25 February 2024 , 09:54
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Spice Girl Mel B has opened up about painful electric therapy she went through to treat trauma caused by her abusive marriage.
The star has bravely revealed she had electro cranial magnetic therapy in the Balearic Islands to "rewire" the part of her brain affected by the abuse, to deal with ongoing depression and anger relating to her ex Stephen Belafonte. Mel B - known as Scary Spice - claims to have been abused financially, emotionally and physically, leaving her with horrific flashbacks after their split in 2017. The noninvasive form of brain stimulation is said to help patients deal with stored up trauma, but side effects can include pain, headaches during and after the procedure and sometimes even seizures.
Mel B and husband Stephen Belafonte split in 2017 (Getty Images)Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Mel B explained: "The machine would bang and brrr as magnetic waves shot into my head. It was intrusive."
She was given a grey cap to wear by the practitioner, before being brought to "floods of tears" by the painful procedure. Having tried more conventional talking therapies, plus hypnotherapy, tapping therapy and EMDR - Mel B says she decided to have the "extreme" treatment so she didn't have to bring horrific memories back up.
The 48-year-old mum-of-three wants to inspire other abuse survivors to keep going, and show them there's light at the end of the tunnel if talking therapy isn't working for them. She added: "Now I can honestly say it worked for me - and I am going to have another treatment."
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Mel B recently shared her heartache at only being able to see her youngest daughter, 12-year-old Madison, on school holidays, due to her custody arrangement with Belafonte. She also has a 16-year-old daughter named Angel from her relationship with Eddie Murphy and a 25-year-old named Phoenix from her marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar.
After her 10 year marriage to Belafonte ended, she moved into her mum's bungalow and had to share a bed with her three children, having been left with just £700 to her name after the divorce. She got back on her feet after a couple of years, but the US courts ruled that as Madison is a US citizen, she had to live with her dad Stephen, meaning Mel B only gets to see her in the school holidays.
Speaking about being away from her daughter as reported by The Sun, she said: "It is like having an arm cut off. She is my baby. I have spent a fortune on legal battles but at least she spends big chunks of time here. In the eyes of the court, I'm the big earner and have to pay his court fees as well as my own."
She is now a campaigner and spokesperson for Women's Aid, hoping to raise awareness of financial abuse in the court system.
*For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk