Simon Cowell backs ‘astonishing’ Mel B amid divorce feud with Stephen Belafonte, saying: ‘I respect the way she’s dealt with everything’
SIMON Cowell backed Mel B in her divorce battle.
Speaking ahead of next week’s Britain’s Got Talent launch, he told The Sun: “She’s an incredible person.
"If you think about what Mel’s done since leaving the Spice Girls and what she’s gone through, how hard she works and how I saw her try to handle this situation, it was astonishing.
“Yes, she’s under pressure but I think she’s in a good place.”
She's had the whole thing she's had to deal with, the other side of her personal life. It really made me think about her as a person
Simon's comments came after mum of three Mel, 41, filed for divorce from her husband, Stephen Belafonte, alleging he was physically abusive and even got their nanny pregnant during their ten-year marriage.
Simon also praised the X Factor judge for how she handled the loss of her father, Martin Brown, who died last month after a five-year battle with cancer.
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The 57-year-old talent show boss, whose beloved mum Julie died in 2015, said: "We've all unfortunately had to go through these situations with parents, but the way Mel dealt with it was so professional.
"We talked a lot about how she was feeling and whether she wanted to come back to work.
"I said to her, 'I genuinely think it's what your dad would have wanted'. I said the same thing about my mum.
"And I saw how she was so on it and focused on the contestants when she could have been focused on something else.
"Then she had her kids come down, and her kids are amazing."
Alluding to Mel's marriage troubles again, Simon continued: "Then she's had the whole thing she's had to deal with, the other side of her personal life.
"It really made me think about her as a person, what she's achieved as a working mum and how she’s managed to balance everything."
He added: "I don’t think she gets the recognition she deserves.
"It's interesting because she's quite shy about saying what she's achieved over the years and her role in the Spice Girls and things like that.
"But I think she is a really, really special person, and I really respect the way she's dealt with everything."
Meanwhile Mel's estranged husband Stephen has hit back in their divorce fight, demanding money from the former Spice Girl, who is reportedly worth £40million, as well as joint custody of their daughter, Madison.
He has denied all of the allegations against him, calling them outrageous and unfounded.