'Spice Girl' Mel B reveals hobby that really helped after abusive marriage

Mel B says dancing was quite instrumental in improving her mental health after leaving an abusive marriage.

The former Spice Girls star, 51, was speaking at SXSW London, where she led a Zumba class, followed by a panel discussion about her personal journey and wellbeing.

“Because I had a 10-year very abusive marriage, when I got out of there, I had to piece my life back together,” she said during the Tuesday event, referring to her marriage to producer Stephen Belafonte. “Trauma doesn't really leave you and your body keeps that trauma in.”

Mel B said it was dancing that helped her feel free again and gave her a positive way to cope.

“I was trained as a dancer, but this is just so much more free and you can just put your own personality on it, and it's a good way of keeping fit and moving,” she said. “And that's what I love to do.”

She continued, “I think just moving and keeping some kind of movement in your body is so key to being healthy,” she added. “At the end of the day, who wants to be a couch potato?”

Mel B also encouraged others to find physical activity that suits them personally, whether it is dancing or another form of exercise. 

Mel B is now married to hairstylist Rory McPhee. The couple married in July 2024 after getting engaged in 2022. They first met through family connections, as McPhee is a longtime friend of her cousin.

Mel B also has three daughters, including Phoenix Chi Brown, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, and Madison “Maddie” Brown Belafonte, from previous relationships.