Stephen Belafonte has accused Mel B of squandering her Spice Girls fortune.

Stephen Belafonte and Mel B

Stephen Belafonte and Mel B

The 42-year-old producer and his estranged wife appeared in court in Los Angeles on Friday (30.06.17) - to battle over finances and custody of their five-year-old daughter Madison - where Stephen's lawyer made the astonishing claims.

According to Daily Mail Online, Grace Jamra said: "Their lifestyle was extravagant and affluent.

"She wiped out all her Spice Girls money, approximately $50 million if not more."

The couple have outstanding tax debts and Mel's lawyer Jacalyn Davis, admitted the debts were "sustained through improvident lifestyle choices".

She said: "They never had money at the end of the year to pay their taxes.

"All their community income was being spent and then some.

"In this marriage that would be Miss Brown's income from the Spice Girls.

"Prickly things happen when the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) doesn't get paid."

Mel was previously granted a restraining order against her estranged husband, after she accused him of abusing her, getting their nanny pregnant and forcing her to take part in threesomes.

She alleged the abuse started within the first year of their marriage in 2007 and became a "pattern" for the then-couple with Stephen allegedly choosing to "beat her down to let her know he was in charge" whenever she saw a spike in her career.

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