Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Spice Girls star Mel B to enter rehab after PTSD diagnosis

Singer said she used alcohol to 'numb my pain' following her divorce from Stephen Belafonte

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Monday 27 August 2018 14:36 BST
(Getty)

Former Spice Girls member Mel B has revealed she is entering rehab after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The singer, whose full name is Melanie Brown, told the Sun on Sunday that her decision to undergo treatment following her recent divorce from film producer Stephen Belafonte, and the death of her father.

Brown was married to Belafonte from 2007 to 2017, separating in 2016. Following their split she filed a temporary restraining order against him, accusing him of physical, verbal and psychological abuse. A domestic violence trial was settled out of court in 2017.

"I am fully aware I am at a crisis point," Brown told the Sun on Sunday, adding that the treatment "has to be in the UK, because I am very, very British and I know that will work best for me". She added that she hoped she could "shine a light on the issue of pain, PTSD, and the things men and women do to mask it".

In her statement she said it had been "unbelievably traumatic" to relive what she called an "emotionally abusive" relationship [and] "confronting so many massive issues in my life from the death of my dad to my relationship with men".

"No one knows myself better than I do," she said. "But I am dealing with it. I love my three girls more than life itself."

She added: "I am speaking about this because this is a huge issue for so many people. I'm not perfect, and I have never pretended to be. But I am working on being a better version of myself for my kids, for my family, and for all the people who have supported me in my life."

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in