Some of the information I already knew, but seeing it in as many contexts as possible drives home the red flags, and this context was fascinating.
When I first heard that Mel B was being domestically abused, I thought, yep, an apparently strong, independent woman would be a magnet for coercive controllers. An ambitious domestic abuser would think Mel B, AKA Scary Spice, would be a prize worth controlling. Sure, some domestic abusers choose easier targets – Little Mo being the soap equivalent, but Stephen Belafonte must have been so pleased with himself. Targeting Mel at her most vulnerable – post-Eddie Murphy – Belafonte told her, “I’m going to make you fall in love with me because you need a really good man.”
Belafonte proceeded to take over her life, her finances, and her management as an artist. Mel was persuaded of his brilliance by one good piece of advice – that she take part in “Dancing with the Stars” – to reestablish herself after Murphy spiteful and inaccurate case Mel as a golddigger.
After DWTS, Belafonte got Mel to do things he would then threaten to expose her for – 3-way sex, which he videoed, drink, and drugs, which Mel would use increasingly to dull the physical and emotional pain that Belafonte inflicted. He must have thought himself a genius – who would believe her even if she talked – which he thought unlikely due to the shame he could inflict. However, Mel, taking the advice of their therapist, outwitted him. After a suicide attempt, Mel returned to Belafonte to plan an escape that wouldn’t lose her the children – escape from a personal Colditz!
#MelanieBrown #BrutallyHonest #MelB #ScarySpice #TheSpiceGirls #girlpowerless
