Spice Girls superstar Mel B was left speechless when she discovered she was being awarded an MBE.
The musician is being recognised for her ongoing support in raising awareness of domestic abuse and helping victims who are being abused by their other halves as well as being an ambassador for Women’s Aid.
Melanie, 46, first discovered she was being honoured by the Government after receiving a letter to her home in Leeds where she lived with her mum, Andrea.
However, Andrea Brown was left stunned and initially believed her daughter was in trouble after seeing Her Majesty’s Services on the envelope after it dropped through her letterbox.
(Image: FilmMagic)
The For Once In My Life songstress said: “My mum called me to say a registered letter from Her Majesty’s Service had arrived.
“She said, ‘Have you done something wrong, you’ve got an official letter from the Government’.”
Mum-of-three went on to tell The Sun: “I opened it and read it but I just couldn’t take it in, my mum was standing there saying, ‘Is everything all right?’ but I couldn’t speak for ages, then I just burst into tears, I felt so shocked and emotional.”
(Image: PA)
Melanie has publicly spoken about her own experience with domestic abuse following her marriage to Stephen Belafonte.
The singer said: “I got out of it and ever since I’ve tried to help other women — and men — who have been through or are going through abuse in whatever shape or form.
“And there was this letter saying the Prime Minister had spoken to the Queen about giving me an MBE.”
She added that her award was not for her but instead for women who have been through painful experiences, have died and are still suffering.
(Image: @someseedifferent/Women’s Aid)
The star has previously documented her own experience in her autobiography, Brutally Honest after feeling as though she had to be honest with her fans.
She explained that as Scary Spice, she and her Spice Girls bandmates stood up for Girl Power and wanted to empower other women to seek help and escape a violent relationship.
Her divorce from Belafonte, also 45, was finalised in 2017 after a turbulent marriage that Melanie says was filled with domestic violence, a claim which Stephen strongly denies.
As part of their divorce proceedings, all charges were dropped.
If you have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge’s 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
