Mel B says she wakes 'drenched in shame, sweat and fear' over 'abusive' marriage

dailystar.co.uk:

Mel B has said she still wakes up in the night "drenched in shame, sweat and fear" over her marriage with her ex Stephen Belafonte, who she has accused of being abusive.

The Spice Girl split from Stephen in 2017 after 10 years of marriage and has since alleged that he was physically and emotionally abusive during their relationship – which he has vehemently denied.

She has now told The Sun that what she went through has taken its toll. Mel, who is a patron of Women's Aid, said: "Nearly five years on I still wake up in the early hours with terrifying fragments of sounds and images flitting into my brain."Things I've tried to block float to the surface - things that can still make me feel drenched in shame, sweat and fear."Mel, 46, claimed that her ex made her feel that she wouldn't be believed, "that I had no proof, and that because drink, drugs and sex were all part of our relationship, I would be tarnished goods for life".The singer said that her self-esteem hit rock bottom and she turned to alcohol and drugs to try and self-medicate and dull the pain.Mel did end up splitting from Stephen five years ago and opened up about her experiences in her memoir Brutally Honest.She also won praise for starring in the harrowing short film Love Should Not Hurt in order to raise awareness of domestic violence.She told The Sun she felt the need to speak out because she realised that so many women were also going through it."We need to talk about it, deal with it and do everything in our power to see justice done," she said.Stephen has previously denied Mel's claims, with his legal team saying that the allegations were "outrageous and unfounded" and "nothing more than a smear campaign".For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily.