PROFILE - Melanie Janine Brown (Mel - B)

Melanie Janine Brown (Mel-B) (born 29 May 1975) is an English R&B and pop recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress, author, television presenter and model. Brown rose to fame when she became a member of British girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was famously known as "Scary Spice". Brown has been signed to a number of record labels during her career including Virgin Records, Independent record label, Amber Café and her latest record deal EMI Music, which she signed in judge for X Factor Australia in 2012.

The Spice Girls signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe", which hit number-one in more than 30 countries and helped establish the group as a "global phenomenon". Followed by their debut album, Spice, which sold more than 28 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album by a female group in music history. The band's second album, Spiceworld went on to sell over 20 million records world wide. They have sold over 75 million records worldwide, making them the biggest selling female group in history and also one of the Best selling music artists in the world. Brown is also known for supporting Girl Power and their global grosses estimated at $500–800 million between 1996 and 1998. Return of the Spice Girls was the band's comeback turn and said to have grossed US$100 million and won the Billboard 2008 Touring Award. Her net worth as at August 2012 is estimated to be £40.5m.

Brown began her solo career when she released "I Want You Back" with Missy Elliott. The single charted at number-one on the UK Singles Chart, followed by the release of debut album, Hot—the album also saw release of top ten singles "Tell Me" and "Feel So Good". L.A. State of Mind was Brown's second studio album, which saw release in 2005 and saw the release of only one single—"Today". Brown returned to television in 2011 when she joined the judging panel of the Australian version of The X Factor where she sat alongside, Ronan Keating, Guy Sebastian and Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She later became the co-host of the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars. It was later announced that Brown would appear as a guest judge on the UK's version of The X Factor after a replacement for Kelly Rowland had not been found. She also signed a global record deal with EMI for the release of her third studio album this year. The very popular host of "Its's a scary world" also revealed the release of the show's second season this summer.

While on the Spiceworld Tour, Brown began a romantic relationship with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. After she became pregnant, they married in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, on 13 September 1998. Mel B changed her stage name to Melanie G. Their daughter, Phoenix Chi Gulzar, was born in Westminster, London, on 19 February 1999. In 2000, Brown filed for divorce, which was finalized later that year. The custody battle for her daughter was highly publicized. Gulzar claimed Mel's breast implants and adultery were the reason for their split. Brown won custody, but had to pay an alimony settlement of £1.25m to her ex-husband. While living in the US, she had relationships with women, according to the Daily Mail. In 2006, Brown became the subject of tabloid stories on the basis of her relationship with Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy. On 17 October 2006 AOL claimed that Brown was having a baby with Murphy. In early December 2006, news came that Brown and Murphy were no longer a couple, and Murphy told a journalist of the Dutch TV show RTL Boulevard at the Dreamgirls film premiere that the parentage of Brown's unborn baby could not be proven until a paternity test has been performed. Brown gave birth to daughter Angel Iris Murphy Brown on Eddie Murphy's 46th birthday, 3 April 2007. On 22 June 2007, People reported the results of a court-ordered DNA test, confirming through Brown's publicist that Murphy was indeed the father of Brown's baby. Murphy then admitted paternity and indicated that he would reimburse Brown for the cost of the pregnancy.

In February 2007, Brown began dating long term friend and movie producer Stephen Belafonte. Brown and Belafonte secretly married on 6 June 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada and they subsequently renewed their vows with a lavish ceremony in front of their families on 8 November 2008 in Hurghada, Egypt. On 1 September 2011, Brown gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Madison Brown Belafonte. She is also a stepmother to Belafonte's daughter, Giselle Belafonte. She is an accomplished artist, wife and mother...