‘No way’ Mel B domestic violence trial will be delayed any further, rules judge
Written by News on 06/11/2017
There will be no more delays to singer Mel B’s domestic violence trial against her estranged husband, a judge has ordered in Los Angeles.
The star parted ways with her lawyers days before the trial, part of her bitter divorce from Stephen Belafonte, was due to go ahead.
According to filed court papers, there was a "breakdown" in communication with lawyers Susan Wiesner and Larry Bakman, which saw the former popstar film a commercial in Australia rather than attend a pre-trial deposition in LA.
Mr Belafonte’s lawyer Philip Cohen told Los Angeles Superior Court that the case should be thrown out and argued Brown was in contempt of court for missing the key legal interview.
However, Judge Mark Juhas ordered the trial be delayed for a week so it could still go ahead.
He added: "There’s no way we are not starting this on the 13th."
The 42-year-old mother-of-three is also seeking a restraining order against Belafonte, also 42, and their former nanny Lorraine Gilles.
Brown has accused her estranged husband of subjecting her to years of physical and mental abuse. The America’s Got Talent judge, originally from Leeds, also claims he drugged her throughout their relationship.
Belafonte denies the allegations and claims Brown’s "habitual and consistent addiction" to cocaine and alcohol led to their marriage breaking down.
The court has also been told the singer had "wiped out" her Spice Girls fortune worth $50m (£38m).
The trial comes after the pair married in Las Vegas more than a decade ago. Things came to an end as Brown cited "irreconcilable differences" and allegations of domestic abuse when she filed for divorce in March.
The domestic violence trial is due to start on 13 November, and will be followed by divorce hearings.
(c) Sky News 2017: ‘No way’ Mel B domestic violence trial will be delayed any further, rules judge
