Mel B: After her divorce, she was broke and went shopping at Aldi

As a member of the Spice Girls, she earned millions and lived a life of luxury for years. But after separating from her husband Stephen Belafonte, Melanie Brown, better known as Mel B, is said to have only had 700 pounds (around 820 euros) in her account. The 48-year-old said this in an interview with the British tabloid “The Sun”.

After the divorce, Brown moved from the USA back to her native Great Britain in 2019. There were costly court cases behind her. Brown and Belafonte fought a public war of roses over alimony payments and legal fees. But even during the marriage, the film producer is said to have controlled the singer’s entire life – including her finances.

“I didn’t have access to a credit card during my relationship and had to work around the clock,” Brown said. In fact, she appeared as a judge on the US show “America’s Got Talent” and took part in the “Strictly Come Dancing” format. Appearances for which she may have earned good money, but the income is said to have been entirely managed by Belafonte. Brown speaks of “financial abuse.” She had previously accused her ex-husband of physically and psychologically abusing her during their ten-year marriage. Accusations that the 48-year-old denies.

Mel B moved back in with her mother due to financial difficulties

After returning to her hometown of Leeds, Brown had to stay with her mother because she didn’t have the money for her own apartment. At the time she was celebrating a comeback with the Spice Girls and the band was touring the UK. What no one knew until now: After the concerts, Brown returned to her mother’s bungalow every evening. She shared the bed with her daughters. “I didn’t think this would happen to me in my 40s after a successful career, but I didn’t know where to go,” Brown said.

The singer struggled with financial problems for years. She reported that she went shopping at Aldi and Lidl because she was short on cash. “It was during the corona pandemic. I put on my mask and no one recognized me. For the first time in a long time I stood in a queue. (…) Learning how much a pack of chips costs felt like “Like I’m getting my strength back,” Brown said.

Mel B is fighting for custody of her youngest daughter

She recently shared on Instagram that she had saved enough money to move out of her mother’s home and into her own house after five years. “I’m so overwhelmed right now,” she wrote alongside a photo showing a front door key. In her comment, she also hinted at how difficult the years were after her separation from Stephen Belafonte. She had to start from scratch again and not only earn her money, but also her self-esteem. Melanie Brown calls herself a survivor. She has been committed to helping victims of domestic violence for years and is an ambassador for the charity Women’s Aid. For her efforts, the singer was awarded the MBE (“Member of the Order of the British Empire”) in 2022.

However, she cannot yet come to terms with Stephen Belafonte: the film producer and the singer are still fighting for custody of their daughter Madison. Since the 12-year-old has American citizenship, a court decided that she should continue to live with her father in the USA and not return to Great Britain with Brown. The singer is currently only allowed to have her daughter with her during the holidays. Brown wants to fight in court to get sole custody of her daughter. This is likely to be a lengthy – and expensive – process.

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