Mel B's estranged husband Stephen Belafonte had leveled accusations on Angel's biological father while asking for visitation rights to his stepdaughter.
Not all kids get the love of both parents. Sometimes, one parent has to play both roles. Due to no fault of their own, the child suffers through living in an unstable home. Not just because one of their biological parents is absent but also because of the people who become a part of their life. For instance, imagine growing up calling your stepfather as "dad" only to not be able to have a relationship with him anymore either. And, it's neither the child's nor her mother's fault.
Scary Spice, whose real name is Melanie Brown and is popularly known as Mel B, dated comedian Eddie Murphy once, and to her, he's the love of her life. While he became the one who got away, she kept the memory of their time together alive in her heart. She also remembered him often as they share a child together. While he was fondly remembered by her, the Norbit actor had different feelings about her and their daughter.
Initially, Murphy wasn't ready to accept daughter Angel as his own. The former Spice Girls band member and the Dr. Dolittle actor had dated in 2006 and there were also talks of marriage. As per Mel B, who spoke to Mirror UK, his love was "pure." She said that they planned the pregnancy and he asked her dad for her hand in marriage.
"He flew my dad in and he asked him, properly. He’s a gentleman. Then we designed some rings together and then we planned the baby and we got pregnant – and then I felt suffocated," she said. Things went downhill from there, including her clashing with the comedian's mother Lilian. So, when Mel decided to head to her native UK from the US to stay with her mom, the Shrek actor didn't make efforts to woo her back.
Instead, he told a reporter, "I don’t know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions." This angered the British singer, who decided to file a paternity lawsuit. She won and it was proven that The Nutty Professor actor was the father of her child. However, Murphy was engaged to someone else by then and there was no chance of reconciliation between the two.
Mel went on to marry Stephen Belafonte, whom she divorced in 2017 after accusing him of cheating and blackmail. "In the process of my marriage I lost my family, my friends, my self-respect and I almost lost my life," she told the Daily Mail. "And for so long I felt ashamed. I thought I was stupid, that everything that happened was my fault. I had never heard of a coercive relationship. Even after I left him I never realized so many other women have almost exactly the same story to tell. It was only after my book came out that I realized emotional abuse is an epidemic that affects millions. It’s the shame that makes you suffer in silence. But I am no longer ashamed."
Belafonte, who fought her for visitation rights to her daughter Angel, told the courts that Murphy was not interested in his then 10-year-old kid, according to Daily Mail. Mel, who was a judge on America's Got Talent, was vehemently opposing that. As per Belafonte, Angel "has called me dad since she started to talk." His lawyer said, "Mr Murphy has had no contact with the child."
However, that was only Belafonte's version of the story. Mel said that her ex-husband tried to ruin Murphy's relationship with her daughter. And even though her film producer ex-husband tried to interfere, the Mr. Church actor and his daughter had a "flourishing relationship." She said that before filing for divorce from Belafonte in 2017, she got in touch with Murphy to set up a meeting between him and their daughter.
However, as she slept, her then-husband took her phone and sent messages to Murphy's assistant. Those messages resulted in "Angel's father" canceling the visitation and did not want to have "any interactions with Stephen." Mel told The Blast that "to this day," Murphy wants nothing to do with him. She added that Belafonte's "childish action only sought to delay Angel's unification with her biological father."
Mel also made amends with Lilian. "Mel reached out to Eddie’s mum Lilian and she went round for a meal. They spent a lot of quality time together, and Lilian is part of the family now. It’s a big deal because when Mel originally split with Eddie it was over the way she spoke to his mum," a source said, according to Mirror UK.
It was also revealed that she became closer to Murphy after her divorce since he wants to help her not have Belafonte as part of her life. Murphy also posed with all 10 of his kids in December 2018, right after Christmas, showing the world that Angel was part of the family, according to TODAY.
References:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/mel-b-reveals-regret-over-16170438
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-7309755/Mel-B-tells-finally-contentment.html
https://theblast.com/mel-b-stephen-belafonte-eddie-murphy/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/mel-b-makes-up-ex-12006208
https://www.today.com/parents/eddie-murphy-poses-rare-photo-all-10-his-children-t145930
