‘Being Apart From My Baby Was The Hardest Thing I've Had To Deal With'

Mel B on supporting women suffering domestic abuse the pain of co-parenting in lockdown and why she’s happy to be home for good

- Roz Lewis

She may be a music legend, TV star and pop culture icon, but, as Mel B can testify, all that glitters is not gold. For the Spice Girl, her fame and fortune have paled in comparison to the heartache and pain she says she suffered in an abusive relationship – and as a mother of three girls, she tells us it’s something she’s determined to raise awareness of.

Having recently released a harrowing film with Women’s Aid that depicts her getting brutally beaten, Mel has also teamed up with Avon UK to raise awareness of the Women’s Aid Live Chat service, which is partly funded by the beauty company.

Giving survivors a means of talking and finding help is a cause close to Mel’s heart, and follows her own alleged experience of coercive control in her marriage to film producer Stephen Belafonte, in which she claims she suffered years of physical and emotional abuse. Stephen has always vehemently denied the allegations.

“My challenge is always to keep fighting and keep the conversation going,” she tells OK! during our exclusive chat.

Mel, who is mum to Phoenix Chi, 22, Angel, 14, and nine-year-old Madison, is now looking to the future back in her hometown of Leeds, following years in LA. And she’s thrilled to be home, despite the disruption of the pandemic. “We’ve just about managed,” she says. “Now, I’ve never been happier.”

Here, Mel explains why it’s so important that women come together to tackle domestic abuse, fills us in on her home life with her girls, and teases some very exciting Spice Girls news...

Mel, it’s been a tough 18 months. How have you managed?