As long as girl groups have existed, there’ve been rumours of drama between the members. And after Geri Halliwell’s mega 50th birthday party in the Cotswolds this week, the rumour mill is once again swirling with whispers that there’s a feud going on in the Spice Girls.
Reportedly costing over £400,000, Geri’s party had a seriously showbiz invite list: Poppy Delevigne, Zack Ashley, Geri’s ex-boyfriends Chris Evans and David Walliams, Rylan, Holly Willoughby, Shirley Bassey and Alexandra Burke all attended, along with Geri’s former bandmates Mel C, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham.
There was just one person missing: Mel B.
Immediately, fans wondered what was going on. And as Victoria, Mel C, Emma, and Geri took to the dance floor to dance and sing along to their own hit Say You’ll Be There, the fifth member of the group’s absence grew even more obvious.
Inevitably, Mel B’s no-show to the party reignited rumours about a historic feud between her and Geri. Allegedly, Geri was upset with Mel after she claimed that they’d slept together during her interview on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2019, which Geri denies.
‘We were best friends. It just happened,’ Mel told Morgan. ‘She [Geri] is going to hate me for this because she is all posh in her country house and her husband, but it’s a fact. It just happened, and we just giggled at it and that was it…She’s going to kill me.’
Sources told The Sun that Mel made a panicked phone call to apologise to Geri immediately after filming the show. Geri then made a statement about the claim she and Mel had sex and called the allegation ‘hurtful’.
‘It has been very disappointing to read about all these rumours again, especially on Mother’s Day of all days,’ her representatives told the MailOnline. ‘Geri loves the Spice Girls: Emma, Melanie, Melanie and Victoria. She would like [the fans] to know that what has been reported recently is simply not true and has been very hurtful to her family.’
After Geri’s party, Mel B added more fuel to the feud rumour fire by re-posting a Spice Girls throwback photo to her Instagram story without Geri in it from the Spice Girls official account. ‘Forever Released 22 years ago today! What are your favourite tracks from the album? (yes we mean from the album, not the tracks that didn't make it on there)’ the caption read.
Is there a feud going on between Mel B and Geri?
Neither Geri nor Mel B have publicly said there’s any bad blood between them now. However, Mel’s spokesperson did tell reporters she’d a long discussion with Geri before her birthday party took place.
‘Melanie attended her family’s annual bonfire night event which was also to celebrate her engagement to Rory,’ Mel’s rep told The Express. ‘But she had a long chat with Geri before the party.’