Friends of Melanie Brown today said the Spice Girl knew about her new husband’s past, as it was revealed he is a convicted wife beater.

Film producer Stephen Belafonte battered the mother of his three-year-old daughter in a “malicious and unlawful” drunken frenzy.

A friend of the singer said although Brown was shocked to hear about his past, she went into the relationship “with her eyes open”.

The friend added: “Mel knows he’s no angel.”

According to court papers, Mr Belafonte, 32, was charged with battery after he attacked his commonlaw wife Nicole Contreras at their home in 2003.

He was spared jail but had to take part in a ‘Domestic Violence Batterers’ Programme’.

He was thrown out of the course twice for skipping classes.

Three years before his battery charge, Mr Belafonte also pleaded guilty to vandalism.

He and Brown are said to be “deeply in love” and she has described him as “a rock” in her battle with film star Eddie Murphy over maintenance for their baby daughter, Angel Iris.

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In a statement released by his rep on Friday, the actor says he “acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms. Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy.” The statement continues: “Mr. Murphy and Ms. Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of ANY sort,” although Brown told Essence.com that “this was a completely planned pregnancy.”

Meanwhile Mel B. was spotted in Miami this weekend soaking it up!

Honestly, it’s hard to know who to believe here. Melanie has claimed that Eddie hasn’t given her a lick of child support, and we publicly saw Eddie deny paternity until there was a DNA test, but if Eddie’s statements about offering child support are true then that adds one more thing to the dramatic saga!  To be continued, I’m sure…

Seven years after splitting up, the Spice Girls have announced a worldwide comeback spectacular.

The girl band will kick off a world tour in America. The five - now all in their thirties - will start on 7 December in Los Angeles - the new home of Posh Spice Victoria Beckham and her family

The group, including Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton fell straight back in sync, striking familiar poses for the world’s media.

The reunion tour, which is set to hit London on December 15 and take in Madrid, Koln, Las Vegas, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires among others will certainly be lucrative for the Spices.

They are expected to pocket about $20 million each.

Mel C said of their reunion: “We wanted to say thank you to our fans. It just feels very right for us.”

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Eddie Murphy is the father of “Scary Spice” Melanie Brown’s 2-month-old daughter, Brown’s rep confirms to PEOPLE.

The results of the DNA test, which Murphy took on June 11, were received by Brown on Thursday afternoon, says rep Liza Anderson.

“He’s the baby’s father, it’s official,” says a source close to Brown. “The baby is undoubtedly, 110 percent his.”

Of Brown, the source said, “There was no doubt in people’s minds anyways, least of all hers. It wasn’t a surprise to her. She knew all along.”

Murphy’s rep declined to comment.

Brown, 32, gave birth to the baby, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, on April 3, and has long contended that Murphy is the child’s father.

She and the comic dated last summer, but in December Murphy told a Dutch TV show of Brown’s pregnancy: “I don’t know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test.”

In May, Brown told PEOPLE Murphy not only was refusing to take a paternity test but that he also had not contacted her since Angel was born: “He hasn’t seen his daughter. My people have contacted his people and they just had no response to anything.”

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Mel and Geri leave the Sanderson hotel hand-in-hand.

The Spice Girls pals and a flock of A-list stars turned out to celebrate David’s 32nd birthday in London.

Looking like a pair of well-dressed blonde Troll dolls, the couple partied with the former girl band, Gordon Ramsay and David Walliams at Mayfair’s Cipriani restaurant.

Firmly clutching his wife’s hand, the suited birthday boy showed off a pair of made-to-measure brown brogue shoes, which he bought earlier in the day during a shopping trip in London’s Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street.

He also treated himself to a £4,500 suit and a £14,000 watch from Saville Row.

Meanwhile Posh looked stunning in a simple black mini dress and leopard spot heals, with her blonde chop pushed back with a matching black hair band.

While the couple may have hoped all the attention was on their new wardrobes, the focus of the night returned to rumours of a Spice Girl reunion.

For the second time in as many weeks, four of the five singers were celebrating in the same room.

Last night Geri, a pregnant Emma Bunton and new mum Mel B were all in tow.

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Mel B introduces her daughter to Eddie Murphy on the cover of OK! Magazine.  Now that’s slick.