Mel B to receive honorary doctorate for domestic abuse charity work

nme.com:

Spice Girl Mel B is set to be awarded an honorary doctorate for her charity work supporting survivors of domestic abuse.Mel B – real name Melanie Brown – will receive the doctorate from Leeds Beckett University during at ceremony that will take place next month.The musician detailed her own claims of domestic violence in her 2018 memoir Brutally Honest.Brown split from her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte in 2018 after a decade together.

She was later involved in a legal battle with Belafonte, who she claimed was abusive towards her and had threatened to release a sex tape in an attempt to destroy her career.

Belafonte’s legal team said her allegations were “outrageous and unfounded”.Brown has been vocal about domestic abuse in recent years, teaming up with Women’s Aid for a powerful campaign video in 2021. “It’s every woman’s story, it’s everybody’s voice, because we are dealing with an epidemic,” she told Good Morning Britain.In 2022, she was also made an MBE in recognition of her services to domestic violence victims.Spice Girl and Leeds Beckett student @OfficialMelB is to receive an honorary doctorate from LBU.The award recognises her role as a campaigner and advocate for domestic abuse victims, as well as her reputation as a globally recognised music icon.https://t.co/30Il9qJ7ZG pic.twitter.com/9xbILAN9oj— Leeds Beckett (@leedsbeckett) July 8, 2024In a statement about the doctorate, Brown called it “an incredible honour”.As per the BBC, Brown has also been studying at the university in her home city and said had completed a course in trauma-informed care.She continued: “Since leaving my marriage I’ve told friends and family I’d love to go to uni, but I don’t think people took it seriously,” she said.