Gilles claims she was Brown's nanny for seven years while she was married to Stephen Belafonte. Photo / Getty Images
Gilles claims she was Brown's nanny for seven years while she was married to Stephen Belafonte. Photo / Getty Images
By Neil Blincow, Ryan Parry
Former Spice Girl Mel B showed up in court in Van Nuys, near Los Angeles today - with her 18-year-old daughter Phoenix - to demand a restraining order against ex-nanny, Lorraine Gilles, 25, whom she claims has been harassing her.
Dressed in an elegant white dress, with leopard skin high heels and her hair partially dyed blonde, the 42-year-old America's Got Talent judge sat with her lawyer, Larry Mark Bakman as he fought against having video cameras in court today.
He argued that "sexual and salacious" allegations from Gilles could be harmful to Mel B's two younger daughters, Madison, 6, and 10 year-old Angel if such video was broadcast on TV and the internet, reports Daily Mail.
"The video could be viewed by the children who are in school," Bakman told Judge Fridaus Dordi.
"People with other kids in the same school could see the video and Miss Brown's (Mel B) children could be subject to harassment because of the sexual content of the video."
But Gilles' lawyer, Todd Eagan, argued that Mel B's own pleadings in the case are "loaded with most explicit details of a sexual nature. They have opened the door. The petitioner's (Mel B) child is own court right now".
Bakman countered that it was the singer's two younger daughters "I am concerned about" as he asked the judge to postponed the restraining order hearing to give him time to mount legal arguments against having video cameras in court.
"Bakman's request for a two-week postponement of today's restraining order hearing also had a second reason: His first witness, Mel B's estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, was not in court despite several efforts to serve Belafonte legal notices to appear in court today."
"I need Mr Belafonte - he is a critical witness," said Bakman, who claimed that efforts to serve court papers on Belafonte at the restaurant where he works and places where Belafonte was having visitation with his children, have all failed. "He is evading service."
Bakmen accused Gilles - who is also a witness in the pending divorce action of Mel B and Belafonte - of "acting in concert with Belafonte in the continued abuse and harassment of my client".
Bakman - who claimed that Gilles is refusing to return "sexually explicit" videos belonging to Mel B - added: "Miss Gilles is a puppet in this case and Stephen Belafonte is the puppet master."
Melanie Brown and nanny Lorraine Gilles enjoy a day out on a yacht in Ibiza, Spain, 2016. Photo / Getty Images
Asking the court for Mel B's restraining order request to be dismissed - and also for Mel B to pay Gilles' attorney fees - Eagan called Bakman's request for a two-week postponement "a delaying tactic".
"In order to obtain a stay away order (restraining order), Miss Brown must show that unlawful harassment occurred. But there has been no contact or communication between Miss Gilles and Miss Brown since September (when Gilles was fired from her nanny job).
"The purpose of this case has been to smear Lorraine Gilles. The case was originally filed in April. Time is up.
"Miss Gilles has been living under a cloud for too long. She has been destroyed in the media. We want to resolve this today.
"Judge Dordi adjourned the hearing till 2.30pm today to consider arguments from both attorneys as to whether the case continues today or is postponed."
In April, Lorraine Gilles sued the former Spice Girl for portraying her as a "home-wrecker" and "prostitute" in a declaration in support of a request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order against estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.
Mel alleged that Gilles carried on an affair with Belafonte, whom she also accused of physical and emotional abuse for much of their 10-year marriage, and claims the nanny fell pregnant to him and Belafonte convinced her to get an abortion.
But Gilles said the entire story was a lie and sued Mel B - also known as Melanie Brown - for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, asking for unspecified damages.
Singer Mel B and family attend City Year Los Angeles Spring Break, 2017. Photo / Getty Images
She also stated her pregnancy was actually the result of a one-night stand with a man she met in West Hollywood.
Gilles, claimed that Brown, and Belafonte targeted her when she first arrived in America from Germany at age 18. She said the couple got her drunk and they had a threesome.
She claimed she never slept with Belafonte without Mel knowing or participating.
On the affair and the existence of sex tapes, Gilles alleged that her primary sexual relationship was with Mel, not Belafonte, and that he was involved only when invited by the singer, "at which point Brown would often serve as the 'camera man' and record the sexual encounter and/or take part in the menage a trois herself," her suit alleged.
The former nanny said Brown smeared her image by exposing private and sensitive information and made statements that were "blatantly and demonstrably false".
"When read in its totality, Brown's Declaration portrays Gilles as a home-wrecker, prostitute and extortionist, maliciously describing Gilles as being impudent, unscrupulous, and exploitative," Gilles claimed.
But in new court papers filed on July 12 and obtained by DailyMail.com, the America's Got Talent judge slammed Gilles "improper and unsupported damages" claim saying her declaration was "absolutely privileged" and the complaint should be dismissed under anti-SLAPP rules.
The singer adds that the only purpose of revealing the dirty laundry was to protect herself and the welfare of her young children.
Brown demanded that the court strike the allegations included in Gilles' lawsuit, adding that she did not act in "reckless disregard" with the intent to cause the nanny harm.
She explained that the allegations were simply part of her husband's history of abusive behavior.
Brown said she set forth the facts to show how Belafonte used Gilles as part of his campaign of abuse against her. She aimed to show how Gilles reported directly to him and acted as his agent at various times, acting against her interests.
