Simon Cowell is reportedly helping his good friend Mel B with a £1.8million TV contract, amid her bitter divorce battle with Stephen Belafonte.
The music mogul admitted the Spice Girls star is a ‘pain’ but ‘has a good heart,’ and confirmed he will keep her on as a judge on America’s Got Talent for another year.
And sources added that Simon, 57, is determined to support Mel through her divorce amid claims she has blown her £38 million fortune on her ‘extravagant lifestyle’.
Claims: Simon Cowell is reportedly helping his good friend Mel B finances with a £1.8million TV contract, amid her bitter divorce battle with Stephen Belafonte
Confirming that the AGT line-up will remain the same next year, Simon told Sunday People: ‘It’s been amazing with Mel.
‘I’ll be honest she can be a pain but she has a good heart. With this panel I wouldn’t change anything and I won’t be changing anything.’
The singer is expected to earn £1.8million from the new contract with Cowell, an insider told the publication.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Mel and Simon for comment.
Supportive: The music mogul admitted the Spice Girls star is a ‘pain’ but ‘has a good heart,’ and confirmed he will keep her on as a judge on America’s Got Talent for another year
Good friend: And sources added that Simon, 57, is determined to support Mel through her divorce amid claims she has blown her £38 million fortune on her ‘extravagant lifestyle’
Firm friends: Confirming that the AGT line-up will remain the same next year, Simon told Sunday People : ‘It’s been amazing with Mel’
Although sources claimed Simon is ‘insistent’ on getting Mel back on the AGT panel, the duo ran into trouble last month after he made a crude wedding joke.
Mel threw a cup of water at him during America’s Got Talent and walked off the stage after he cracked a crude joke at her expense.
After a disappointing magic act, Simon likened the routine to Mel’s wedding night – saying it had ‘not much promise or delivery’.
Mel stormed offstage in outrage and split her dress in the commotion, before branding the show boss ‘stupid’.
Divorce battle: Mel B, pictured with Belafonte in July 2016, has accused her estranged husband of ’emotional and physical abuse.’ She filed for divorce in June
Mel’s alleged new contract comes after claims she resorted to asking her friends for money following her financial woes and costly divorce from Stephen Belafonte.
According to the Mirror, the former Spice Girl put down a six-figure deposit on a lavish £1.5million mansion in LA.
She is reportedly afraid she will lose it, if she cannot drum up the remaining amount needed to pay for the pad.
Having reportedly blown her £38 million fortune on her ‘extravagant lifestyle’, a source claimed she ‘turned to pals’ for financial help, in the hope they will save her from losing any more money.
Earlier this month it was reported the 42-year-old had just £961 in one of her bank accounts, after squandering the £38million fortune earned from her pop career.
Tense: Although sources claimed Simon is ‘insistent’ on getting Mel back on the AGT panel, the duo ran into trouble last month after he made a crude wedding joke
Water disaster: After a disappointing magic act, Simon likened the routine to Mel’s wedding night – saying it had ‘not much promise or delivery’
Not impressed: Mel stormed offstage in outrage and split her dress in the commotion, before branding the show boss ‘stupid’
Mel has three children, including 17-year-old Phoenix Chi, whose father is her first husband Jimmy Gulzar and 10-year-old Angel Iris, who was fathered by her former lover, actor Eddie Murphy.
She also has a six-year-old daughter Madison with Belafonte.
The former couple are also battling over custody of their daughter and Belafonte has requested visitation rights to see step-daughter Angel.
The couple’s marriage fell apart after she filed for divorce amid claims her husband had been sleeping with the family nanny Lorraine Gillies behind her back.
She has also alleged her husband impregnated the 26-year-old, paid for an abortion and set up a sham marriage so she could stay in the US.
Spicy selfie: It comes after she took to Instagram to share a shot of her hairdresser Gary Madatyan seeming to kiss her neck in an intimate post
Loved up? Hairstylist Gary, whose shaved head and stubble have led fans to note he is the doppelganger of Mel’s estranged husband Stephen Belafonte, was seen kissing Mel in August
Meanwhile, on Friday, she raised eyebrows when she shared a shot of herself getting kissed on the neck by hairstylist Gary Madatyan after endless romance speculation.
Rumours of the apparent romance between Mel and her hairdresser Gary gained traction, after she shared a snap of him kissing her neck in a seemingly intimate Instagram post.
The British singer said in the caption to the photo shared with her one million followers: ‘The love of my life, thank you for believing in me.’
Her followers were quick to speculate that things had become ‘official’ with the hairdresser in the steamy new social media selfie.
Tattooed entrepreneur Gary, who has been known to donate proceeds from his hair salon to aid charities for victims of domestic abuse, was filmed kissing Mel as they partied at an MTV VMAs after party in August.
Proud mother: Mel has three children, including 17-year-old Phoenix Chi, whose father is her first husband Jimmy Gulzar and 10-year-old Angel Iris, who was fathered by her former lover, actor Eddie Murphy. She also has a six-year-old daughter Madison with Belafonte