Spice Girl Mel B aka “Scary Spice” has been teasing a mystery Spice Girls project, but the reason she’s doing the rounds is because she’s updated her autobiography Brutally Honest with three new chapters, which detail the aftermath of her escape from an alleged abusive 10-year relationship.
“I wanted to show the survivors that I’m with you on this journey, because … it’s hard getting out of abuse,” she tells ABC Audio. “And then it’s hard trying to pick up the pieces of your life after you’ve gone through such trauma.”
Mel B’s ex-husband has long denied all allegations made against him by the singer, born Melanie Brown. In a statement to ABC News in 2017, er ex’s lawyers described Brown’s claims as “outrageous and unfounded.”
In the new chapters, Mel writes about rebuilding her life in her native Leeds, England and trying unconventional methods to treat her trauma.
“People think, ‘Oh, you should be fine now, you’ve got out of that abuse.’ Well, it is good that you got out of the abuse, but then you have to go on a real honest journey with yourself,” she explains
“Because you’re full of shame, guilt, you have to put yourself back together. You have to learn to trust yourself. You’ve got a lot of relationships that you need to recover. So it’s not easy.”
Admitting that she went back to the ex she claims was abusive ex “six or seven times,” Mel says she’s sharing her story because “if we don’t start talking about it and making cultural change, we’re not doing us women any favors — because it predominantly happens to women.”
Still, Mel believes she’s a survivor and is looking forward to her next chapter, which will including that Spice Girls project.
“I can’t say what it is but I think the fans are gonna be really happy about it,” she tells ABC Audio. “It was meant to be last year, so let’s hope it gets out this year.”
(This story has been updated from an earlier version posted on 3/27/24).
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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