Revealing text messages sent between Mel B and estranged husband Stephen Belafonte in the days after their split have shown the bitter fall out between the married couple.
The exchange, which emerged in newly released court papers obtained by DailyMail.com, saw the pair row over Belafonte’s access to see daughter Madison, six, and step-daughter Angel, ten.
The texts show the former Spice Girl cut Belafonte off once she realized he wasn’t going to comply with her divorce demands.
Last week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Mel had battled cocaine and alcohol addiction after a shocking declaration by Belafonte was filed in court.
Explosive text messages reveal Mel B and Stephen Belafonte argued over his access to see daughter Madison, six, and step-daughter Angel, ten, at the height of their split (Pictured: Mel and her daughter Madison at Disneyland on Monday)
The messages make clear that Belafonte, 42, feared for the ‘safety’ of Mel’s three children due to her drug and alcohol abuse, but also shows the pair had planned to resolve the divorce peacefully
According to the declaration, the America’s Got Talent judge was said to have a ‘habitual and consistent’ addiction to the party drug and alcohol.
The declaration was accompanied by exhibit evidence of dozens of text messages between Beverly Hills marriage therapist Dr Charles Sophy, Mel, and Belafonte.
The revealing three-way exchanges – seen here in full for the first time – came at the height of the former couple’s troubles shortly after they had separated in March 2017.
And the messages make clear that Belafonte, 42, feared for the ‘safety’ of Mel’s three children due to her drug and alcohol abuse.
But interestingly, the texts also seem to contradict Mel’s legal request for a temporary restraining order against her ex accusing him of physically and emotionally abusing her during their ten year marriage.
She had alleged that she was ‘in fear’ for her life after a series of beatings and that Belafonte’s alleged abuse ramped up when her career was on an upswing.
But in the texts, sent before Mel, 42, made the bombshell claims, the star seems to want to resolve the divorce peacefully.
In the exchange, Belafonte asks for his children who he says were ‘taken’ from him, before accusing Mel of reneging on their alleged agreement in which he would have access to see his kids
The pair amicably discuss releasing a joint press statement about their split and Mel even asks her ex if she can pick up a child’s car seat from him for daughter Madison.
And in one convivial exchange on March 21 Mel even texted Belafonte about him spending time with his step-daughter Angel saying the ten-year-old was ‘excited’ to see him.
She wrote: ‘Angel is sleepy but ver (sic) excited to see you jut (sic) filling out extra paperwork at Madison’s school so I’m down the street.’
In another text involving the kids Mel asked Belafonte to ‘greet me at the car at 9am so it’s all nice ok stephen.’
Yet just weeks later, Mel filed legal paperwork slapping her ex with a domestic violence restraining order stopping him from seeing Angel and only granting him supervised visits with Madison, his biological daughter.
In his declaration, Belafonte hit out at his ex for her ‘unilateral and calculated’ decision to try to restrict his relationship with Angel.
The movie producer says a prior agreement that he could see his step-daughter Angel as well as Madison wasn’t maintained.
In the text messages, released as part of a filing at LA Superior Court, Dr Sophy is seen as ‘Dr Sofey’, Belafonte is ‘baby’ and Mel B is ‘Mother 2014’.
In a heated conversation, Belafonte tells the couple’s therapist, Dr Charles Sophy, that the two had agreed on sharing custody of their children
Mel responds by offering him a chance to Face Time her daughter Angel, who she was given full custody of since her split with Eddie Murphy in 2006
A source told DailyMail.com that all the messages submitted to the court have been authenticated by a smartphone forensic examiner.
After asking for his children, Belafonte accuses Mel of reneging on their agreement after she offers him a chance to FaceTime with daughter Angel and a scheduled visit to see Madison.
‘Dr Sofey we agreed on shared custody Of both of my children I will not be forced into visitation with my daughter for five hours!!!’ he says.
‘Dr Sophy that is not what we agreed upon Melanie now is coming up with her own thing where I don’t know where they are living for some strange reason as I’ve never been a threat to her or the children….
‘Also we agreed-upon equal visitation I’m not sure why Melanie is doing something so different than what we’ve discussed from the very beginning I’m not sure what result she’s trying to get out of this.’
Mel responds by saying she’s always had full custody of Angel, her daughter with ex Eddie Murphy, since the two split in 2006.
The former Spice Girl was seen picking up Stephen Belafonte’s daughter Giselle earlier this week
She then continues to suggest Belafonte video-call the ten-year-old and to visit the children during a six-hour window.
Belafonte responds: ‘I will respond to you regarding the children after I talk to Dr Sofey after church Melanie you’re not just happy with breaking my heart you want to stomp on it and pulverize it into the ground!!!’
During the conversations psychiatrist Dr Sophy, who was acting as an ‘intermediary’ between the couple, offers support and sends them an article about how best to explain divorce to children.
The former couple also discuss a press statement they had compiled to announce to the world that they were splitting but they remained ‘united’ as a family.
Belafonte was keen to see the statement released because he was being hammered in the press at the time.
The statement was to read: ‘After 10 years of marriage, we have mutually decided to make a change. We remain friends committed to loving and raising our children.’
The pair even discussed which happy family snap to issue with the statement.
Belafonte even admits he would continue wearing his ring ‘for a while.’
He later apologizes to Dr Sophy for his ‘attitude’ admitting the divorce is ‘ripping’ him apart.
‘[…]I’m trying to be the best I can because I never want to be my father,’ he says.
However, Belafonte quickly became frustrated after Mel put off the release of the statement until he agreed to sign the divorce papers.
At the time Belafonte was being slammed in the press over allegations he had beat up Mel around the time of the X Factor UK final in 2014.
The former couple also discuss a press statement they had compiled to announce to the world that they were splitting but they remained ‘united’ as a family
After the two agree on a joint statement announcing their split, Belafonte admits he’ll continue wearing his ring ‘for a while’
In messages on the afternoon of March 21, Belafonte responds to the news reports by asking his estranged wife to recall an incident in New York.
He wrote: ‘Mel do you remember in New York City when That guy shoved you and I mediately (sic) jumped out to defend you I would never let anyone ever hurt you still now but I am getting beat up this stuff is causing a lot of drama and problems in the media and is not good for the kids to hear about it this way we have not told the kids yet plus everyone thinks that we are in a big fight.’
Sounding increasingly frustrated that the children were still unaware of the split, Belafonte texts the group over and over again to ask when the press statement will be released.
He told the two that the kids would be ‘devastated’ if they found out about the split on the internet first, adding that everything that had been discussed with Mel at the beginning was going the ‘opposite way’.
He wrote: ‘I haven’t said anything negative I haven’t fought with Melanie I haven’t fought with anyone I have a said (sic) anything to the kids I’ve just been sitting here trying to give Mel exactly what she wanted was A peaceful divorce with no drama so can you please tell me what is happening?’
In a follow up message directed at Mel he wrote: ‘I didn’t divorce you you divorced me,’ adding that she wanted to ‘remain friends’ and didn’t want to have any ‘animosity’.
He added: ‘I’ve been treating it that way since you told me as I don’t have any other reason to think that you would be planning to try to screw me over.’
Text messages also revealed Mel had discussed her addiction with drugs and alcohol with marriage therapist Dr Charles Sophy, who acting as a chaperone for her daughter Madison (pictured) during scheduled visitation with her father
He later apologizes to Dr Sophy for his ‘attitude’ admitting the divorce is ‘ripping’ him apart and says ‘I’m trying to be the best I can because I never want to be my father,’
‘I thought we were all on the same page this morning but now I feel as there is something that is not being told to me. Melanie the reason you filed immediately it’s because you told me you wanted to have all of this divorce done and signed off by the time you go to your fathers (sic) funeral which is at the end of the week in the meantime the kids have not even been told yet and I know they were going to take this very hard.’
Belafonte says he’s worried the kids will find out about the divorce ‘without us telling them’, adding: ‘All we wanted to do was have a peaceful divorce remember I didn’t divorce you you divorced me and said you want to do it and remain friends that we didn’t have any animosity and I’ve been treating that way since you told me as I didn’t have any reason to think that you would be planning to try to screw me over.’
Ultimately Mel did have other plans.
Mel asks Belafonte to sign the divorce papers in order to release the public statement, but he points out that signing the documents would entitle him to ‘nothing’
In a separate stream of messages included in the court filing Belafonte shows heartbreaking texts received from his step-daughter Angel, whose biological father is Eddie Murphy
The joint press statement was never released because the couple didn’t come to a final agreement over the divorce settlement.
Belafonte had agreed to $15,000 a month in spousal support and a share of their Hollywood Hills home and Mel seemed happy.
But then Mel’s communication in the text exchanges suddenly dropped.
A source told DailyMail.com: ‘Everything was agreed, it got to the point where financial documents were about to be sent over and then Melanie just cut off all contact. Then days later she slapped Stephen with the domestic abuse claims, it was a real sucker punch, Belafonte was keen for it to all play out behind the scenes and amicably.’
Belafonte has fervently denied the abuse allegations and maintains that his primary concern is the children.
In a separate stream of messages included in the court filing Belafonte shows heartbreaking texts received from his step-daughter Angel, whose biological father is Eddie Murphy.
The messages state:
‘Hello Daddy.’
‘I love you.
‘Daddy??’
And a follow up message read:
‘Daddy.
‘Where are you,’ followed by a crying emoji.
In his declaration Belafonte accuses Mel of going back on her word regarding custody and working in ‘concert’ with Dr Sophy.
Belafonte said: ‘Petitioner and Dr. Sophy, apparently acting in concert, ignored my requests to see Angel, and instead, Petitioner stated, “The kids are so happy here at the house no drama at all,” implying that there was no trauma to the children as a result of the divorce.’
He added: ‘I was entirely shocked and disturbed that Petitioner had unilaterally decided to drastically change out agreed-upon custody plan…particularly during this difficult transition period.’
Dr Sophy is still involved with Mel, and was photographed acting as a chaperone for her daughter Madison during a scheduled visitation with her father Belafonte last month.
The TV doctor, who has appeared on a string of shows including on Dr Phil, Today, The View and CNN, is also the Medical Director for the County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services.
Yesterday yet more court papers dropped with Belafonte accusing Mel of wreaking ‘unimaginable havoc and damage’ on him and the kids in their bitter divorce battle.
Belafonte is trying to block the former Spice Girl’s bid to keep their upcoming domestic violence trial secret, the paperwork reveals.
Mel was granted a temporary restraining order against her ex after accusing him of physically and emotionally abusing her – and a trial, which she wants to ban the press from, is set to decide whether to make the order permanent.
Lawyers for Belafonte now claim she is using her celebrity to try and keep the trial secret because she doesn’t want people to know that she ‘lied and misrepresented facts to the court’.
His reps argue that it is unfair for Mel to ‘falsely accuse’ her estranged husband of abuse in a public court then have the case made secret before he has a chance to defend himself.