From today's decision by Judge Darrin Gayles (S.D. Fla.) in Belafonte v. Brown:
This case arises out of abuse allegations made by Defendant Melanie J. Brown ("Ms. Brown"), singer from the famed music group "Spice Girls," about her former husband, Plaintiff Stephen Belafonte ("Mr. Belafonte"), a well-known producer and talent manager. Ms. Brown is a resident of the United Kingdom, although she does some work in the United States. Mr. Belafonte is a Florida resident. The former couple has one daughter together, M.B., who resides with Mr. Belafonte in Florida.
Mr. Belafonte and Ms. Brown began dating in 2006 and were married from June 2007 until August 2018. Mr. Belafonte alleges that, following their divorce, Ms. Brown made 41 defamatory and false statements against him, including that he abused her during their relationship. According to Mr. Belafonte, Ms. Brown made the statements in her memoir, Brutally Honest, in her Instagram posts, and in public appearances. {As the Court proceeds on a motion to dismiss, it accepts the allegations in Plaintiff's Complaint as true.}
In Brutally Honest, originally published in 2018, Ms. Brown wrote that she knew "what it's like to be beaten down … punched, humiliated and isolated" and that she "was exhausted … by seven years of what felt … like constant emotional abuse, mind games, degradation, threats and sexual exploitation." Ms. Brown wrote that when she met Mr. Belafonte, she "had a house and a loft apartment in Los Angeles and a good career" and when she left him, she "had less than $1,000 in the bank." Mr. Belafonte alleges that Ms. Brown's statements and implications about him were factually inaccurate and demonstrably false. Around December 2022, Ms. Brown discovered that Malu Trevejo ("Ms. Trevejo"), a Miami-based recording artist previously managed by Mr. Belafonte, was suing Mr. Belafonte for alleged financial abuse. Afterward, Ms. Brown shared TMZ posts discussing Ms. Trevejo's case, which also contained pictures of Mr. Belafonte and Ms. Trevejo on her Instagram stories. Ms. Brown overlaid the posts with supportive messages including, "[t]his man MUST be stopped[,] "@malutrevejo your story is my story and I'm STILL living threw [sic] it[,]" and "@malutrevejo standing up for ALL the women he exploits and STILL abuses, that's me included let's stand strong together and stop his #abuse[.]" {The Court only provides a sample of the 41 defamatory statements alleged in the Second Amended Complaint.}
In January 2023, Ms. Brown embarked on a publicity tour in support of the release of the new edition of Brutally Honest, which was published in 2024. The new edition contains the original book's information and additional material. In support of her book, Ms. Brown appeared on popular U.S. television shows including, LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, the Tamron Hall Show, and CNBC. During these broadcasts, Ms. Brown repeated her abuse allegations about Mr. Belafonte. For example, during a January 18, 2023 appearance on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, Ms. Brown stated, "put aside … the physical abuse, the coercive control, the financial control, I was left just in bits and pieces." On March 26, 2024, while appearing on the Tamron Hall Show, Ms. Brown said, "I was not only abused on different levels, but also financially abused[.]" On August 30, 2024, in an interview with CNBC Conversation, Ms. Brown stated, "I've been abused on every single level."
The question at this stage is whether Brown is subject to the jurisdiction of a court in Florida, and the court said no:
