Mel B's ex-husband Stephen Belafonte has filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against the singer.
He filed the lawsuit in a Florida court on Wednesday, May 29, which was the Spice Girls' birthday.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Belafonte accuses his ex-spouse of waging a “deliberate and widespread campaign to inflict severe emotional distress on him and discredit his reputation” since their 2017 separation.
Mel B, whose real name is Melanie Brown, filed for divorce from Belafonte in March 2017 after nearly 10 years of marriage.
A month later, she was granted a temporary restraining order against her husband, alleging he had engaged in abusive behavior.
He denies the abuse allegations.
Belafonte claims in his new lawsuit that despite Mel B “dismissing” her allegations before her “court date,” damage has already been done to his character.
“As a result of Brown's false allegations of rape, illegal gun possession, sex trafficking, illegal production of pornography, domestic violence and child endangerment, Mr. Belafonte lost his home and visitation with his children,” court documents state.
The couple reached a partial divorce agreement in November 2017 and finalized their full separation the following August.
Following the settlement, Belafonte was awarded primary custody of their now 12-year-old daughter Madison, but Belafonte says Mel B has only seen her once since then.
Mel B has a 25-year-old daughter, Phoenix, with ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar, and a 17-year-old daughter, Angel, with ex-husband Eddie Murphy.
She is now engaged to hairdresser Lori McPhee.