Kerry Katona’s X-rated pact with Mel B

She was estimated to be worth about £40million during her Spice Girls glory days, but now Mel B is facing bankruptcy if she is forced to pay out £350k to her ex-husband, Stephen Belafonte.

That figure isfor legal and administration fees from their 2017 divorce, in which Stephen also received £3million from Scary Spice.

In court papers filed to a Los Angeles judge, Mel B, 45, said, “I will effectively be insolvent and will in all likelihood have to file for bankruptcy. I simply do not have the ability to pay such an exorbitant sum.”

The singer – who left LA and moved back to her native Leeds to live with her mum Andrea last year, following a decade-long estrangement – also heartbreakingly revealed how her “lack of funds” forced her to give up on her bid to move her and Stephen’s ten-year-old daughter, Madison, to the UK with her permanently.

The mum of three also shares Phoenix, 21, with first husband Jimmy Gulzar, and 13-year-old Angel with Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy, 59, from whom she recently requested more child support.

Mel – who earlier this year said her income had been “dramatically reduced” amid the coronavirus pandemic – claimed her expenses for the year could exceed £540k, including £7.5k-a-month spousal support, travel costs for Madison and paying off an outstanding £2million tax bill in the US.

Now insiders say Mel’s pal Kerry Katona – who’s been declared bankrupt twice – has urged her to follow in her footsteps and join X-rated subscription site OnlyFans, in a bid to save herself from financial ruin.

Kerry first got to know Mel after becoming friendly with her younger sister Danielle, 39, around 2010, when they were both on books of celeb management agency CAN. Danielle called Kerry a “true friend” when she stepped in to comfort her following the death of the girls’ father, Martin, 63, in 2017.

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After joining the adult service in May, Kerry, 40, revealed how fellow OnlyFans member and former glamour model Danielle Lloyd, 36 – who charges fans £115 to view topless snaps of her – had been offering her advice.

And pals say the mum of five – who now has almost 100k likes and has become one of the highest-earning celebs on the platform – is convincing Mel to follow suit.

The source says, “Kerry thinks OnlyFans is a no-brainer for Mel. She has told her that sex sells, and she’d be a huge hit given her mass sex appeal with both men and women – and what great shape she’s in.

“She also joked that she’ll probably kick herself when she loses subscribers to Mel, given she’s got one of the best bodies in the industry!

“Kerry says it doesn’t have to be a permanent move, but it’s an easy, quick way for her to make money while she’s going through such a hard time – not to mention providing a huge confidence boost like it has done for her.”

The former Atomic Kitten star, who’s engaged to fitness trainer Ryan Mahoney, 31, recently revealed how being on the controversial, adult-only site – which is also used by international popstar Cardi B, Hollywood actress Bella Thorne and former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw – had boosted not only her bank balance but her sex life and self-esteem, too.

The source says, “Mel’s been to hell and back and is still recovering from the emotional scars of her tumultuous marriage, and has lost a huge amount of confidence as a result.

“But Kerry says, from her own experience, it will do wonders for her mentally. She’s made a secret pact with Mel to help her out of her current situation, and insisted that joining the sex-orientated site is nothing to be ashamed of – even Hollywood stars are signing up to it.”

Mel revealed how she became suicidal during her ten-year marriage to Stephen, who she accused of emotional and physical abuse – which he denies.

She confessed, “In the process of my marriage, I lost my family, my friends, my self-respect and I almost lost my life.”

Shortly after her divorce, Mel – who was once the face of lingerie brand Ultimo – shocked fans on Instagram when she posted a snap of herself seductively posing on all-fours on a sofa clad in pink lacy underwear, stockings and suspenders.

The bisexual singer has long garnered a reputation for her raunchy image, amid claims of threesomes, lesbian orgies and sex tapes during her marriage to film producer Stephen, 45, and her shock revelation last year that she had sex with former bandmate Geri Horner, 48 – a claim that Geri denies, and which led to a reported fall-out between the pair.

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Following her move back to the UK, Mel was also said to be in talks to bring out her own line of sex toys characterised by her signature Scary Spice leopard-print design.

Mel is also still pursuing her dream of doing a Spice Girls 25th anniversary world tour next year. But with the pandemic ongoing and Victoria Beckham yet to be convinced, she is also looking at a shorter-term money-making scheme that will guarantee quick cash.

The source adds, "Mel knows how much money there is to be made from the adult industry, and while she was initially concerned about tarnishing her image and being seen as seedy, she can now see that doing OnlyFans doesn’t have to mean that, and it has some high-profile, respectable users.

"Not only that, but it is something she can do in between or alongside her Spice Girls work. The tour will bring in some much-needed money, but it will be a one-off – what she needs is a regular income, and using her sexiness and showing off her amazing figure will provide that."

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