BY: Walker
Published 15 minutes ago
Stephen Belafonte, ex-husband of Melanie “Mel B” Brown, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Spice Girls singer, claiming that her allegations of abuse against him are false and part of a “deliberate” campaign to “destroy” him.
Mel B pleaded with a federal judge to press pause on her turning over bank records and answering questions about drugs as part of the $5 million court battle with her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, In Touch can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Mel B, 49, asked that she not be forced to produce the requested documents and information that Stephen requested until a decision is made on her motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
The singer said Stephen sent over a list of documents he wants her to produce and questions he wants her to answer. She said the requests include demands for “sensitive financial records dating back eighteen or more years.”
On top of that, he also asked for a list of every Amazon purchase she “made or directed others to make” for ten years beginning in 2007.
Stephen also asked for Mel to turn over any communications with third parties related to her claims he physically abused her or sexually assaulted her.
He also asked for notes related to her memoir, profit and income for her book sales and certain documents concerning Mel’s bank account, credit card statements and other financial information from 2007 to 2017.
Stephen also asked Mel to “identify all drugs you took from 2007 to 2017, including illicit drugs, regardless of whether the drugs were prescribed by a doctor.”
Mel’s lawyer argued, “While proceeding to discovery in this case would occasion significant costs, a temporary stay would produce virtually no harm. The best evidence for that fact is that [Stephen] himself has shown little urgency in either initiating suit or prosecuting the case he brought.”
On April 3, the judge granted Mel’s motion to stay discovery in the case until a decision is made on her request to dismiss the entire case completely.
As In Touch previously reported, last year, Stephen sued the Spice Girls star for allegedly spreading lies that he abused her during their marriage, which lasted from 2007 to 2017.
He accused her of falsely accusing him of “crimes and horrific offenses, including physical beatings, rape, financial abuse, emotional abuse, sex trafficking, and illegal gun possession.” Stephen slammed Mel’s memoir, Brutally Honest, which he claimed portrayed him negatively.
Stephen’s suit read, “From lying to the courts and the public about [Stephen] beating her, causing a split lip and swollen face … [Mel] has been profiting off of her public lies as she portrays [Stephen] as a ‘monster’ on global television and media appearances.”
He demanded $5 million in damages for the alleged harm to his reputation.
She stood by her allegations. The entertainer’s attorney said his client had “endured [Stephen’s] physical and emotional abuse during their tumultuous decade-long marriage.”
Mel’s lawyer said his client “escaped [Stephen’s] all-encompassing grip on her life with the help of the courts. And after the couple divorced in 2017, [Mel] devoted herself to protecting vulnerable women around the globe using the most powerful tool available to her — the same one that made her a star — her voice.”
Mel, who is a citizen of the United Kingdom, also argued that she has no ties to Florida, where Stephen filed his lawsuit. The case is ongoing.
via: In Touch Weekly
