Inside Mel B and Stephen Belafonte’s volatile relationship as marriage ends in divorce – with accusations of violence, lesbian romps, family feuds and his ‘other women’
MEL B and Stephen Belafonte’s turbulent ten-year marriage is about to end after the former Spice Girl citied irreconcilable differences in divorce papers.
Mel, 41, is filing for joint custody of their daughter Madison, five, and has ruled out any spousal support cash for Stephen.
To many observers the split is no surprise as the pair's seemingly happy marriage has been marred by accusations of violence and a long-running family feud.
Here's the inside story of Mel and Stephen...
Violent accusations
Stephen’s shady past has been well-publicised, with the film producer held for burglary in 2001.
Two years later, he was charged with battery after attacking his partner Nicole Contreras. He went on to attend a domestic violence programme.
Stephen said of his past: “I got into fights and I did get drunk but I don’t do it now.”
His brother Jeremiah Stansbury even tried to warn Mel off Stephen, telling The Sun in 2014: “I have watched his temper fume and fume. He seems to love violence.”
Stephen was forced to deny attacking Mel when she turned up to the X Factor with what appeared to be bruises weeks before Jeremiah's interview.
But Stephen told The Sun: “I had nothing to do with hurting my wife. I did not touch Mel. I didn’t hit her.”
Mel later backed him up, writing on Instagram: “For the record my hubby never would lay a hand on me.”
Their toxic relationship
Mel and Stephen made no secret of how much they argued over the years, with Mel once saying: “He p***es me off like no other but he gets me.”
More recently she praised their relationship on Instagram but called Stephen a “d***head.”
Sexual fetishes
Mel insisted the passion was alive throughout their marriage, saying they had “sex five times a day”.
Stephen’s brother also laid bare the details of their sex life, saying: “They’re obsessed with porn and sex.”
Mel’s made no secret of her high sex drive, telling the in 2010: “We love hitting raunchy nightspots together.
“Our therapist has encouraged us to indulge our fantasies.”
Mel’s bisexual affairs
Before meeting Stephen Mel had a passionate five year relationship with a woman.
She said of their time together: “I fell in love with a woman for five years.”
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Mel’s former lover Christa Parker later spoke out about their romance: “She would tell me about experiences she had with girls.
“One night, while we were talking out on the deck…she told me, ‘I’m horny, shall we make love? I said, ‘OK’.”
In February 2014, while Mel was still with Stephen she was seen giving a female friend a kiss while on a yacht in Sydney.
Family feuds
Mel’s family blamed Stephen for the breakdown of their relationship with the 41-year-old.
In February, Mel’s sister Danielle tweeted: “Just 2 put the record straight! I’ve Not seen my sister for 8 years, there is no family reunion planned, it is what it is.
Mel’s mum Andrea has previously spoken of her devastation of the breakdown and begged Mel to come back into their lives.
Other women
Stephen has long faced accusations of infidelity after being pictured a number of times with women over the years.
In May 2016 he was pictured leaving Los Angeles restaurant The Nice Guy with a blonde pal.
Two years prior to this, Stephen was spotted leaving 1OAK nightclub in Hollywood with another mystery woman – who’s face he appeared eager to conceal.
Stephen has always denied he’s been unfaithful however and told The Sun: “I love my wife. I care about my wife. I’d take a bullet for her.”
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