Victoria Beckham throws her support behind ‘brave’ Mel B as former bandmate opens up about about domestic abuse

VICTORIA Beckham has thrown her support behind “brave” Mel B as her former Spice Girls bandmate opened up about domestic violence.

Mel, 45, is a patron of, and made a harrowing video for the charity to highlight the reality of abuse.

She posted the clip to her Instagram page earlier this week, and Victoria was quick to offer words of encouragement.

Sharing Mel’s original post to her story, the 47-year-old fashion designer encouraged her followers to swipe up to watch the full film and learn more about the charity.

Victoria added: “This is so powerful and brave” as she tagged Mel and Women’s Aid in the post.

Captioning the clip, Mel had previously written: “This is the most important video I have ever made, I will never stop fighting for this cause so please, please keep sharing please, please keep talking.

“To the abusers, we know who you are, even though you are still out there thinking you can get away with it. The tide is turning.

“Thank you @fabiodandreaofficial @ashleywallen for helping me shine a spotlight on this, so proud to be Patron of @womens_aid watch think, talk, and donate.”

She added the hashtags: #loveshouldnothurt #stopviolenceagainstwomen #womensupportwomen #saverefuges.

Mel has alleged that she was subjected to a decade-long “reign of terror” in an abusive marriage to convicted domestic abuser Stephen Belafonte.

In the poignant video, Mel is seen covered in bruises and beaten as she represents the reality of living with domestic violence.

It was was inspired by Mel’s conversations with survivors of domestic abuse and the impact of lockdown on women living with an abusive partner during the global pandemic.

In the video, Mel is seen living an affluent lifestyle in a beautiful house — while behind the scenes she is being subjected to abuse.

Some brave method acting sees her being wrestled to the ground, strangled and punched.

She previously shared: “I have a responsibility to make sure these situations are portrayed as realistically as possible.

“I looked at all the emails I’ve received from women who have read my book and handpicked some to help me with the acting.

“Whether it be the spitting or the strangulation, these are things that actually happen. They are not just my story — they are all these women’s stories.

“I came out of making that video with bruises because I wanted it to be an honest representation of what we have all gone through.

“There is a bedroom scene where I am attacked, it was really important to make that real.”

In November 2018, Mel released her powerful memoir Brutally Honest, which detailed her life with her ex, who she split from in 2017.

She also backed The Sun on Sunday’s successful Save Our Shelters campaign, which secured funding for women’s refuges.

Mel claims film producer Belafonte, who kept his criminal record secret from her, began his reign of coercive abuse on their wedding night in 2007 and continued a decade-long “reign of terror”.

The star filed for divorce in March 2017, citing “irreconcilable differences”.

She then filed for a temporary restraining order from her estranged husband, too, over claims he beat and sexually exploited her, which Stephen has denied.

In August 2018, they reached a settlement which involved the abuse charges being dropped, and they currently share custody of their nine-year-old daughter Madison.