Essence

Credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage.com Melanie at The Beckham's "Welcome to LA" star-studded party on July 22, 2007.

This is no cautionary tale about baby mama drama. Melanie Brown, better known as Scary Spice, the free spirit of the legendary UK 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. In part 1 of an exclusive two-part interview, ESSENCE.com spoke with Brown about her upcoming Spice Girls reunion tour, the wedding she'll never have with Eddie, the media frenzy that has interrupted her life, and surviving single motherhood. (When asked to respond to this article, representatives for Eddie Murphy said: "We do not comment on Mr. Murphy's personal life.")

ESSENCE.com: Congrats on the Spice Girls reunion!

MELANIE BROWN: Thank you. We start rehearsing in November and our first concert is in Los Angeles this December. We will be touring six continents, 11 cities and eight countries and you can go online and register your country to be considered as a tour stop. More than 3 million people have responded so far, and in L.A. alone we have 800,000 people that want to see the show, which is mind-blowing!

ESSENCE.com: But with more than 40 million albums sold, why are you so shocked?

MEL B: It's just surprising to learn that so many people want to see the show. Not only in America and England, but worldwide it's like serious stuff. So far the response has been brilliant.

ESSENCE.com: What are you looking forward to the most after nearly a decade of not performing together?

MEL B: (Laugh) Don't say a "decade." That makes me feel bloody old. Seriously though, I'm just looking forward to getting back together again. The five of us share this inexplicable bond and connection. Itıs like being on a high hanging with four of your best friends that completely have your back. I think women deserve to share that kind of connection with their girlfriends.

ESSENCE.com: So you don't think things will be different?

MEL B: We've all matured and are at a different stage of our lives—we're way more relaxed and mature. We've all been married, divorced and had children. We will have seven kids on tour with us so weıre not going to be partying.

ESSENCE.com: I'd like to switch gears and talk a bit about your relationship with Eddie Murphy, the father of your 3-month-old daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown. First, how did the two of you meet?

MEL B:At the end of last May, I had just returned from a trip to Hawaii. We met through mutual friends at a group dinner and just hit it off that night. Afterwards, we didn't spend much time apart.

ESSENCE.com: So you two jumped right into a relationship?

MEL B: Not really. We took our relationship slowly physically, but mentally we were right on point with each other and became really good friends. When you live a life through the media like both of us have, you instantly have a connection and a mutual understanding, especially when you're not all "Hollywood." Eddie wasn't then so we were just two cool people enjoying time together.

ESSENCE.com: It's also been reported that you attended a barbecue last July, and that following August you accompanied him and his five children on a family vacation to Hawaii with your eldest daughter, Phoenix Chi. Was your purpose to bond as a blended family?

MEL B: My whole point was to introduce the kids and have them spend time together. We went on vacation with family and friends and everyone got along like a house on fire, which was lovely. My big thing is if my kid doesn't like you or your kids then it's a no-go. Trust me, if my daughter doesnıt like someone then I donıt like them. It's as simple as that.

ESSENCE.com: I also hear that his brother, Charlie Murphy, gave you the thumbs-up while your mom also approved of Eddie.

MEL B: Yeah, he spoke to my mum on the phone when I was in London and reassured her, because my mom had never met him. I held a big dinner party in Los Angeles so my dad could meet him and my dad really liked him. My mum said, "Eddie and I didn't shake hands, but everything's fine."

ESSENCE.com: Did you ever live with him in his Beverly Hills mansion?

MEL B: No, I have property because I have to keep my child's lifestyle somewhat regular. I wasn't going to change up my lifestyle that quickly. But my daughter was being homeschooled at his house with two of his kids, so I was there most of the time.

ESSENCE.com: Really? Whose decision was it to have her homeschooled?

MEL B: Well, my daughter was getting behind in her regular schoolwork so he suggested that she be homeschooled. On his property they have a whole classroom setup. So I let her attend for about a month and when she caught up to speed with her work she went back to school.

ESSENCE.com: How did you two officially break up?

MEL B: There was no official breakup. I went to London and on my return flight I learned that he made that announcement about wanting a DNA test on that TV show. Then I saw him on the red carpet with Tracey Edmonds and that's when I knew we were over.

ESSENCE.com: Whoa, what a way to find out. What was your gut reaction?

MEL B: I laughed because that wasn't the guy that I knew who told me he wanted to have a baby and get married. I just didn't believe it. I had my lawyer send me the link for the clip of that Dutch TV show. I had to see it to believe it. When I saw it my heart dropped down to my gut. Obviously, there was something within him that I didn't know. Then I thought, If that's the kind of person that he truly is, then I'm better off by myself. I had to switch gears because I had press outside my property walking up to my front door. It was awful because I was pregnant. Eddie and I were extremely low-key; you didn't see me going anywhere with him maybe once or twice. One of the reasons I moved to this country was to avoid the limelight so I could take my kid to the park and do my grocery shopping. So to have him embarrass me worldwide and have press knocking on my door—frankly, I was pissed and I was like, "Thank you! You have now put me in a whole different lifestyle where I have to have security, move to a new house, and move my kid out of the school she attended." That was no fun.

ESSENCE.com: Did you still think it was a joke after watching the clip?

MEL B: No, it wasn't a joke because I saw the link and I heard what he said and then I saw the pic, actually I wouldn't allow myself to look at it--he was on the red carpet with another woman.

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