Mel B has spoken candidly and honestly about her horrendous experiences of domestic abuse - and has also revealed that she is in a new relationship. The Spice Girls star was married to film producer Stephen Belafonte for a decade - she filed for divorce in 2017 - and Mel has previously accused him of 'emotional and physical abuse' (which Belafonte has always denied).
Last week, Mel appeared in a video for the charity Women's Aid, where she tried to escape from a violent partner while covered in bruises. Mel - who is a patron of the charity - said it was important to get involved in the project - which was a collaboration with classical composer Fabio D'Andrea - as there is an 'epidemic' of people suffering from abuse from their partner. 'You know that's why this video is so important, because it's not just my story, [it's] bits and pieces of my story, but it's every woman's story, it's everybody's voice, because we are dealing with an epidemic,' Mel said in an interview with Good Morning Britain.
'People in these situations, they don't feel like there's a way out,' she added. 'They've been isolated from their friends, their family and that's one of the major signs somebody is in one of those kinds of relationships. The only way out is sporadically run - you don't know where you're running, you don't know where you're going to get help, you probably don't have your own phone anymore, your friends probably haven't heard from you in months.'
In another interview withthe Guardian, also released this morning, Mel revealed that she had tried to leave her abusive relationship seven times over the course of ten years, but that as her access to money and transport was restricted, that she couldn't get out. 'I didn’t have anywhere to go,' she said. 'I didn’t have my own credit card, I didn’t have a car, I’ve got three kids, I was very on the edge of self-destruction.'
In the chat with Good Morning Britain, Mel also opened up about how she is now seeing somebody 'very kind, very honest and very loving', though stressed that she would like to keep her relationship private. 'I am keeping my private life private,' she added. 'I think that’s the best thing for me. But yeah I’m with somebody who is very kind, very honest, very loving and that’s what I need. I need somebody understanding.'
If you have been affected by this story, contact Women's Aid at www.womensaid.org.uk****.
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