The story of abuse that made the former Spice Girl return to live with her mother

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Melanie Brown made millions with the Spice Girls, but a few years ago, after leaving an abusive marriage, she was left with practically nothing. Melanie Brown BBC Melanie Brown made millions with the Spice Girls, but a few years ago, after leaving an abusive marriage, she was left with practically nothing. She left California, returned home to Leeds and lived at her mother’s house. The 48-year-old singer claims that although she is “all for girl power”, she found herself in a “powerless” situation following the abuse. Brown managed to buy her own house again, something she thought would “never be possible”. The decision to return home came as the Spice Girls wowed the UK on their sold-out stadium tour in 2019. Although the shows were profitable, Brown’s earnings were being spent on legal fees and payments to her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, whom she accuses of abuse. Brown told the BBC: “I wasn’t just emotionally and physically abused, there was also financial abuse. I didn’t realize I didn’t have as much money as I thought. So I literally had to swallow my pride and live with my mother.” She added: “My mother was the type who would say, ‘Oh, you left him now, it’s okay’. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. “Obviously, any situation is better than being with your abuser, but When you leave 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.” Belafonte, who is a film producer, has repeatedly denied the allegations made by the singer. They reached a private settlement out of court in 2017, and the divorce was finalized a year later. As part Under the settlement, Brown had to pay Belafonte a lump sum of $350,000 (approximately R$1,739,500) plus $5,000 (approximately R$24,850) per month in child support for their daughter, Madison. Melanie Brown received an Order of the British Empire (MBE , in its acronym in English) at Buckingham Palace in 2022, accompanied by her mother, Andrea Getty Images via BBC The star, who has openly shared about her life after the abuse described in her book, Brutally Honest (“Brutally Honest”, in “My mother is one of seven, so I’m surrounded by friends, family, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces – the whole package. Leeds is beautiful, it’s so green and so down to earth, and the people, I find them most welcoming.” Brown announced on Instagram in February that after working “really hard” for over five years, he had finally managed to buy his own house. “I’ve been looking at houses from time to time over the last few years, knowing I couldn’t afford to buy them,” he told the BBC. But I put my head down, worked and lived frugally, and so I was able to buy my own house. ” “Living frugal” for Mel has meant starting shopping on a budget, something she doesn’t plan on giving up anytime soon. “I still love shopping at Aldi and Lidl [supermercados baratos do Reino Unido]Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing this. I’m still a Leeds girl!” ‘I’m the voice of other survivors’ In 2018, Mel became a patron of Women’s Aid, and campaigning for domestic violence survivors is now a significant part of her life. “I raise awareness for others people and talk about abuse and what I went through,” she said. “I’m the voice for all the other survivors who don’t have a voice, who can’t be heard, who can’t express their point of view – especially when it comes to try to change the justice system and implement more laws to support people leaving an abusive situation.” During her last marriage, Brown stated that she only felt safe when she was away from home, at work. She believes employers should help victims in the workplace and be “fully aware of the telltale signs of abuse.” The Spice Girls have released huge hits including ‘Wannabe’, ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and ‘Viva Forever’ Getty Images via BBC Meanwhile , this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Spice Girls’ first audition – and demand for them to return to the stage as a five-piece is still high. Brown stated that the band “would be back tomorrow” if it were up to her and that “it’s just a matter of being able to organize it logistically”. They are still friends and chat in a WhatsApp group – which Brown admits he leaves “a lot and then joins again”. “I’m the funniest because I’m from the north,” she laughs. “Well, Mel C is really funny too. We’re all funny in different ways.” The singer has been engaged to her partner Rory McPhee since 2022 and plans to get married at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. Regarding rumors that Victoria Beckham will design the dress, Mel said, “Yes, she would love to”—but she confessed that she is considering several options. Either way, all of her bandmates will be present on the big day. As their song says, “friendship never ends.”

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