Mel B on how ‘financial abuse’ forced her to move back into her mum’s bungalow

‘Spice Up Your Life’ singer announced in February that she had bought her own home

She made her fortune as one of the Spice Girls, topping charts around the world with hits including “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life”, but Mel B says she was left with next to nothing after leaving her marriage.

The singer born Melanie Brown left California after splitting from ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, accusing him of domestic abuse. Belafonte has always denied the allegations.

Brown has since made her way back to a level of financial security she never thought she would experience again, following a successful Spice Girls reunion and the publication of her 2018 memoir, Brutally Honest.

But the “Viva Forever” artist, 48, told the BBC that she was left in a “powerless” situation” after her divorce was finalised, and that the decision to move home came as the Spice Girls reunion was taking place in 2019.

Proceeds from the shows were apparently being spent on legal fees and payments to Belafonte, a film producer, along with a lump sum of £274,000 plus £3,900 a month in child support for their daughter, Madison.

“I wasn't just emotionally and physically abused, there was all the financial abuse too,” she said. “I didn't realise that I didn't have as much money as I thought I had. So I literally had to eat humble pie, live with my mum.”

Former Spice Girl and patron of Women’s Aid, Melanie Brown (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

She continued: “My mum was the kind of person that would say, 'Oh you've left him now, you're fine'. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

“Obviously any situation is better than being with your abuser, but when you've left that kind of abusive situation, it's like starting all over again. You have to learn to trust people. You have to learn to trust yourself.”

Brown said that being back in her hometown of Leeds had helped her find her feet: “My mum's one of seven so I'm surrounded by friends, family, aunties, uncles, nephews, nieces – the whole nine yards,” she explained.

“Leeds is beautiful, it's so green and so down to earth and people, I just find them warmer.”

Brown recently spoke about how she and her former bandmates were currently rallying around “Ginger Spice”, Geri Halliwell, amid the F1 scandal surrounding her husband, Christian Horner.

Mel B says the Spice Girls are supporting Geri Halliwell through a tough time (Getty Images)

She also announced in February that she had finally been able to buy her own home, after working “bloody hard” for more than five years.

“I still love shopping in Aldi and Lidl, I don't think I'm ever going to stop doing that to be honest. I'm still a Leeds girl!” she told the BBC.

The singer, known as “Scary Spice” during her time with the Nineties girl group, opened up about her work as an anti-domestic abuse campaigner during a panel held in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the charity Women’s Aid.

“Before, it was like ‘all right Scary’, now I get women coming up to me literally in tears telling me their story when I’m in Aldi or Sainsbury’s,” Brown said of the reaction to her work as a campaigner.

”Now, it’s more of a conversation. It’s not really the conversation that you want to be having but I’m so glad that I’m experiencing that and I can talk about it.”

Brown received an MBE in 2022 for services to charitable causes and vulnerable women, and became a patron of Women’s Aid in 2018.