MR EX-SCARY SPICE
Who is Stephen Belafonte? Mel B’s ex-husband who she claims ‘beat her’ and ‘got the nanny pregnant’
STEPHEN Belafonte is the ex-husband of Spice Girl Mel B.
The TV producer, who has a daughter with the former Spice Girl and X Factor judge, settled his divorce to the tune of £6.5m after a bitter battle throughout 2017.
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Who is Stephen Belafonte? What is his background?
Stephen Belafonte, 43, was born in Hollywood, California.
When he was 12, he, his mother and six siblings moved to Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
The at the age of 18 he moved back to Los Angeles and changed his surname from Stansbury to Belafonte.
Stephen studied at Loyola Marymount University and after graduating, set up a film production company called Remag.
His film credits include Thank You For Smoking, The Mutant Chronicles and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes.
He also produced the TV series I Pity The Fool.
Was Stephen Belafonte married before he wed Mel B?
In 1997 he married Nancy Carmell in Los Angeles but the union only lasted two months after she fled to her native Honolulu and applied for the marriage to be annulled.
He then had a relationship with model Nicole Contreras and their daughter Giselle was born in 2004.
The year before, he was charged with beating Nicole at their home during a drunken row, a charge he didn't contest.
But he later said he didn't realise he had admitted to battering his partner and the admission came at a moment when he was "confused and stressed".
His plea was rejected.
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How did Stephen Belafonte meet Mel B?
The couple began dating in February 2007 after they met on a set of a film called Talk.
After a whirlwind romance, they married in June 2007 in Las Vegas and a year later renewed their vows in front of family and friends in Egypt.
On September 1, 2011, Mel gave birth to their daughter Madison.
In 2014, cracks began to emerge in their marriage after he was accused of physically assaulting her when she appeared on The X Factor UK's live Sunday show with bruises and scratches to her face and arms.
She had previously been rushed to hospital a few days before causing her to miss the live X Factor show on the Saturday.
Why did Stephen and Mel B get divorced?
On Monday, March 20, 2017, it was reported that Melanie Brown had filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences", asked for joint legal custody of Madison and requested that spousal support for Stephen is terminated.
Following the divorce announcement, The Sun revealed Stephen was involved in a secret red wine-fuelled threesome with Mel B and socialite Lady Victoria Hervey.
Mel went to court to obtain a court order banning her estranged husband from distributing any sex tapes or other explicit material featuring the Spice Girl.
She also blocked him from their bank accounts, taking control of her £40million wealth after claiming he controlled how it was used all the way through their marriage.
In July 2017 it was reported Mel was paying Stephen £30,500 a month as emergency spousal support and is covering his legal fees to the tune of £106,900.
Mel B has claimed in divorce papers that Belafonte arranged a sham marriage for their German-born nanny so she could stay in the US and continue an affair.
Lorraine Giles lost her employment status after being fired by Mel in September 2017.
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Why did Mel B get a restraining order against Stephen?
Mel B was reportedly granted a restraining order from her estranged husband over claims he beat and sexually exploited her.
According to , the Spice Girl's divorce lawyers were permitted the restraining order which allegedly forces film producer Stephen to stay away from Mel and her three daughters.
The site claims the America's Got Talent star's declaration for the restraining order states the film producer used to get aggressive and physically violent during their ten-year marriage.
TMZ states one of the dates on which abuse took place was in August 2012 when the singer performed at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
It is also alleged that Stephen owned a gun despite being prohibited from carrying firearms as part of a previous domestic violence conviction with another woman.
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Did Stephen Belafonte respond to Mel B's abuse claims?
After the shock allegations from Mel, Stephen then accused her of launching a “smear campaign” against him in a bid to protect her reality TV career.
He slammed her allegations, which included claims he got their nanny pregnant and called them “outrageous and unfounded.”
On October 23, 2017, Belafonte alleged that Mel B threw away baby pictures, clothing and paperwork belonging to him in retaliation to the split.
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Has a divorce settlement been reached between Stephen Belafonte and Mel B?
The Spice Girl ended her legal battle with her ex in 2017 – thrashing out a private deal with his lawyers following a marathon eight-month court fight.
Hours before a two-week trial was due to get underway to decide on the restraining order and accusations, a deal was struck.
Belafonte's lawyer Grace Jamra told LA Judge Mark Juhas: “All the issues before you including the domestic violence restraining order and custody of a minor child have been dissolved.”
Sean Macias, Mel’s lawyer, told the judge: “We all came to an agreement in principle late last night. We are pretty much done in principle.”
The settlement means the domestic violence restraining order placed on Belafonte will be lifted and he has agreed a deal over access to his child with Mel B, six-year-old Madison.
Stephen was not granted step parent visitation to Angel - Mel's daughter with Eddie Murphy.
Mel B has been ordered to pay Stephen £270,000 in legal fees and £3,800 a month in child support for their daughter Madison.
She was told she must also pay half of the £270,000 in 30 days and the other half once the sale of their £6million mansion had been completed.
Their divorce was finalised in August 2018.
MORE ON MEL B
Has Stephen Belafonte ever been in trouble with the police?
In 1994 he was charged with burglary and theft in New Jersey, the case went to court and he was convicted for receiving stolen property.
In 2000, Stephen was accused of assaulting two men on a motorway but the charge was reduced to vandalism after he agreed to pay for damage caused to the men's vehicle.
In 2003 he admitted a domestic charge linked to then-girlfriend Nicole Contreras
In 2007 Belafonte admitted killing a mallard with a brick outside his house in New Jersey but fled to LA without paying the £300 court fine.
While on a night out with Mel in 2010, he was involved in a fight with three men at the luxury five star May Fair Hotel, leaving one man needing hospital treatment.
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