Mel B settles domestic violence case against estranged husband Stephen Belafonte

Mel B married Belafonte in June 2007

FORMER Spice Girl Mel B has settled domestic violence cases against her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte and their former nanny.

The America’s Got Talent judge claimed Belafonte subjected her to years of physical and mental abuse, and that their nanny, Lorraine Gilles, conspired with him to threaten to release explicit videos of her.

Mel B, whose full name is Melanie Brown, applied for restraining orders against the pair after she filed for divorce in LA where she lived with Belafonte.

A domestic violence trial was set to hear further damaging claims and was to be shown intimate videos involving the singer but it was halted on Monday after Brown settled with Belafonte and Ms Gilles.

Judge Mark Juhas told the court that the case had been resolved and the temporary restraining orders had been dissolved, allowing divorce hearings between Brown and Belafonte to get under way.

The settlements were reached first with Belafonte last week, and then with Ms Gilles over the weekend.

The terms have not been made public.

A source close to Belafonte said the agreement included “substantial custodial time” with his six-year-old daughter with Brown.

Brown married Belafonte, a film producer, in Las Vegas in June 2007.

She filed for divorce in March, citing irreconcilable differences and detailing allegations of domestic abuse.

The court was told she claims he drugged her throughout much of their relationship.

Belafonte denied the allegations and claimed Brown suffered from cocaine and alcohol addiction, describing it as a “major issue” in their marriage.

It has also been claimed that Brown led an “extravagant” lifestyle and had “wiped out” a $50m (£39m) Spice Girls fortune.

Leeds-born Brown shot to fame in the 1990s as Scary Spice, and was the subject of her own reality show called It’s A Scary World, which documented her life with Belafonte. news.sky.com