Highlights
- After a tough divorce, Mel B had to rebuild her life and even move back in with her mom for financial reasons.
- Mel B opened up about abuse and financial struggles, eventually finding herself in a better place both mentally and monetarily.
- She is now dedicated to helping other abuse victims and preparing to marry her partner, finally finding happiness.
It’s been almost seven years since Mel B and Stephen Belafonte got divorced, and while things haven’t been easy for Scary Spice, after years of hard work and healing, she’s on the other side of it. During her divorce, she accused her ex-husband of abusing her, something he denied every time, and after a hostile process that drained her financially, she finally closed that chapter.
Of course, it wasn’t that her life was magically fixed once her divorce was finalized. On the contrary, she had to rebuild herself, and it took a long time and a lot of work. She even had to move back home with her mother, because she couldn’t afford a house after having to pay all her legal fees.
Mel B Had To Go Live With Her Mom After Leaving An Abusive Marriage
In 2017, Mel B finally managed to free herself from a toxic situation. She divorced her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte that year, who she accused of being abusive. But of course, as it always happens, it wasn’t as simple as just leaving and moving on. Not only because of the emotional toll the divorce took, but because it also left her in a tough spot financially.
“I wasn’t just emotionally and physically abused, there was all the financial abuse too. I didn’t realise that I didn’t have as much money as I thought I had,” Mel B said to the BBC. Because of this, she had to do she’d never imagined since her career took off. “I literally had to eat humble pie, live with my mum.”
Although living with her mother was the right choice, it wasn’t always easy. “My mum was the kind of person that would say, ‘Oh you’ve left him now, you’re fine’. But that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Mel B explained. “Obviously any situation is better than being with your abuser, but when you’ve left that kind of abusive situation, it’s like starting all over again. You have to learn to trust people. You have to learn to trust yourself.“
Still, the support she got back home in Leeds was exactly what she needed. “My mum’s one of seven so I’m surrounded by friends, family, aunties, uncles, nephews, nieces – the whole nine yards,” she said. “Leeds is beautiful, it’s so green and so down to earth and people, I just find them warmer.”
Mel B Is Healing By Helping Other Victims
After years of hunkering down, working hard, and living frugally, Mel B slowly managed to rebuild her life, and even bought a house recently. Now in a better place mentally and financially, she decided to dedicate her time to helping victims of abuse as a patron of Women’s Aid.
Her new life has also included falling in love. In 2022, she got engaged to her partner Rory McPhee, and the couple are planning on getting married in London.
Mel B assured that her Spice Girls bandmates (who are talking about getting back together, by the way) will all be in attendance, and that Victoria Beckham might even design her wedding dress.
As difficult as the past few years have been, it’s clear that Mel B is finally happy and healthy, and fans couldn’t be happier for her.
Source: NewsFinale
