LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mel B requested that the court give her primary custody of the daughter she shares with her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte and order him to submit to drug testing at periodic intervals. The Spice Girls singer allegedly stated in court documents that she had "serious concerns about Stephen's ability to care" for their 11-year-old daughter, Madison.
Mel and Stephen were married from 2007 to 2017. The divorce was contentious as Mel accused Stephen of domestic abuse, which he disputed. Stephen currently has most of the custody. He and Madison reside in Los Angeles.
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To see her mother, the girl has to make a trip to the UK. Stephen has been accusing Mel of behaving erratically for the past few months, and he has even approached the court for a restraining order to stop her from drinking in front of their daughter. The performer has refuted his claims, as per reports.
Stephen recently requested court approval to relocate from Los Angeles to Miami. Mel has now responded to the inquiry. According to her request for primary custody, Madison should live with her mom 80% of the time and with Stephen 20% of the time, as reported by RadarOnline.
The singer said she was first given primary custody of Madison in the 2017 divorce. However, she said this changed once her work visa ran out in the summer of 2019, and she was compelled to go to the UK. Since then, according to Mel, Madison has mostly resided in California with Stephen, but she visits her mom during vacations and school breaks, as per reports.
'Moving to UK without Madison was devastating'
She wrote, "Madison's sisters, Angel and Phoenix, relocated with me to the UK, where we live minutes from nearly all of our friends and family. Moving to the UK without Madison was devastating for the girls and me. The three girls have always had a very close relationship and enjoy spending time together. Madison would thrive socially, emotionally, and academically if she were permitted to live with me and her sisters in the UK during the school year," as reported by RadarOnline.
She added, "I am confident that Madison's best interest would be served if she lived primarily in the UK with her sisters and me." She further noted, "I have serious concerns about Stephen's ability to care for Madison in a manner consistent with her best interests. Stephen continuously attempts to alienate Madison from her sisters and me."
'He refuses to co-parent with me'
Additionally, she accused Stephen of "often leaving Madison in Los Angeles in the care of a revolving door of various third parties." Mel said, "Stephen also lacks transparency with respect to Madison's living conditions, doctors' appointments, therapy, and schooling. He refuses to co-parent with me. For example, he has never provided me with any information about Madison's living situation in Los Angeles. I do not know whether Madison has her own bedroom, what her room looks like, or even where she lives, as he has lied about their living situation countless times," as per reports.
