Mel B’s ugly custody battle: Ex claims she was ‘lying, drug taking alcoholic’

THE divorce was ugly enough. Now the custody battle between former Spice Girl Mel B and ex-husband Stephen Belafonte has seen shocking claims about addiction and violence.

MEL B’s ex Stephen Belafonte has returned fire in the couple’s custody battle, filing legal documents which claim she lied about domestic violence to turn her daughter against him.

He also accused her of covering addictions to alcohol and drugs by claiming injuries she sported were a result of domestic violence.

The latest claims, reported by TMZ, follow Mel B filing her own legal documents earlier this week in which she said Belafonte made their children watch videos including beheadings carried out by the Islamic State.

The accusations from both camps came as they fought over visitation rights for Belafonte and his stepdaughter, Angel, whose biological father is Eddie Murphy.

Belafonte’s documents paint Mel B as “a drug addict and alcoholic who has walked into doors and has been hospitalised for overdoses”, according to TMZ.

Belafonte claims a 2014 incident in London, in which Mel wound up in hospital, later claiming he had bashed her head against a door, was in fact caused when the former Scary Spice overdosed on drugs, was hospitalised and was bruised from a drip during her stay.

Custody war: Mel B’s ex, Stephen Belafonte. Picture: Supplied

Bitter battle: Mel B. Picture: Christopher Polk/Getty

He claims she is drunk in the middle of the day, and is sometimes so “wasted” because of drugs and alcohol she walks into walls, and urinates in front of her children.

He also disputes that he forced her into having threesomes, claiming he has videos which show she was a “willing participant”. He said Mel B’s claims about IS videos are a “blatant lie”.

According to the New York Post, the former Spice Girl made the allegation in court documents she filed to block Belafonte’s visitation with her daughters — a claim Mel B’s eldest daughter corroborated.

Phoenix (from the star’s prior relationship with Jimmy Gulzar), 19, wrote in a declaration, “He got us all to watch men being beheaded with chainsaws by ISIS, as we were in the kitchen and he was cooking”.

Mel B claimed Angel was “scared and frightened” at being exposed to the images Belafonte presented and has since sought therapy.

Belafonte, 42, initially applied for step-visitation with Angel in August 2017, with his lawyer arguing that Belafonte “has been the parent that has raised this minor child since an infant”. Murphy, 56, initially denied paternity of Angel when she was born until DNA tests proved he was her biological father.

Together no more: Stephen Belafonte and Mel B in May, 2009. Picture: Denise Truscello

Originally published as Mel B’s ugly custody battle: Ex claims she was ‘lying, drug taking alcoholic’