Inside Mel B’s divorce: The private hell of her marriage versus her public persona

CLAIMS of threesomes, extortion and physical violence. Mel B and Stephen Belafonte’s marriage breakdown may have played out in Australia.

CLAIMS of threesomes, extortion, physical violence, an affair with the couple’s nanny and sex tapes.

The divorce between Mel B and her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte has taken an ugly turn.

On the surface, they appeared to be a picture perfect family while they lived in Sydney last year when the former Spice Girl was a judge on The X Factor Australia.

But court documents claim she was dealing with a much darker reality in her marriage.

By day, the British singer, 41, projected her trademark ballsy and bubbly personality on the now-axed reality show, filmed at Fox Studios.

Mel B – whose real name is Melanie Brown – and Belafonte were based in Sydney on and off since 2011, while she was a drawcard judge on several seasons of The X Factor Australia and Nine’s The Voice: Kids Australia, along with Dancing With the Stars.

Mel B pictured with a bandage on her face at Sydney Airport after arriving from Prague with her now-estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, in August 2012. Picture: Splash

The couple had been regulars on the Sydney social scene.

There were bikini-clad parties on yachts, paparazzi photos of them kissing harbourside, and nights out at celebrity-studded George St venue ivy and Marquee nightclub at The Star.

The couple turned heads at VVVIP parties thrown by Who and Marie Claire, and had intimate dinners at Rockdale’s Bianco Italian restaurant and exclusive eatery Sake at the Rocks.

Mel B and Stephen Belafonte on Sydney Harbour in November last year. Picture: Matrix Media

Mel B put on a glamorous display on red carpets, including at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. She and Belafonte hung out with Kim and Khloe Kardashian on Sydney Harbour in 2013.

As a family, they attended Sydney Kings basketball games, NRL matches at Sydney Football Stadium, had beach days at Bondi, and spent time on Sydney Harbour with their daughter Madison, 5, along with Mel B’s daughters Angel (to Eddie Murphy) and Phoenix (from her first marriage to Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar).

Happy family? Stephen Belafonte, Mel B, and their daughter Madison, on Sydney Harbour last November. Picture: Matrix Media

They even mingled with the social set in the exclusive Emirates marquee at the spring racing carnival in Melbourne.

But the reality of their marriage was far from the couple’s loved up public persona, according to Mel B’s explosive allegations in court documents released this week.

They appeared loved up at a cocktail party at Sydney’s Beach Haus in 2010, to launch their reality TV series Mel B: It's a Scary World. Picture: Getty Images

The now-former couple were regulars on Sydney’s club scene while living Down Under, including at the Pacha launch at ivy on November 24, 2012. Picture: Getty Images

Melanie Brown and Stephen Belafonte were photographed together at Who's Sexiest People list party at the University of Sydney in Sydney last year. Picture: Supplied

“I have tried to leave the Respondent many times. Every time I tried, the Respondent threatened me with violence and threatened to destroy my life in every way,” Mel B alleged in court documents.

She alleged he forced her into threesomes, had an affair with the couple’s nanny Lorraine Gilles, 25, and then paid for Gilles to have an abortion when she got pregnant.

“I later discovered that respondent was having sex with Lorraine and was paying her inordinate amounts of money,” she claimed in the papers.

Mel B with Stephen Belafonte and their kids with Lorraine Gilles. Picture: Mel B / Instagram

“(He) told me he wanted to have the baby and all three of us live together. I was shocked and in disbelief.”

Mel B also alleged Belafonte exploited her sexually, made sex tapes without her consent, and was emotionally abusive towards her.

Mel B with her children and Lorraine Gilles. Picture: Mel B / Instagram

The allegations of violence dated back to 2007 and spanned their decade-long relationship, according to the documents her lawyers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court this week.

A judge has now granted Mel B a temporary restraining order from Belafonte, and sole custody of the couple’s youngest daughter.

Mel B at her lawyer's office in Los Angeles amid her split from Stephen Belafonte. Picture: Instar Images

In a statement released today, Belafonte’s lawyers labelled Mel B’s claims “outrageous and unfounded”.

“What matters most to Mr. Belafonte is the safety and wellbeing of his daughters and stepdaughters,” the statement read.

She revealed bruises and scrapes on her cheek in a photo posted on Twitter, which she captioned was caused by running in Louboutin heels. Picture: Twitter

Belafonte’s statement continued: “It’s a shame that Ms. Brown elected not to proceed in a respectful and amicable fashion in this very private matter”.

Former nanny Lorraine Gilles, pictured with Mel B’s daughter Angel in Sydney on February 13 2011. Picture: Backgrid

Mel B appeared on the UK’s X Factor sporting makrs on her body. Picture: Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis

“In due course, Mr. Belafonte will be filing his response to the outrageous and unfounded allegations made by Ms. Brown, which allegations he vehemently denies,” the statement from Belafonte’s lawyer said.

“When the Court determines the truth, it will become clear that this entire charade was nothing more than a smear campaign intended to cover up Ms. Brown’s own conduct during the marriage in light of her current involvement with a family television show, and in an effort to unfairly gain leverage both financially and with respect to custody of the children.”