Mel B is facing a felony investigation amid claims she tried to intimidate a witness in her bitter divorce battle with ex Stephen Belafonte.
The former Spice Girl is accused of sending threatening text messages to Siya Sherman, who was due to be called as a witness by Belafonte.
The rapper was expected to testify against Mel B, saying that Belafonte never physically abused her and that she frequently used illegal drugs, TMZ reports.
Mel B allegedly sent the texts last Saturday, before Siya filed a police report on Monday, leading to a felony witness intimidation investigation being opened.
Mel B (pictured left outside court last week) is being investigated for felony witness intimidation against a female rapper who was due to testify for ex Stephen Belafonte (right, at a charity dinner this weekend) in their bitter divorce battle, it is reported
Siya Sherman filed a police complaint on Monday alleging the former Spice Girl sent her threatening texts. She was expected to testify that Belafonte never physically abused Mel, and that the singer frequently used illegal drugs
Siya was also expected to testify that Mel B called the shots in three-way sex sessions involving Belafonte and their one-time nanny Lorraine Gilles (pictured center)
Siya was also prepared to testify about three-way trysts Mel B and Belafonte shared with others, saying it was Mel who called the shots during the sex sessions.
Sources close to Mel B deny any allegations of witness intimidation. Dailymail.com has contacted both women and the LAPD for more information, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The news came after lawyers representing Mel B and former nanny Lorraine Gilles fought over the former Spice Girl’s attempt to renew a temporary restraining order against Gilles.
Mel, 42 – whose real name is Melanie Brown – has been pursuing the TRO against Gilles because, she claims, the 25 year-old blonde German has been harassing her and ‘conspiring’ with the star’s estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, by threatening to release explosive and embarrassing sex videos of her.
Last week in Van Nuys court, Mel’s attorney, Larry Bakman, offered to dismiss the restraining order application if Gilles would take back her demand for Mel pay the many thousands of dollars in attorney fees the nanny has run up since the case was first filed last April.
Bakman also asked Judge Firdaus Dordi to legally change Mel’s civil harassment charge against Gilles to a domestic violence case – which is easier to prove than harassment – and to have the case transferred to LA’s downtown courtroom on September 25.
That would mean the case would be heard at the same time as Mel’s domestic violence action against Belafonte.
But Gilles’ attorney, Todd Eagan, who told the court that Mel and Gilles had been in a sexual relationship for seven years – during which there had been ‘no threat of violence toward Miss Brown’ – accused Bakman of ‘trying to derail today’s hearing.’
‘They are out to change the rules,’ Eagan said.
‘Miss Gilles has had a cloud over her head for a long time. All the witnesses are here and this issue needs to be resolved today. This case should have been resolved in 21 days, that’s what the statute says. Instead, it’s taken nearly six months.’
Eagan turned down Bakman’s offer to drop the civil harassment restraining order case in exchange for not pursuing Mel B to pay her attorney fees.
‘She is also entitled to seek her attorney fees,’ he added. ‘Miss Gilles has incurred a lot of attorney fees – she is not a multimillionaire.’
Last minute addition: Dressed in a dark grey suit, Belafonte was a last minute show-up, just before the Judge Dordi adjourned for the day
Both Mel B and Belafonte have admitted to having threesomes with their German nanny Lorraine Gilles (center) among others
The case was adjourned until another hearing on September 14.
Mel and ex Belafonte are embroiled in a bitter divorce amid allegations that the pair had threesomes with the nanny.
The former couple are also battling for custody over their daughter, Madison, six, and Belafonte has requested visitation rights to see his step-daughter Angel, 10 – a product of a brief relationship Mel had with movie star Eddie Murphy.
Movie producer Belafonte is scheduled to be a witness today in Mel B’s legal quest for a restraining order against 25-year-old German nanny Gilles whom she claims has been harassing her and ‘conspiring’ with Belafonte by threatening to release explosive and embarrassing sex videos of her.
Mel is also due to be called as a witness by her lawyer Larry Bakman, who showed up armed with eight boxes of legal papers on two hand carts.
Earlier DailyMail.com revealed exclusively that a bombshell video filmed by America’s Got Talent judge Mel showing her ex Stephen Belafonte having sex with another woman has been submitted as evidence in the couple’s divorce battle.
The sordid recording will be entered into court in among more than 2,100 exhibits Belafonte’s legal team plan to present at the domestic abuse trial later this month.
The video is described in the paperwork as: ‘Video clip, date currently unknown (Petitioner filming sex between Respondent and female).’
The Petitioner in the case is Mel B, while the Respondent is Belafonte.
Mel B is alleged to have shot a video of husband Stephen Belafonte having sex with another woman, although the identity of the mystery woman involved has not been revealed
The identity of the mystery woman involved in the sex tape isn’t known, but both Mel B and Belafonte have admitted to having threesomes with Gilles among others.
DailyMail.com understands that the sex video, in which Mel is allegedly the cameraman, is intended to dispel the star’s allegations that Belafonte forced her to have threesomes with other women.
Mel has claimed in court papers that her ex forced her to ‘participate in sexual intercourse with him and random women.’
The singer suggested that during their marriage, she was coerced into trysts that he secretly recorded and later used as ammunition against her, threatening to release as sex tapes ‘if she tried to resist the threesomes’.
Mel says she begged him to delete the tapes.
In the newly filed court documents an amended witness list has also been included.
And Belafonte plans to bring in a rapper called Siya Sherman to testify about Mel’s alleged drug use.
She’s one of 18 witnesses Belafonte’s lawyers plan to call and next to her name it states: ‘Ms. Sherman will testify to her personal observations of the interaction and dynamics between Petitioner and Respondent during the time period of 2012 – 2013, as well as Petitioner’s use of illicit narcotics during the same period.’
An amended witness list includes Australian stripper Siara Diana, 32, who has previously revealed she bedded the pair after catching their eye at a strip club in Kings Cross, Sydney – Siara said Belafonte was a ’gentle giant’ while Mel was the boss in the relationship
It’s believed recording artist Sherman, 30, is a long-time friend of the couple.
Earlier this week DailyMail.com revealed text messages filed in court that showed former Spice Girl Mel, 42, was addicted to cocaine and alcohol.
Also on the witness list is the couple’s nanny Lorraine Gilles – currently embroiled in a defamation suit with Mel – and the singer’s ex-husband, and father of her eldest daughter Phoenix Chi, 18, Jimmy Gulzar.
A stripper who publicly revealed she had a threesome with Mel and Belafonte in Australia is also listed.
According to the paperwork exotic dancer Siara Diande will testify as to the ‘circumstances surrounding the sexual interaction between Petitioner, Respondent and herself, in or about early November 2010’.
Diande, 32, has previously revealed she bedded the pair after catching their eye at a strip club in Kings Cross, Sydney.
During the threesome she said Belafonte was a ’gentle giant’ while Mel was the boss in the relationship.
She told an Australian news site that Belafonte was ‘really nice and respectful’ and that Mel B ‘didn’t seem to mind’.
‘I got the impression that it is Mel that wears the pants and is the boss in the relationship,’ she said.
Other witnesses listed in the papers include former assistants of the couple, security guards, accountants, an entertainment agent and even a waiter at a high end restaurant in London.
A 16-day trial has been scheduled for September 25 to hammer out Mel’s request for a permanent restraining order against her ex.
A source close to the couple told DailyMail.com: ‘Stephen is ready for the fight of his life to clear his name of the horrific allegations that Melanie has made against him.
‘He never wanted it to go this far, he was happy for an amicable split to get on with their lives and continue co-parenting. Now he’s having to fight for his reputation and the right to see his daughter Madison and step-daughter Angel.’