Spice Girl Melanie ‘Mel B’ Brown was granted a restraining order against her estranged husband after filing court papers claiming he had emotionally and physically abused her for much of their 10-year marriage.
The British singer, said her husband, TV producer Stephen Belafonte, had beaten her and destroyed her self esteem, threatening to leak a sex tap to the media if she left him.
The request was granted on Monday and a full hearing is scheduled on April 24.
Belafonte has not responded to the claims and no lawyer or representative for Belafonte was listed in the court documents.
Brown, known as “Scary Spice” in the 1990s British girl group, filed for divorce last month in Los Angeles citing irreconcilable differences.
The couple married in 2007 and have a five year-old daughter.
Brown has two other children from previous relationships.
