Mel, who received an MBE in 2022 for her work supporting vulnerable women, shared that rebuilding her trust in herself has been a challenging journey
Mel B, famously known as Scary Spice from the Spice Girls, revealed that she had sworn off relationships until she unexpectedly fell in love with her fiancé, Rory McPhee. The 49-year-old singer shared how the 36-year-old hairstylist, a childhood friend who knew her late father, helped her believe in love again after enduring an abusive 10-year marriage with her ex-husband, Stephen Belafonte.
Speaking on the ‘Mad, Sad and Bad with Paloma Faith’ podcast, Mel said, “I never wanted that feeling, because I didn’t think it would ever exist again. I thought I was in love, and look what happened to me for 10 years. If anything, I was very anti a relationship. That’s the last thing [on my mind].”
Now focusing on rebuilding her life, Mel emphasized that mending broken relationships with her mother, sister, and children remains her top priority. “I’m trying to repair myself and repair all these broken relationships with my mum and my sister and make sure my kids are OK. That’s my priority, and it still is my priority, it’s just he was always there,” she said.
Reflecting on her marriage to Belafonte, who has denied all allegations of abuse, Mel described how she endured coercive control and manipulation that left her doubting her instincts. “I literally felt like I was going mad and would double-check myself … almost like you were living in a fantasy world,” she explained.
Mel, who received an MBE in 2022 for her work supporting vulnerable women, shared that rebuilding her trust in herself has been a challenging journey. “When I left that 10-year relationship, I had to really learn how to trust my own instincts because there’s so much self-doubt,” she said. “Abusers, they find you when you’re either at your most vulnerable or when you’re at your happiest. They love bomb you and then slowly over time show their true colours.”
After moving back to England from Los Angeles, Mel now finds peace at her £2 million Yorkshire Dales farmhouse. She described spending hours in silence and stillness surrounded by her beloved animals. “I go up to the field and spend all day with my chickens and goats. I just sit there and stare at my animals and be by myself, and I love it,” she said. Her engagement to Rory in 2022 marked a turning point in her life, symbolizing newfound happiness and stability. Fans can hear more about her transformative journey on the full podcast episode, now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
