Mel B has said she is heading to rehab after an "incredibly difficult" six months. Photo / AP
Mel B has said she is heading to rehab after an "incredibly difficult" six months. Photo / AP
Mel B has bravely admitted that she is heading to rehab to tackle her alcohol and sex addictions after an "incredibly difficult" six months amid her divorce from ex-husband Stephen Belafonte.
The Spice Girls star, 43, revealed she will be entering a UK-based therapy centre next month after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as she wants to be a "better version" of herself for her children - Phoenix Chi Gulzar, 19, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, 11, and Madison Brown Belafonte, six.
Mel spoke candidly about her upcoming treatment as it is a "huge issue for so many people" and she has hit "crisis point".
Talking to The Sun, she said: "I've been working with a writer on my book, Brutally Honest, and it has been unbelievably traumatic reliving an emotionally abusive relationship and confronting so many massive issues in my life.
"I am being very honest about drinking to numb my pain but that is just a way a lot of people mask what is really going on.
And despite the outcome, the singer appeared ecstatic as she celebrated the official end of her relationship with the music producer in an Instagram video where her hairdresser best friend, Gary Madatyan, triumphantly held up the divorce papers in his hands.
The Spice Girls star was ordered to pay ex-husband Stephen Belafonte $350,000 in legal fees as their bitter court battle finally drew to a close. Photo / AP
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Juhas threw out both restraining orders that the warring couple had tried to slap on each other.
Instead the singer and Belafonte reached a mutual agreement to stay at least 200 yards away from each other.
The couple were also ordered to set aside $1.1million ($550,000 each) when they sell their $8million former marital home, to pay back taxes they owe for 2016.
As for the whopping legal fees Mel - real name Melanie Brown - was ordered to pay Belafonte, half has to be paid within 30 days and the remaining $175,000 when their former home is sold.
The America's Got Talent star was also ordered to pay Belafonte $5,000 a month in child support for their daughter Madison.
After the hearing, Belafonte told DailyMail.com: "I'm ecstatic - I'm going to Disneyworld. I got everything I wanted and we could have settled this months ago. It's such a relief that it's finally over."
However, Belafonte, also 43, said he was "disappointed" that his request for step visitation with 10-year-old Angel - Mel's daughter by Eddie Murphy - was not part of the agreement he made with Mel, who has vehemently opposed his efforts to spend time with Angel.
Belafonte helped raise Angel from birth.
"We wanted to get all the other issues between us settled so I decided to table that," he added.
"But it's very possible I could try again - because I would really like to spend time with Angel."
The step parent visitation motion was just one of several issues - mostly involving children and finances - that the judge tried to get the couple to resolve in his courtroom.
In their settlement, while they'll voluntarily stay 200 yards away from each other, exceptions will be made for daughter Madison's school events, extra-curricular activities and teacher conferences.
They'll also split vacation and school holiday time with Madison and, according to their agreement, "Neither parent will make disparaging remarks to Madison about the other parent."
Belafonte - who, as usual, wore a grey suit in court - and Mel were divorced last December after a bitter nine-month battle in which lurid tales of kinky sex, drug and alcohol abuse and allegations of domestic violence made headlines.
Despite their divorce being final more than six months ago, trying to settle complicated issues between them, mostly over children and money has dragged on through this summer, with Mel estimating that she's now spent more than $1million in legal fees and owes another $800,000 to attorneys and accountants.
Mel claims the long-drawn-out split with Belafonte has ruined her financially, she's more than $3million in the red and the IRS has started garnishing her America's Got Talent salary to pay off hundreds of thousand of dollars in back taxes she owes.
The couple's marriage fell apart in March last year when Mel filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and she took out a domestic violence restraining order against Belafonte, accusing him of years of abuse against her, embezzling $10 million of her money and keeping her drugged during much of their marriage. Belafonte has denied all the allegations.
