Melanie Brown popularly known as Mel B has avoided details of drug-fuelled threesome videos becoming public – after settling with her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte at the last minute.
The Spice Girl, 42, is ending her legal battle with her ex – thrashing out a private deal with his lawyers following a marathon eight-month court fight. She had been seeking a restraining order against the film producer and had accused him of drugging her, hitting her, choking her and forcing her to make more than 20 sex tapes. Belafonte in return had claimed she was addicted to cocaine and alcohol, impairing her ability to look after her kids. But hours before a two-week trial was due to get underway yesterday to decide on the matter, a deal was struck.
Belafonte’s lawyer Grace Jamra told LA Judge Mark Juhas: “All the issues before you including the domestic violence restraining order and custody of a minor child have been dissolved.” Sean Macias, Mel’s lawyer, told the judge: “We all came to an agreement in principle late last night. We are pretty much done in principle.” The settlement means the domestic violence restraining order placed on Belafonte will be lifted and he has agreed a deal over access to his child with Mel B, six-year-old Madison. A deal will likely prevent the lurid allegations of drug taking and sex tapes being aired in a trial.
Mel also took out a restraining order against the couple’s former nanny, Lorraine Gilles, 26, after accusing her of having an affair with Belafonte and plotting with him to make sex tapes. The restraining order remains in place for Gilles, but Mel’s lawyers said they expected to come to a settlement with her before Monday morning. Former UK X Factor judge Mel sat in court today but spoke only to confirm who her two lawyers were.
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