Why Did ‘America’s Got Talent’ Judge Mel B File For Divorce From Stephen Belafonte?

“America’s Got Talent” judge Mel B recently filed for divorce from her husband, Stephen Belafonte, after 10 years of marriage.

According to People, Mel B filed for divorce on Dec. 28 and asked the court to grant her and Belafonte joint custody of their daughter, Madison, 5. The Spice Girls member also requested to terminate the court’s ability to award spousal support to her estranged husband.

Mel B and Belafonte tied the knot in 2007 just after five months of dating. They have a blended family which includes the former’s two daughters from her relationships with Eddie Murphy and Jimmy Gulzar, as well as Belafonte’s daughter from his relationship with ex-girlfriend Nicole Contreras.

Meanwhile, news of the couple’s split came just a few days after Mel B’s dad, Martin Brown, passed away following a five-year battle with cancer. According to US Weekly, she has been estranged from her family for the past couple of years because they did not approve of her relationship with Belafonte. But just recently, the singer reunited with her sister, Danielle, to be with their father in his final hours.

As of late, it is still unclear why Mel B filed for divorce from Belafonte. But in 2014, reports swirled that the latter laid a hand on his wife. Mel B was quick to defend him by saying that Belafonte does not abuse her physically. Earlier this year, Mel B appeared on “The View” where she talked about Belafonte and said that she likes him a lot despite the fact that they do not have much in common.

Mel B will return to “America’s Got Talent” Season 12 on May while her divorce is still being finalized.