Multiple outlets are reporting that Melanie B and her husband, Stephen Belafonte, have split and/or are taking time apart, which is sad for them right before the holidays. The Sun reports [via Mirror] that Belafonte recently flew to LA from London with their daughter, Madison, 3, and their nanny. He told the tabloid that “I’m not staying with the nanny in LA but she had to come as I was on a business class ticket and there were no other tickets for Madison.” Ok. So he couldn’t fly coach class and had to take the nanny because he wanted more leg room and better service.
As background, Mel missed a scheduled taping of The X Factor Uk, for which she is a judge, on Saturday. She was reportedly rushed to hospital a couple of days earlier with stomach pains. On Sunday, Mel returned for the finale and was not wearing her wedding ring. Viewers claimed to have spotted a bruise on her cheek along with scratches and bruises on her arms. Some people tweeted that her husband, Stephen Belafonte, may have caused the bruises. Belafonte plead guilty to assault of a prior girlfriend, so he has a history pointing to domestic abuse. He denied hurting Mel, though, and tweeted that “I don’t usually respond to Twitter msgs but I will respond to comments of hitting my wife which I think are quite disgusting un true!”
Belafonte continues to defend himself. He admits he’s having problems with Mel and hasn’t seen her since her hospitalization, but says that he hopes to grow old with her.
On why Mel wasn’t wearing her ring
“Listen, people do whatever they do. Maybe her hands were swollen and she couldn’t fit the ring on because she’s been in the hospital?”The 39 year old, speaking from Los Angeles, insisted he’d “just got off the phone with my wife” yesterday but didn’t have much of an answer when he was asked why he didn’t visit the star in hospital after she collapsed last week.
He said: “You know what, it’s not even about Mel and it’s not even about me. There were some motives going on from other people on certain things.”
Stephen flew out to LA on Sunday without seeing his wife and admitted they have been rowing but are not splitting up – despite claims she has already left him.
He added: “I protect my wife and my children with my life. That’s just the way it is. It doesn’t matter if people think I’m a good guy or a bad guy.”
“How long have you been married? How many arguments do you have? I find it really sad nobody would like for Mel, or us, to be happy,” he said. “There has to be an attitude to, ‘Oh, they got into a fight so now let’s go for the jugular.’
“Everyone gets in arguments. And then stuff calms down and you think about your life. You think about where you’ve been and what you’ve been through.
“I love my wife. I care about my wife. I’d take a bullet for her. I’ve got to consistently grow a little bit. But I do want to get old with my wife and have grandchildren.
“And by the way, Mel’s never said anything. This is because there’s a witch-hunt and a feeding frenzy against me.”
[The Sun via Mirror.co.uk and Hello Magazine]
That’s the thing, if Stephen didn’t hurt Mel at all, why hasn’t she tweeted a denial? Maybe she’s really upset at him for other reasons, but you would think she would issue a simple “he didn’t hit me” statement. He does claim in another interview, with The Daily Mail, that denials are coming from her camp. “You’ll see all the legal letters going out tomorrow. Everybody’s been contacted by Mel’s representative, all the papers.”
In Belafonte’s interview with The Daily Mail he was dodgy about the abuse claims. He asked, rhetorically”Who accused me of it, did she accuse me of it, the police, the hospital, who accused me of it? I thought when you beat someone up the police or the hospital or the person you beat up says it.” He then acted like he had no idea that there were stories that he and Mel had split. He said “I’m not disputing it, I didn’t know, I had no idea.” I find that very hard to believe.
The Mirror has photos from 2010 of Belafonte instigating a bar fight with three other guys, one of whom allegedly insulted Mel. He’s definitely a violent guy.
Photo credit: WENN.com and Getty Images
Oh look, another “victim”.
Send this cry baby “victim” to North Korea, the Supreme Leader will “treat” him well.Bullies don’t like bigger bullies.
I googled this dude and there’s a shocking lack of info on him out there.
I think I remember hearing that he changed his last name to Belafonte so that people would think he was related to Harry Belafonte. That plus his history of domestic violence are all red flags in my book.
I was strangely glad to learn he was no relation of the great Harry Belafonte, a noted human rights activist as well as artist, as he seems an unpleasant man.
+1
So shady.
His face is shady.
his real name is Stephen stansbury.
I read a terrifying blind item that suggested she narrowly escaped with her life… I know those can be fan fiction, but offenders don’t usually change or stop their behavior.
In any case, silence speaks volumes and I hope she’s safe right now.
He also beat a mallard to death. with a brick. He sounds totally unstable.
I’d like to beat him with a brick.
What. The. F*CK. what kind of sewer dweller beats a duck to death. Oh my god. Mel, please. walk away, and stay away.
Omg. He sounds crazy, and kinda looks like it to me, very menacing. It’s disturbing to find out he changed his name to try to capitalize on H Belafonte’s fame.
People love to jump to conclusions.
The fact Mel B is not saying anything to clear him of all these doubts speaks volumes.
If he was able to kill an innocent animal with a brick is enough for me to think she should run away fast from him.
His eyes look sleazy and creepy. Never liked him.
He looks like the biggest tool. He has a history of domestic abuse, doesn’t help his case at all.
Oh, dear. I only hope Mel is okay.
lol – i think this is the first story about him here that didnt have (no relation to harry) in quotes