He also is prohibited from contact or threats of any kind.
Besides the many violent acts detailed in Mel B's petition for obtaining the court order, the unsavory sexual demands by Belafonte, including threesomes, and impregnating their 26-year-old nanny, Lorraine Gilles, thinking they could all live together, were beyond compelling in Mel’s favor.
Gilles has since had an abortion.
Sister power
Mel B's sister, Danielle, has come out in staunch support of her sister, speaking brutal truth about her once brother-in-law. He made frequent threats of cutting the judge and singer off from her family, and even prevented her from visiting her father just prior to his death. Danielle relates through TMZ that there were “eight years of abusive calls to me and my mum, stating that we would never see Melanie again.” Danielle closed her remarks with a quote of Beyoncé lyrics, directed at Belafonte, “a sorry excuse for a man,” simply leave “everything you own in the box to the left.”
Mel B is sure to be surrounded by the forces of “girl power” upon her return to Season 12 of “America's Got Talent.” Tyra Banks is the new judge, Heidi Klum is always there for a laugh or a song, Simon Cowell is her old friend, and Howie Mandel may even put his germaphobia aside for a few hugs.
