Sharon Osbourne has praised her former work colleague Mel B admitting her marriage troubles had been brewing for "a very, very long time".
The former Spice Girl filed for divorce from Stephen Belafonte, her husband of almost 10 years, last month (Mar17), and on Monday (03Apr17), she was granted a restraining order against him, claiming she had suffered years of abuse.
Sharon, who worked alongside the singer on Britain's version of The X Factor, spoke about the allegations on her U.S. chat show The Talk on Wednesday (05Apr17), when she said the situation was "mental abuse" as well as physical and recalled a time when Mel had to take time off The X Factor amid rumours she had been hurt by Stephen.
“Three years ago, in the final two days of X Factor, she didn’t make the first day and she was in the hospital," she said. "And it was reported in all the papers that said ‘allegedly’ she’s been beaten by her husband. And she came back for the final day and she had a black eye and bruising everywhere, but she made the final.
“This has been brewing and people talking for a very, very long time,” she said. “You know what, she’s a good girl. She’s a great mother. She works her bum off.”
In December, 2014 Mel claimed she had to miss the first night of the show's final because she had been ill for days, but in new court documents has claimed she overdosed on Aspirin and when she regretted it and tried to call an ambulance, Stephen allegedly stopped her, locked her in a bedroom and told her to “die b**ch”.
The 41-year-old reportedly cut ties with her family as they didn't approve of Stephen, and her sister Danielle, who recently reconciled with her sibling, took to Instagram on Thursday (06Apr17) to celebrate her sister finally breaking free of her alleged abuser.
"8 years of abusive calls me and my mum have had stating we would never see Melanie again. I am laughing and celebrating as you were wrong," she wrote. "You are a sorry excuse of a man !!"
She also said she hoped Stephen and the estranged couple's former nanny, who he allegedly got pregnant, "go to jail and rot in hell !!"
In a series of hashtags she called him a "wife beater" "abuser" and a "devil man" and wrote their late father, who died in March (17), would be "dancing in his grave".
Stephen has strongly denied the allegations.
