Credit: Greg DeGuire/WireImage.com
Melanie Brown and her new beau Stephen Belafonte.
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Click here to read Part 1 and to check out photos of Melanie Brown
This
is not a cautionary tale about baby mama drama. Melanie Brown, better
known as Scary Spice, the free spirit of the legendary U.K. pop quintet
the Spice Girls, is fed up with the rumors regarding her whirlwind
romance and breakup with Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy. After the comedic
actor publicly denied knowledge of the paternity of their 3-month-old
daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, Mel B is finally ready to have her
say. (When contacted for this article, Eddie Murphy's representatives
said, "We do not comment on Mr. Murphy's personal life.")
ESSENCE.com:
While I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out with Eddie, I'm happy to
hear you have a new man, film producer Stephen Belafonte. I have to
ask: Is he related to actor Harry Belafonte?
MELANIE BROWN:
(Laughs) Yeah, thank God I've known him for seven years, so I know that
he won't be detrimental or disrespectful. And he loves kids—he has a 2
1/2-year-old son. But no, he's not related to Harry Belafonte.
ESSENCE.com: Seven years is a long time. How'd you meet?
MEL B: We met on the film set of Talk.
We had a connection then, but at the time Stephen had a girlfriend and
I had a boyfriend. Throughout my pregnancy when Phoenix spent weekends
with her dad, I would go to this really cool spot in Mexico to
meditate. I realized that throughout the madness, I had to keep strong
and sane so that my baby would come out with the love and light
surrounding it. He has met my mum and kids, and they like him. He's
just a very caring and considerate person.
ESSENCE.com: I guess you were single and ready to mingle.
MEL B: No, I wasn't. When you're going through something like I did and you're pregnant, you really start thinking, That's it. I'm done with everyone—I just want friends. I can hold off on the physical.
So he became a really close friend of mine and really supportive. Then
one day he said, "You know, I've liked you for a long time." And I was
like, "Really? I didn't know that." That part of me got shut down,
which is what happens when you get hurt.
ESSENCE.com: How long have you two officially been dating?
MEL B: As far as a serious relationship, I would say that happened a couple of months ago.
ESSENCE.com: Are you two engaged?
MEL B:
No, I read that and laughed. I was like, "Oh, we are? This is the first
time I've heard of it." But we're very happy together. I don't care how
much money you have or don't have, just be a cool person who loves kids
and dogs.
ESSENCE.com: I read you had a power meeting at Mr. Chow with high-profile attorney Gloria Allred.
MEL B:
Yeah. My only concern is that Eddie has to be responsible. If that
means I have to hire a different lawyer and a female lawyer who only
has the mother's and baby's best interests at heart, and it's truly not
about the money, then you're my girl. If that's the route I have to go
down, then that's the route I'm going. Believe me, it's taken me three
months to even realize that, because like any mother I'm thinking that
the dad is going to show up and be responsible. Well, that's not
happening and that hasn't happened to date.
ESSENCE.com: As of today, Eddie has made no attempts to visit or call?
MEL B:
No. But that's all going to change because he has to take
responsibility. It takes two to make a baby and two to raise it. If you
have a baby with me, you will be in that child's life, whether it's
every week or once a year. I'm not going to have a baby and allow
someone to go underground. And I'm not talking about money—I'm talking
about the fact that Angel has a mum and a dad just like Phoenix has a
mum and a dad.
Continued on the next page »
Click here to read Part 1 and to check out photos of Melanie Brown
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