I’ve noticed something and maybe it’s just me; but Mel has that thousand yard stare almost, the look that comes usually with severe trauma. I’m so proud of her for taking the steps towards being happy again and taking her life back. She is a wonder woman and I wish her nothing but endless peace

This doesn’t just happen with ‘romantic’ partners it happens with parents towards their children too it’s everywhere

Amazing- phycological abuse damages the victim for a life time. Cohesive and narcissistic abusing is truly life threatening. Glad you’re rebuilding your life. Anyone who’s in that situation you have my heart 💜

She's hit the nail on the head. Abuse is awful.

Even a STRONG woman like Mel can be a victim of domestic violence. She’s a HERO for speaking out. #GirlPower

I think it's so great she's speaking out as with her public persona; confident and assertive, she is the last person you would think could be abused but it can happen to anyone.

Unless you've gone through it, and sadly many have, you can't fully understand. The brain washing, manipulation, love bombing, control and sheer terror you go through it can only be compared to hell. Please don't ever tell a survivor to "get over it" that trauma is for life. Mel you are a warrior! It takes courage and guts to speak out. You are never alone.

I can relate. My first relationship was abusive and toxic especially cause my ex did drugs behind my back. It’s been 6 YEARS since it ended and I’m STILL traumatized to this day! You never forget abuse even if you get over it.

We’ll done Mel!!!! She’s not wrong, it’s been nearly 16 years and I’m still dealing with the fallout! Proud of her for doing this and showing everyone however they identify that you are not alone ❤

As soon as she released her book, Stephen then sued her and tried as hard as he could to go to media and prove his innocence. And what's crazy is that people backed him up more than her. Good on her for continuously speaking up for herself x

This is so important and so incredibly brave. Melanie's points are bang on and people need to hear this.

I’m a 39 year old man and was physically abused by my mother growing up from as long as I could remember. I think the earliest I was 4 years old when it started, possibly earlier. Physical abuse continued until I was 12 or 13 years old but the emotional abuse continued until I was 34 years old when mum was on her death bed. A few years before I lost my temper and pulled my mum off the sofa onto the floor of which I wasn’t proud of what I did, she called police on me and I got a criminal record. She should have got a criminal record for abusing a child!! But she got away with it!!

Real men don’t use power, abuse, coercion, or trust against their partners. Only the weak, scared ones. Real partners bring love and humility to a relationship. Fair play to Mel for speaking out.

Prayers and justice to all victims out there ❤️

As someone who is fleeing from domestic violence right now i totally agree with everything she is saying here

Sending love out to others who have been abused. I’m so pleased she is sharing her story to explain how it really is and sharing the clear signs of abuse and control.

This is completely accurate, it happened to my Mom when she married my Dad, she called the police on him but nothing happened they say they couldn’t do anything about, I still don’t a 100% trust the police I don’t think they would do anything about domestic violence. My Dad was careful not put that much bruise on my Mom because he knew he can go to prison he knew he would be outed as a serial domestic abuser, he would threaten Mom whenever someone outside the family wasn’t present, stripped her naked in front of myself and my brother (I was 9 years old when this happened.) go through my Mom’s letters and refused to give them back to her, myself and my little brother had to take the letters quickly from the letter box 📫 before he get to it, chased away church ⛪️ people who came to see mom take the phone away from mom when she was speaking to her family, say my mom side of the family is mentally challenged or has autism despite no evidence to prove this and my mom father being a professor 👨‍🏫, he did do many things to my Mom at one point after arguments when Mom said she going to leave he brought myself & my brother to the living room told us to beg mom to stay but myself and my little brother kept saying we wanted to leave then he blackmailed us to stay with him sayings “If you don’t stay with me, I sell all your toys away.” (Myself and my brother loved to play a lot with are toys.) finally we decided to leave a decade later (my only regret about leaving my Dad is that we didn’t do it much sooner, that was a huge mistake, other than that leaving was the best thing that happened in my life.) for some weird reason he wanted to portray himself as a victim, spoke to my Mom side of her family (who he wouldn’t let my mom speak to.) and other family friends. At first they felt sorry for him but something he said (I don’t know what it was.) later lead to them understanding why we didn’t live with him anymore and some of these people (including members of my Dad’s own family.) cut off contact with him, they must have knew something was seriously wrong with him. At one point he recently blamed a family friend (who never lived with us.) for us leaving and having no contact with him to which this family members replied back “It’s your own fault that you don’t know where your kids are and that they don’t want anything to do with you!” For anyone out there in a abusive relationship please just leave.

Thank you for being so open and honest 💛

We need to teach our children/teenagers how to spot early stages of an abusive relationship like subtle red flags. I know its a lot more complicated than just knowing whats signs to look out for sadly

She lost custody of her daughter to her abuser. I think that's horrific. She's right about the abuse aspect of it never leaving your mind. The other Spice girls didn't know, but they realized they never liked her partner.

Shes so brave for speaking out

This breaks my heart. I grew up watching and marvelling at Mel B, how energetic and happy she was. She still is energetic - a woman with a fighting spirit. Her story is a reminder that domestic violence can happen to anyone. Take care beautiful lady. So many people around the world love and admire you xx

She has hit the nail on the head. Police need to be educated. I had a domestic abuse situation where I had to call the cops and they interviewed us together.

So glad she is speaking out. Before you get in a serious relationship see how that person treats other people, even strangers, find out what their family relationships are like. How are they treating you? If they have come from an abusive home, then they are likely to repeat that behaviour and think that is the way to handle situations. Don’t expect them to change, they won’t unless they really want to and are willing to put the work in to do so.

Oh Mel, so very very sorry that happened to you... heartbreaking. You're an amazing woman, thank you for raising such important points... you have a voice that will be listened too and is 100% supported ❤

I was always scared to talk about it. Seeing her talk about it is just amazing. It take’s amazing courage to break free from abusive partners

This is probably the most connected I've ever seen Mel be to the thing she's talking about. I'm so used to her spacing out, getting defensive or aggressive, or putting on a character that makes her seem stupid. But she's speaking SO honestly, clearly and passionately here. It makes me realize how many times over the years her "persona" may have been influenced by trauma, covering up for abuse, being distracted by what her partner had done or said (or what he might say when she got home), or honestly, by painkillers she may have taken for injuries. Watching this interview is like seeing Mel B for the first time in a way.

It stays with you and it invades your thoughts and dreams. Its hard getting over it and i cant believe I stayed in such an abusive situation ,just thinking about it breaks me I wish there was a pill to take and just erase all the memories..GOD BLESS YOU MEL

Abuse doesn't have an age or face. I was abused at 14-15 years old by my first official boyfriend. It can happen right in the burbs... from a 2 family top income earning household. When I tried to leave he tried to kill me. He still stalks me til this day. Im in my late 40s. Learn to protect yourself ladies

I was in it for 10 years also. He spit in my face, threw me on the ground and began strangling me. It was only the angels that caused him to get off of me. But it started with him yelling and cursing( emotional abuse), him taking money out my purse (financial abuse) then a mush across the head, then a slap… It started at 16 years old. I didn’t even realize it was abuse. Leaving a home where there was neglect and I was never told that I was loved it was easy for me to fall into the arms of Dr. Jekyll Nr. Hyde. Which is why we need it to start in the homes, we need men who love us and want nothing from us to vet who we are entertaining as a potential mate. We need to do our homework on people and fast and pray so God can give us signs that we won’t miss…and we need to not move into sex before we are sure of the person so that our judgement won’t be clouded with lust. Glad she made it out. This is why I wrote my book, “Sis You Ought To Choose Better” we have to value ourselves and choose ourselves

This is exactly well said. Thank you for sharing and finding the right words to explain it. I went through abuse for more than 10 yrs. I still have trauma. When I finally left, he stalked me, I put complaint... he finally brutally assaulted me. I almost lost my life before one of my kids! I am alive. But the trauma I endure, the fear of the constant threatening, the fact his own friends was afraid of him... it was impossible to leave, my legs became blocked. I felt like I had been under brainwashing. Just him calling my name was making me feel sick. I was afraid to talk when I slept. I was accused of cheating even when I was pregnant. Some ppl out there are evil, nasty, low life and failures! And I hate all he said and did to us. Abusers should always do at least an 8 yrs prison !!!

My sister Cheryl abused me emotionally and physically. When i moved in with her because i was severely depressed, after my depression went away she would tell me what to wear before going to the Ensemble theater in Houston. She didn't like the outfit that i was going to wear. She didn't like outfit which i have worn at my clinic. She said you are not going to embarrass me by what i was wearing. I could believe that she was telling me not to wear the outfit that i always wore at work as a physician. I no longer live with her..She has been on social security disability for about 6 to 7 years. I love my sister but i will not stop talking about my abusive family.

Well done, Mel! Only saw this today. This is terribly relatable to a lot of women.

Thank you so much Mel B for speaking out about your experience! So many people unfortunately have had similar experiences. Seeing someone who is in the public eye also having dealt with this makes survivors feel less alone.

I can’t believe any man was able to make our Mel B feel this way. Such a strong woman broken down by that loser, who did not deserve her.

She deserves to be healed. So sad but so happy she is getting the space to speak out and continue to heal.

Thank you so much for sharing your survival story of domestic abuse. This reminds me that leaving my marriage was for the best, even if it means being a single mom to 3 young children.

I was in relationship for 7 years with my ex. Who Physically and Mentally abused me. I blamed my self and stay away from People cause he got in to my head that i could not trust my family and friends. 3 years on i struggle to trust men and Have not dated

Love how open and vulnerable she is. I’ve been there and it’s not easy to leave or heal

Thank you Mel, I encourage you to keep speaking about domestic abuse, and making people aware there is not even help out there, especially for recovery from these individuals. You are helping so many people, please don’t let anyone devalue you or Silence you. Xxx💖🙏🏻

Thank you for speaking out Mel.

Thankyou Mel B for speaking out and being a voice for all silenced victims ❤️ It's not easy for anyone to do no matter who you are as you know because of the way victims are further traumatised for being a victim in the first place

Since 16, I haven't spoken publicly about the abuse I faced.

A lack of self worth can take a very long time to discover and work through.

I was in it for 10 years too. But I didn't accept it was abuse for years because he only Threatened me verbally,he never ACTUALLY hit me

I didn’t call police because you scared they won’t help you and the abuser gets more angry. So you get more scared. Too many painful memories, it makes me cry

Glad that she is doing much better and has the courage to share her story! God bless!

When I did report my abuse to the police after I left I got a voice mail message from the police (my mental health was severe that I was scared to answer the phone), saying "we've interviewed your partner she says you play rugby so you can look after yourself". I couldn't believe it and it was a lie because I hadn't been to the club for a couple of years due to being in that relationship

I absolutely love the Spice Girls. It's hard to listen to what she's gone through 💔 There are so many people who genuinely care about her but I guess none of that helps to empower you when you're in a relationship with someone who makes you feel worthless.

Such an important message to share from such a strong woman. My son suffered years of abuse from his partner, police need to do better, be taught better.

I'm so glad that Mel B got out of that situation is is talking about it and processing her pain and trauma. I hope that she is getting professional help and taking care of her children well.

Anybody, man or woman, being abused should report it. I hope police take it all seriously, be it physical or psychological abuse. Those statistics would look different if men reported their abuse as well.

I absolutely loved what the Spice Girls stood for. I remember “Girl Power!” being a part of their brand as they were seen as fierce, strong, capable, supportive women. They still are to this day. I’m glad Mel spoke out about this. I think we need to understand how best to teach females what it looks like and truly means to be respected and valued. What love looks like and what should not be accepted, tolerated, or allowed. What it means when someone says or does something to you and how to combat it. This could mean the difference between life or death.

With her confidence oozing with everything she does,I never thought she could live with an abuser for a minute.When I think of confident people,she always come on the list, its an example that this can happen to any women,ANY. Thank you for speaking up Mel,I respected you more.

My mother was awful to me all my life…i was unable to escape for years..

Thank you for speaking the truth Mel B. You are still powerful.

one of the reasons people stay in the relationship is because it's not always possible to leave wether that be for practical or emotional reasons. It's not about making a decision it's about lots and lots of things that are real inside that relationship. The help isn't always available due to budget cuts and demand for services.

😢 this almost brought me to tears as a survivor of domestic abuse her sharing is both brave and heroic 😮 thank you for explaining the truth of how there isn't much done of this crime 😢 we need more advocacy and legal change in the system

No more filler and surgery please!

Brave woman

For those of you who haven't read her book, check it out. It was a raw account of her situation, it made me cry. I'm so proud of Mel for surviving, not every victim has that fate.

Abuse leaves life-long triggers. Yes, you definitely may get your power back. And you will make it. But it’s a haunting memory of betrayal from who is supposed to be trustworthy.

I couldn’t stop crying while listening to Mel and to even think I wanted to name my first after Mel and I still love her so much she’s really a strong woman

But the problem is. The police don’t know who is telling the truth, or not.

People assume women with big personalities, who are seemingly confident and who are fiery don't get abused however, on the contrary, for many abusers, especially Narcissists look for those characteristics in their victims, it becomes a challenge to them, to "tame the lioness" so to speak.

I'm a man and I suffered abuse from my, now ex, wife. I have ptsd and still need therapy.

Mel has always been my favorite spice girl ! It's sad to know she's gone through abuse ! Mel you are loved by millions of ppl don't ever lose that fun spirit we all love ! God Bless You..

The situations "that will never leave you" is so true. I 'm still haunted and affected and it was 12 years ago.

Thank you Mel , this is so imporant

Love that she spoke on this, don't let abuse own you, own it instead. Love and respect for her, this is a hard subject

Trauma stays in every cell of your body.

I am so sorry!

Wow, I am so surprised that this strong woman was abused the way she describes. It’s amazing what abuse can do to us. It robs us and steals our souls.

Good for you, Mel, for speaking out about your experience. It will help many people. Whatever you may have been told in the past, you are one classy lady. You have taken control back. The world is your oyster and I wish you well. X

Your Soul carries the scars from Domestic Abuse. Beyond heart rendering. Australia.

“The abusers just get away with it” ummm they get away because just like she said the abused don’t report it! I guess I will never understand because of a man looks at me wrong I’m out!!!

She’s hurting. It’s so sad. Men like that deserve to be punished

She look so different she must have had an face lift.

Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. We need to be strong like this and speak out.

It made me cry the way she describes abuse and how exactly as she says the justice system cannot be trusted. She is speaking for many oppressed people all around the world. Spicing things up in a more sociological way. Spice it Up!

Aw, I never knew this. A friend's husband controlled in all ways. She wouldn't stop divorce proceedings so he claimed she was insane. She had to go through psychological assessments plus get friends to write affidavits that they never witnessed any strange behavior. All that heartache plus money just to have the truth come out anyways. The husband was abusive, drug addict and had a mental illness and threatened to kill my friend. And the poor kids had to visit this animal as per the justice's ruling. He abused them too.💔

If anybody is a victim, and they don’t call the police, the perpetrator will get away with it 100% of the time…it’s as simple as that!

I’m so happy she is speaking out and sharing her story . ❤❤❤❤

We also need to be able to trust social services. After recently leaving an abusive relationship I felt targeted by them, terrible false reports... my children being interrogated every week in school & at home!!! And this too can put people off of contacting the police when children are involved. Man or woman... mum or dad... They need support, understanding & encouragement! 17 police reports later before I finally felt able to say NO I'm not living like this anymore, we're not living like this anymore. The entire system needs a wash out especially life threatening issues like abuse. Good on you Melanie!!! You're making such a big difference. Keep going x

I have so much respect for this lady ❤

what a wonderful down to earth woman. so proud of her. x

She wouldn't report domestic abuse to the police?!? What planet is she on. Ridiculous

It's not only Marital but also Inter Family, Friends and Work Domestic Violence. Narcissism is an Epidemic and a lot of these Narcissists don't know or even realize how evil they are towards others.

No matter what Mel B would do EVERY PERSON, male of female may decide their boundary is reached, the same or later than she did. When the decision is madecirrelivant. When one releasizes their value is greater than the abuse we need to stand with them and help the person realize their value.

I 100 know she is telling the truth!!! I went through the same.

I called the police twice and they did NOT take it serious, did nothing to help and joked around with my husband at the time. Its pointless

She was perfectly happy to move to another continent knowing that meant her youngest daughter would remain in full custody with her ex. Either she's lying or she's a terrible mother to leave a child with an "abuser". The judge didn't believe her claims. She's more concerned with getting attention for vilifying her ex than protecting and loving her youngest daughter. That says everything.

Kudos to Mel for being extremely open and honest about the abuse she suffered, especially given the ‘girl power’ mantra that she and the other girls espoused. She has a great platform for speaking out and helping those women who are suffering - showing you can get out and move on.

Love this woman for using her platform and speaking out you can tell she is a genuine person hope she knows her worth now😊❤

Sorry to hear of the abuse she took. Wishing her well. Blessings 🧁🧁

I bet I'm many of thousands of women who grew up idolizing Mel but had zilch idea of what she was going through

Thank you for speaking out. I had 15years of it. Its so validating to hear you. It would wonderful if there was greater awareness and understanding.

I once made the mistake of contacting the police. I ended up feeling more abused by them than what I’d contacted them about.

Wow, thank you Mel for bringing this to our attention. People are predators and they come in all forms. Best to read these signs and say, No and walk off.

She describes it very well. 💯