Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell called rumors of a sexual relationship between her and bandmate Mel B “very hurtful” and “simply not true.”
After Mel B — known as Melanie Brown — started the latest round of speculation herself when she appeared on Piers Morgan’s new ITV Show, Life Stories last month, Halliwell denied the story in a statement to E! News Monday.
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“It has been very disappointing to read about all these rumours again, especially on Mother’s Day of all days,” the statement from Halliwell’s representative read. “She would like you to know that what has been reported recently is simply not true and has been very hurtful to her family.”
Despite this, Halliwell’s rep said there are no changes to the group’s plans to tour the U.K. and Ireland this year. In fact, Halliwell is looking forward to having an “amazing time with everyone, and make some new memories,” adding how “Geri is really grateful for your support and loyalty for so many years. She loves the Spice Girls: Emma, Melanie, Melanie and Victoria.”
The rumors started when Morgan asked the former America’s Got Talent singer in an interview last month if she ever slept with Halliwell, in reference to rumors that started more than two decades ago.
“Yeah, we all slept in a bed together but not ‘like that’ all of us,” Brown told Morgan at the time.
“Did you sleep with Geri ‘like that’?” Morgan asked.
“She’s going to hate me for this because she’s all posh in her country house and her husband. But it’s a fact. It just happened and we just giggled at it and that was it,” Brown replied. “It was just that once… And hopefully when Geri gets asked that, which hopefully she will after this, she won’t deny it. Because it was just a fun thing.”
In the same show, Melanie Jayne Chisholm, also known as Mel C, claimed she did not know about a hookup between Brown and Halliwell.
“This is all new to me,” Chisholm told Morgan.
Brown herself later tried to backtrack her statements to Morgan, telling the Australian radio station 2Day 104.1 she did not “admit” to having a sexual relationship with any member of the group.
“All five of us [slept in a bed together], we were on tour, we had all of our own hotel rooms booked but we all ended up bunking in together. That’s what girls do,” she said. “It wasn’t like a big deal, we’ve known each other 20 plus years, it was just one thing that happened one night. I didn’t go into detail about it, at all.”
Last fall, Halliwell, Chisholm, Brown and Emma Bunton announced plans for a U.K. and Ireland stadium tour, which will kick off on June 1 at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. Victoria Beckham will not be participating due to other business commitments, but wished them the best.
“Today marks a special day for the girls as they announce the first tour dates since we performed together in 2012!” Beckham wrote in a statement. “I won’t be joining my girls on stage again but being in the Spice Girls was a hugely important part of my life and I wish them so much love and fun as they go back on tour next year. know they will put on an amazing show and the fantastic fans past and present are going to have a wonderful time!”
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