Mel B’s ex-husband, Stephen Belafonte, demanded the Spice Girls star be shut down in her effort to have him sanctioned as part of his $5 million lawsuit, In Touch can exclusively reveal.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Stephen, 49, opposed the singer’s motion asking the court to sanction him for his alleged “blatant abuse of judicial process in filing this action, which lacks any colorable basis in fact or law.”
Stephen sued Mel, 49, accusing her of spreading lies about him being abusive.
Stephen said Mel “falsely” accused him of “crimes and horrific offenses, including physical beatings, rape, financial abuse, emotional abuse, sex trafficking, and illegal gun possession.”
He said that Mel then used her celebrity to “portray herself as a domestic abuse victim in order to market and sell a memoir laden with egregious lies.”
Stephen asked for an injunction prohibiting Mel from continuing to make accusations against him.
Mel said the requested injunction was “flagrantly unconstitutional” and asked that Stephen be sanctioned for even asking for it.
Now, Stephen fired back in court.
He said Mel’s motion is, “ridden with frivolous arguments and egregious accusations.”
He claimed, “[Mel’s motion for sanctions] is a vexatious tactic calculated to increase the costs of this litigation and waste the Court’s limited and valuable judicial resources.”
His lawyer added, “Contrary to the impression that may have been imparted by [Mel’s] motion, this lawsuit is more than simply an action for defamation. [Stephen] initiated this action against [Mel] following [Mel’s] near decade-long campaign to cause him severe emotional distress and destroy his reputation.”
“[Mel’s] planned takedown and harassment of [Stephen] began with a fraudulent claim of domestic violence in California court in 2017 and continues in rapid-fire motion to this day,” his lawyer added.
“The complaint lays bare the extensive history of [Mel’s] wide-ranging, diabolical harassment campaign against Mr. Belafonte … The complaint also contains numerous factual allegations showing the widespread nature of [Mel’s] very recent efforts to promote her defamatory statements in the press and media, including, without limitation, her appearances on high-profile, televised programs such as The View, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and Live with Jenna and Hoda.”
Stephen asked that Mel’s motion be denied and the case proceed.
In his lawsuit, Stephen took issue with Mel’s 2018 memoir, Brutally Honest, being rereleased this year with new chapters.
His lawyer added, “From lying to the courts and the public about Mr. Belafonte beating her, causing a split lip and swollen face, to fabricating a jealous attack over the recording artist Usher during filming as a judge on the reality competition series The X Factor, to incredible stories of Mr. Belafonte cutting off her funds, leaving her with no credit cards, no internet, and only $936 in her bank account, Ms. Brown has been profiting off of her public lies as she portrays Mr. Belafonte as a “monster” on global television and media appearances.”
Stephen demanded $5 million in damages and an injunction prohibiting Mel from speaking or publishing further defamatory statements about him. In response, Mel’s lawyer was adamant that the singer had “endured” physical and emotional abuse during her marriage. Mel “escaped [Stephen’s] all-encompassing grip on her life with the help of the courts. And after the couple divorced in 2017, [Mel] devoted herself to protecting vulnerable women around the globe using the most powerful tool available to her — the same one that made her a star — her voice,” her response read.
She asked the court to sanction Stephen for requesting a “flagrantly unconstitutional injunction that would prevent [Mel] from ever speaking publicly about her memoir or Belafonte for the rest of her life.”
A judge has yet to rule. The exes wed in 2007 and split in 2017. The singer obtained a temporary restraining order after accusing him of beating her during their marriage and even threatening to release private home videos.
Stephen denied all of the allegations. Mel’s temporary restraining order was eventually dropped. The divorce was settled in 2018.
