When Mel B and film director Stephen Belafonte (no relation to Harry) first got together in 2007, many outlets brought up his questionable past. Belafonte had been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend prior to Mel, Nicole Contreras, and pled guilty to battery. He skipped his court-ordered domestic abuse education classes and was kicked out twice for absenteeism. So he didn’t seem like the best partner and husband, but Mel married him in 2008 anyway. The couple welcomed a daughter, Madison Brown, in 2011. Mel also has daughter Phoenix Chi Gulza, 15, from her first husband, Jimmy Gulzar, and daughter Angel Iris Murphy Brown, 7, from a brief relationship with Eddie Murphy. Stephen has a daughter, Giselle, 11, with Contreras. He was sued for nonpayment of child support in 2006.
All of this is background to the fact that Mel and Stephen have allegedly broken up. This story is complicated but the gist is that Mel missed Saturday’s episode of The X Factor in the UK. She’s a judge on the show so this was a huge deal. Then when she came back, for the finale, she had what looked like scratches and bruises on her arms along with a possible bruise on her face. She also wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. Here’s a photo of her face on the show, but it doesn’t show visible bruises from what I can tell. She favors dark blush so I can’t clearly see a bruise. Viewers of the show did tweet that she had a bruise on her cheek, though. The Daily Mail has a photo where they point out the possible bruises/scratches.
We love you Melanie!! @OfficialMelB #XFactorFinal #MelB pic.twitter.com/TnQBQsHW8N
— SPICE GIRLS (@SpiceGirlsNet) December 14, 2014
In response to rumors that he had beaten he wife, Belafonte got defensive. He said he found the accusation “disgusting and untrue.” Here’s what he tweeted.
Idon’t usually respond to Twitter msgs but I will respond to comments of hitting my wife which I think are quite disgusting un true!
— Stephen Belafonte (@Stephenthinks1) December 15, 2014
Mel was very ill a bunch of doctors helped her get better if fans can’t just relax B4 being negative they r not real fans of @OfficialMelB
— Stephen Belafonte (@Stephenthinks1) December 15, 2014
This was a decent response, in my opinion. It doesn’t convince me either way, but he denied the allegations and seems mad to have been accused. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. Mel was reportedly rushed to hospital on Thursday and there are rumors that she had a stomach ulcer. That could explain her wan appearance.
Whether or not there’s domestic abuse involved, British tabloid The Sun claims that these two are having significant issues to the point that Mel has moved out of the London home she shared with Stephen:
According to the Sun, the former Spice Girl has now left the London home she shared with the American director, and sources have confirmed to Us that luggage and boxes were being taken away from the house on Monday, Dec. 15.
One source told Us the duo have always had a “volatile” relationship, while another revealed the X Factor judge was in tears during commercial breaks for the hugely popular TV finale show.
Mel B’s sister Danielle Brown added fuel to the rumors, by tweeting out a series of increasingly desperate messages during her sister’s mystery illness, threatening to go to the press with recordings of what she called “abusive” phone calls Belafonte had allegedly made to Mel in the past week, unless she and her mom were able to contact the singer, or at least find out what was wrong with her.
I usually don’t put much stock in The Sun, but if the paparazzi spotted things being taken out of their home that’s strong evidence that they’re having problems. What’s more is that, in a recent interview with Grazia for their Christmas issue, Melanie admitted that she was three hours late because she’d just fought with Stephen. She said “I walked in pi**ed off because I had a big row with my husband about stupid stuff. Sometimes he pi**es me off like no other, but he gets me.”
Also, The Daily Mail has more on Melanie’s sister’s tweets and her mom’s tweets. Melanie doesn’t speak with them, so when they heard that she was hospitalized they started freaking out and tweeting everyone trying to get information. I honestly don’t know what to make of the abusive phone call claim, especially when it’s used as a public threat to get her sister to contact her.
As for the future of Melanie and Stephen, they’ve broken up and got back together in the past so I don’t think this is curtains for them. If Melanie is being abused, I do hope she leaves him quickly and finally.
photo credit: WENN.com
I think something is up because she never twitted or released a statement in his defense over these allegations. Wouldn’t you want to clear your husband’s name of abuse if he was innocent? IDK, if things are bad between them I hope she leaves him.
Totally agree, if he tweeted and they were together I’m sure she would have tweeted too, or he would have asked her to. And the tweets from her sister seem to confirm it, along with her silence. I was always surprised she was with him in the first place, but then again she does have a history of horrible taste in men…
It’s like Nigella and her ex. He was defending himself, she stayed mum while packing her bags. The only difference is that there is no public evidence of their fight.
They are saying he didn’t visit her on set of X-Factor and during her hospital stay he was absent too. Yet he can go on Twitter? All signs lead to him being a controlling abusive asshole. Also what his ex said about him meeting another famous woman etc is despicable.
I hope she is safe and well, whatever happened.
However, the scratches pointed out by twitter / the tabloids were minute. I do worse to myself in my sleep. Didn’t she collapse in the car though, and the driver rushed her to hospital? That in itself would be enough to cause lots of scratches and bruises.
Assuming all of this is true, I am so happy she got away. Too often, abused women cannot get away from their abusers for lack of resources or battered person syndrome. Hope she is well.
If he’s abusive then she should get the Hell out. I cringe to think that her young daughters could’ve witnessed domestic violence.
I don’t consider breaking up and making up constantly a passionate relationship. I consider it unstable and harmful especially when you have little ones watching it go down.
Exactly this. My parents fought, broke up, separated and got back together so many times during their relationship. Speaking from my own experience it’s horrible on the kids.
I love the little girl’s Pippy Longstocking socks with her entire outfit and hair. Where is j eyre? She could add this little character into her story with the mini Winston Churchill.
If he is abusing her, I hope she left him.
P.S. Eddie Murphy’s daughter looks so much like him. And both girls are too adorable for words in their getups.
that sucks. if he is abusing her, I hope she gets out. this is one woman who has the money and resources to get away from her abuser.
never thought she was that attractive but she looks SO pretty in the white outfit. and her daughters are both adorable and beautiful. the littler one’s stockings and boots are killing me…so cute!
Does anybody know why she stopped talking to her family? SMH at her sister asking about her via twitter.
If there is any truth in this story, I hope she leaves him!
It will go on and on. Getting worse each time, sadly.
She recently revealed that her left eye is blind because of an old laser surgery gone wrong. This could not be the result of domestic violence, could it?
We never know what goes on inside four walls of their home, only they do. If there is physical abuse, it’s right for her walk out.
If even one ounce of this is true I hope she stays away from him and I hope she and the kids are safe.
Well he’s super creepy looking. And if he abused one women his abuse another.
I always was leery of this guy… I hope if he is abusive, she thinks of the children and gets out. I hope she finds a good guy if this all is true.
Good.