Mel B alleges abusive marriage left her with nothing, was forced to move in with her mom

Mel B of the Spice Girls says she had to eat some "humble pie" when she moved back in with her mom after leaving her allegedly abusive marriage and having "nothing" in her bank account.

The singer, 48, spoke with the BBC in an interview published Wednesday about leaving California and moving into her mother's bungalow in England after she filed for divorce from Stephen Belafonte, whom she has claimed abused her throughout their 10-year marriage.

"I wasn't just emotionally and physically abused, there was all the financial abuse too," she alleged. "I didn't realize that I didn't have as much money as I thought I had. So I literally had to eat humble pie, live with my mum."

Mel B, whose real name is Melanie Brown and is also known as "Scary Spice," filed for a divorce and a temporary restraining order in 2017. Belafonte has denied her allegations of abuse.

Mel B reflects on her marriage to Stephen Belafonte: 'I lost my family, my friends'

In a statement to ABC News in 2017, Belafonte's lawyers described Brown's claims as "outrageous and unfounded," adding that "this entire charade was nothing more than a smear campaign intended to cover up Ms. Brown's own conduct during the marriage in light of her current involvement with a family television show, and in an effort to unfairly gain leverage both financially and with respect to custody of the children."

Brown told the BBC that she had to use proceeds she earned from the Spice Girls' 2019 stadium tour on legal fees and payments to Belafonte. In a private settlement, she was reportedly required to pay her ex-husband $350,000, as well as $5,000 a month in child support. They share a daughter, Madison.

Mel B snaps during interview after statement from Stephen Belafonte denying abuse is read

"My mum was the kind of person that would say, 'Oh you've left him now, you're fine.' But that couldn't be further from the truth," Brown told the BBC, adding, "Obviously any situation is better than being with your abuser, but when you've left that kind of abusive situation, it's like starting all over again. You have to learn to trust people. You have to learn to trust yourself."

Brown previously told the Mail on Sunday's Event Magazine that during her marriage, she "lost my family, my friends, my self-respect and I almost lost my life." In her memoir "Brutally Honest," she described a 2014 suicide attempt and cocaine use, which she said were a means to escape her relationship.

But Mel B told BBC that she has now been able to buy her own home again after she "put my head down" and "lived frugally."

In an Instagram post in February, Brown described feeling "overwhelmed" after getting the keys to her new home, noting it had taken her "5+ yrs to be able to do this" after she returned home "with NOTHING in my bank account."

"I want to share it with other survivors like me coz all YOU survivors out there will know how emotional this moment is," she wrote, telling "all those survivors out there" that "you CAN reclaim your power Trust and believe."

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Contributing: Erin Jensen, Andrea Mandell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mel B says she had to move, live 'frugally' after Stephen Belafonte split