Mel B has revealed that David Beckham thought her ‘abusive’ ex-husband Stephen Belafonte was ‘bad news’ while they were married.
The Spice Girl, 49, has detailed that her bandmate Victoria Beckham’s husband David, 49, shared his real thoughts about his ex since their first meeting.
Mel accused Stephen of being abusive and controlling during their relationship, something she has discussed in interviews and in her biography.
Stephen has denied the allegations and has filed a £3.9million defamation lawsuit in the US against his ex-wife, to whom he was married from 2007 to 2017 and with whom he shares his 13-year-old daughter Madison.
In her 2018 autobiography, Brutally Honest, Mel said Stephen would “bugger” her into introducing him to the English football legend, leaving her “humiliated”.
Mel wrote: ‘David showed up at one point in the afternoon with (his children) Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.
Mel B has revealed that David Beckham thought her ‘abusive’ ex-husband Stephen Belafonte was ‘bad news’ while they were married.
The Spice Girl, 49, has detailed that her bandmate Victoria Beckham’s husband David, 49, said he knew Stephen “was bad news the moment he met him.”
Mel accused Stephen of being abusive and controlling during their relationship, something she has discussed in interviews and in her biography. Stephen has denied the allegations and launched a £3.9 million defamation claim; in the photo 2016
‘But while everyone was rushing to coo over each other’s children, Stephen had his eyes fixed on David. He had been badgering me for months to come forward.
‘”Have Beckham meet us,” she told me every time I went to call Vic. “We should go out alone with them. Can’t you even fix that, Melanie? I thought I was meant to be your friend.”
‘”They’re busy,” I told him week after week. “They’re not around.” I didn’t want them to spend the night with Stephen. Would you do it?
He continued: ‘I’ve known David since he and Vic first met, when he was a shy twenty-one-year-old completely in love with Posh Spice.
‘Back then, we investigated each other’s boyfriends, often handing them over to the Spanish Inquisition when we were all together. Poor kids.
‘David had it better than most because Vic fell in love with him straight away. “Don’t be mean to him,” he would say, so I would just gently tease him about his hair or his clothes, which was VERY gentle for me. But David is still David. It’s quite modest. “There is still that shyness about him and he feels more relaxed with his children.”
Mel explained: ‘So there it was. He greeted everyone, we all chatted a little, and then David headed to the kitchen area to make some ramen noodles for his kids. We leave it to him. You could sense that he wanted some space and time with his children.
‘Stephen didn’t understand that at all. I flinched when I saw him immediately burst into the small kitchen. And out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Stephen was just following David around, making noise, telling jokes, trying to get him to go out on the town with him, “How about we go to some bars? You must know the best places.” ?”
In her 2018 autobiography, Brutally Honest, Mel said Stephen would “bugger her into introducing him” to the English football legend, leaving her “humiliated”.
Mel explained: “He greeted everyone and then David went into the kitchen to make some ramen noodles for his kids. We left him to it. You could feel he wanted some space and time with his kids (pictured with Victoria)
Mel continued: ‘Stephen didn’t understand that at all. I flinched when I saw him immediately burst into the small kitchen. “I could see that Stephen was just following David around, making noise, telling jokes, I could see that he was bothering David.”
Mel added: “I knew it was bad news the moment I met him,” David later told my mother. Stephen couldn’t take the hint. Humiliatingly, I saw one of the attendees approach my husband and suggest to David “a moment with his children.”
And she concluded: ‘I didn’t want to look at the other girls. I didn’t want to look at Stephen, who would be furious with me for not doing it right.
“I could also see that it was bothering David.”
Mel added: “I knew it was bad news the moment I met him,” David later told my mother. Stephen couldn’t take the hint.
‘Humiliatingly, I saw one of the attendees approach my husband and suggest to David “a moment with his children.”
‘I didn’t want to look at the other girls. I didn’t want to look at Stephen, who would be furious with me for not doing it right.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Mel B, Stephen and David for comment.
In September, Mel B’s legal team applied for Stephen’s £3.9million defamation claim to be dismissed, but was denied, The Mirror reported.
According to the newspaper, Stephen said: “I am prepared to prove that Melanie’s statements about me are false.”
In their request to have the case dismissed, Mel B’s lawyers said: “Brown should never have been dragged into court for the exercise of (her) constitutional rights.”
The film producer is suing Mel B, alleging that she “engaged in a deliberate and wide-ranging campaign to cause him serious emotional distress and destroy his reputation,” it was revealed in May.
Stephen, 49, alleges Mel began her “long-standing harassment” in 2017 with “fraudulent” domestic violence allegations, which he claims were ultimately dismissed.
The lawsuit adds: “The damage was already done.” As a result of false accusations of rape, illegal gun possession, sex trafficking, illegal pornography production, domestic assault, and child endangerment, Belafonte lost access to his home and his children.
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In September, Mel B’s legal team applied for Stephen’s £3.9million defamation claim to be dismissed, but was denied.
Stephen, 49, alleges Mel began her “long-standing harassment” in 2017 with “fraudulent” domestic violence allegations, which he claims were ultimately dismissed.
“The American film producer is suing Mel alleging that she ‘engaged in a deliberate and wide-ranging campaign to cause him serious emotional distress and destroy his reputation.’
In May, Mel B received an honorary doctorate for her campaigning efforts for victims of domestic abuse.
He said the award was “as huge” as performing at Wembley Stadium with the Spice Girls.
Appearing on Loose Women in March, Mel B revealed that five years after leaving Stephen, she was still suffering from panic attacks and PTSD, and had previously tried to end her marriage six or seven times.
Speaking on Loose Women, Mel appeared on the show during its Facing It Together campaign, which aims to raise awareness about domestic abuse.
Over the years, Mel B has accused him of physical, emotional and financial abuse, claims he denies.
Mel told the panel that she was reluctant to leave Belafonte because she had completely excluded herself from her family.
She said: ‘Although I was married for ten years, I tried to leave him six or seven times. I returned out of fear or blackmail.
“You think, ‘What am I going to do if I leave? I haven’t spoken to my mother in weeks, then months, then years.’ It happens very gradually.”
Over the years, Mel B has accused Stephen Belafonte of physical, emotional and financial abuse, claims he denies (pictured in 2015).
The film producer is suing Mel, alleging that she “engaged in a deliberate and wide-ranging campaign to cause him serious emotional distress and destroy his reputation” (pictured in June).
‘You feel like you’re doing everything wrong and they encourage that feeling. I went from living in a mansion in Los Angeles to my mother’s bungalow with my children.’
Mel also appeared on the show to talk about the release of a revised version of her autobiography Brutally Honest.
She said: ‘Writing the book was cathartic. But in 2018 it was a taboo topic and no editor wanted it.’
Of the dark period of her life, plagued by financial stress, she said: “People will assume, ‘She’s rich, she’s a Spice Girl.’
‘But I went from performing to thousands of people at Wembley on the Spice Girls’ 13-date reunion tour in 2019 to crashing into my mum’s house with my kids sleeping in bed with me.
“I didn’t expect that to happen when I was 40 years old after a successful career, but I had nowhere to go because my relationship affected me so badly financially that I had to pick up the pieces.”
Mel spent five years saving and in October moved to a converted farmhouse in West Yorkshire.
As well as her work with the Spice Girls, Mel had regained her fortune, landing lucrative jobs on US television shows such as the US version of Strictly Come Dancing – Dancing with the Stars – and as a judge on America’s Got Talent while living in Los Angeles.
He also appeared as a judge on The X Factor in the UK before returning home for good.
MailOnline has contacted Mel B for comment.