Mel B accuses ex-husband Stephen Belafonte of interrogating their daughter about her former BF Eddie Murphy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Spice Girl' star Mel B has accused her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte of trying to pry into her personal life by questioning their 11-year-old daughter Madison about her family, including her father Eddie Murphy. The 'Spice Girl' star made the allegations in court documents obtained by RadarOnline where she asked the judge to let Madison move from Los Angeles where she lives with Stephen, to the UK, where Mel and her other two daughters, Angel and Phoenix, reside.
Mel said she had to move back to the UK in 2019 after her work visa expired and Stephen has had most of the custody since then. Madison travels back and forth between the two countries to visit her mother. However, Stephen recently requested the court to allow him to relocate from California to Florida for work reasons. Mel opposed the move and argued that Madison should live with her in the UK instead.
'Moving to the UK without Madison was devastating for the girls and me'
“Madison’s sisters, Angel and Phoenix, relocated with me to the UK where we live minutes from nearly all of our friends and family. Moving to the UK without Madison was devastating for the girls and me,” Mel wrote in a declaration. She added, “The three girls have always had a very close relationship and enjoy spending time together. Madison would thrive socially, emotionally, and academically if she were permitted to live with me and her sisters in the UK during the school year.”
Stephen claimed in his motion that Mel had been acting erratic lately and even accused her of visiting Los Angeles and not making time to see Madison. He also said that Angel who Mel had with Eddie Murphy did not visit Madison when she was in town.
'Stephen only knows that Angel is in LA because he has been interrogating Madison'
In a new motion, Mel denied the accusations and said that Stephen only knew about Angel’s whereabouts because he had been interrogating Madison. “Stephen’s response claims that Madison’s sister Angel has been in LA in recent weeks and there have been no attempts made by me or Angel to facilitate contact between the two. Stephen only knows that Angel is in LA because he has been interrogating Madison and asking questions about Angel’s whereabouts,” Mel wrote.
She continued, “There is no other way that Stephen would have known that Angel was in LA. This is entirely inappropriate. Madison informed me that she is upset by Stephen asking her such questions. Specifically, he asks Madison questions about me, Angel, her father Eddie Murphy, and Angel’s whereabouts in LA.”
'Stephen asks her questions that make her uncomfortable'
She also said that Madison was currently with her in Australia and complained that Stephen made her uncomfortable every time they Facetimed. “Madison is with me in Australia right now and during this time she told me that Stephen asks her questions that make her uncomfortable every time she Facetimes him. Again, this is entirely inappropriate and another reason why I believe it is essential that Madison move to the UK and be primarily in my care,” Mel wrote.
As for her visit to Los Angeles, Mel said she was there for a Super Bowl commercial and had no opportunity to see Madison. “I had filming and work obligations every hour that I was there that I was not sleeping. There was absolutely no opportunity for me to see Madison,” she explained. The court has not yet ruled on the custody dispute between Mel and Stephen, who finalized their divorce in December 2017 after 10 years of marriage as per People.
