Mel B and ex-husband Stephen Belafonte have differing accounts of Eddie Murphy’s relationship with his daughter. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)/Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Actor Eddie Murphy apparently is uninterested in seeing the daughter he shares with Mel B, but older documents state otherwise.
While Mel B and ex-husband Stephen Belafonte attended Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, March 14, the Spice Girl attempted to block her ex’s attempts at seeing 10-year-old Angel, whose biological dad is Murphy.
The Daily Mail reported Belafonte is seeking step-parent visitation for the child whom he says “has called me dad since she started to talk.” Grace Jamra, his attorney, said Mel has been unsuccessful in reaching Murphy to discuss her ex-husband’s request.
According to Jamra, Murphy’s lawyers say he is “not interested” in seeing Angel.
“Mr. Murphy has had no contact with the child,” she told the court, adding she tried to serve the comedian legal documents but “Mr. Murphy is avoiding service.”
However, a March 6 report from The Blast says Belafonte meddled in Murphy’s relationship with Angel, and yet father and daughter have had a “flourishing relationship.”
Documents obtained by the website said Belafonte wanted Angel “to have nothing to do with” Murphy while they were married. She also alleged that she tried to set up a meeting between dad and step-dad but Belafonte took her phone and sent messages to Murphy’s assistant as Mel slept.
“As a result of Stephen’s actions, Angel’s father canceled the visitation and did not want to have any interactions with Stephen,” the singer’s documents say, adding, “to this day,” Murphy doesn’t want anything to do with Belafonte.
She further alleges that the “childish action only sought to delay Angel’s unification with her biological father.”
And in direct contradiction to what Belafonte’s attorney claimed in court, Mel B said that upon reconciliation with Angel, “Eddie gave her the biggest hug and repeatedly told her how much he missed her and how much he loves her.”
Angel also now attends the same school as Eddie’s other children and the report said the 10-year-old “is thriving in the new school, and her demeanor has changed completely since separating from Belafonte.”
These developments follow accusations from Mel that her former spouse made their children watch ISIS beheading videos, which Belafonte denied. He also claims Mel has violated thier custody agreement and is prohibiting him from seeing Angel.
“I strongly believe that Brown’s abrupt decision to cut off all ties between Angel and I has been emotionally traumatizing and detrimental to Angel’s mental health and well being,’ he said in court docs.
Mel B filed for divorce from Belafonte in 2017.
