Mel B's 'Flirty Behaviour' With Cheryl Apparently Drove Husband Stephen Belafonte Into A 'Fit Of Rage'

New details about Mel B and Stephen Belafonte's separation are coming to light, with a source claiming that he flew into a jealous rage over his wife's close relationship with Cheryl on the X Factor.

The pair of them are currently in the process of a divorce, with Mel alleging that her husband's abusive behaviour throughout their 10 year marriage eventually drove her to a suicide attempt.

A source told The Sun that her friendship with Cheryl prompted but one of those rages: “Mel was taken with Cheryl but it was harmless fun. She’d always come into her dressing room in hardly any clothes while holding her co-star’s hand and grabbing her bum."

“Once she even did it on the stage. It was nothing more than a a cheeky game among good friends but Stephen couldn’t stand it and went ballistic."

Having been blocked from the set of the X Factor, the source added: “He liked to be in total control of everything. He was deeply uncomfortable with Mel flirting with Cheryl because it didn’t involve him. The reaction was totally over the top but it prompted total rage."

Mel has since been granted a restraining order against her estranged husband, while Stephen has "vehemently denied" the allegations of abuse and insisted he's the victim of a "smear campaign."

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