Spice Girl Mel B reveals the hell she experienced with her ex-husband

People usually think that the lives of famous people are near-perfect, but when you get to know their stories, you realize not all is a bed of roses. Take, for example, the singer and former Spice Girl Mel B. As she told The Sun, she went through terrible times with her ex-husband, the American producer Stephen Belafonte.

The former Spice Girl made quite strong accusations in The Sun newspaper. She said her ex-partner, Stephen Belafonte, abused her psychologically.

"I've been in the public eye since I was a teenager so you become quite thick-skinned when people make nasty remarks," Mel B explained. However, "the difference is when someone you are married to, someone who is meant to love and respect and treasure you, someone you share a home and a life with, starts ripping you apart," she added. "Then it is very, very different."

As she recounts in The Sun, her husband would say things like: ‘You look old’, ‘you look fat’, ‘God, you are ugly’, ‘your arms are flabby’... "Week in, week out. In a way, those comments are like rain," she said.

"They seep right into you, they wash away self-confidence, your sense of self and, when you look in the mirror, you don’t see a strong, happy woman — you see a reflection of what you’re told, ‘fat, ugly, old . . . worthless,'" the singer explained.

The 48-year-old Spice Girl was married to Belafonte for a decade, from 2007 to 2017. In the last year, Mel B filed for divorce and openly accused her ex-husband of physically and psychologically abusing her.

From his end, the producer has always defended himself against the accusations. He denied that he made life hell for his ex-wife. Yet, Mel B keeps revealing more details of the abuse she supposedly suffered.

In the aftermath of her failed marriage, Mel B didn't let it get to her. She worked hard on her self-esteem, even though she had to admit that it took her a long time to rebuild a good relationship with her body. In fact, she says, it's an ongoing battle.

Thankfully, the singer has someone by her side who helped her a lot. It's her fiancé, the stylist Rory McPhee, with whom she has a relationship that is very different from the one with Belafonte.

Photo: rorymcphee / Instagram

"It has taken me years but I feel more confident than ever now," she said in The Sun. "I’m with a partner who tells me he loves me and tells me I’m beautiful every day."

"Being with a man who loves me, being with my family, having trusted loving friends, it all helps," the singer said.

Photo: rorymcphee / Instagram

Now that she's approaching 50, Mel B looks fantastic, thanks to eating healthy, exercising, and feeling safe in her relationship. She is now much more confident and comfortable with her body.

What she learned over the years, to love herself as she is, Mel B has shared with her three daughters. They are Phoenix Chi, 24 years old (with her ex-husband and dancer Jimmy Gulzar); Angel, 16 (her child with actor Eddie Murphy); and Madison, 11 - the daughter she had with Belafonte.

"I tell them they are beautiful," she said in The Sun. "I never talk about diet. I talk about health, fitness, and strength. I grew up with my mum saying every Sunday night, 'The diet starts tomorrow.'"

"None of [the diets] worked, which is why I’ve always been passionate about eating healthily, exercising, and understanding your body — from the amount of sleep you need to the level of water you should drink," she said. "We need to think less about being thin and more about being fit."

Although she went through a long, tough period of her life, Mel B has achieved a balance that currently makes her look and feel better than ever.