Melanie “Mel B” Brown has opened up about the emotional toll of a past relationship, detailing the “coercive control and manipulation” she endured. In a candid interview on the Feb. 3 episode of the Mad, Sad Bad podcast, the Spice Girls singer shared how she felt like she was “going mad” due to her ex-partner’s behavior.
Brown explained how small items, like her diamond earrings, would mysteriously move, leaving her to question her own memory. “I would think, ‘I know where I’ve put my earrings,’ but he would move them, then blame me for being irresponsible,” she said. She added that this constant gaslighting made her doubt her own reality, even questioning if she had put things in odd places like the fridge.
The singer described the emotional and psychological manipulation she experienced, revealing how it took years to trust her own instincts again. “For 10 years, you’ve been made to feel that whatever you thought was the opposite,” she reflected.
Brown emphasized how abusers often target victims during vulnerable moments, slowly breaking down their sense of self. “They love-bomb you, they show up like they’re your knight in shining armor and then slowly over time, they show their true colors,” she explained.
Despite the trauma, Brown shared her journey of rebuilding her confidence and learning to trust herself again, acknowledging that it’s a process many survivors face.
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