Melanie Brown’s mum has said she was shocked to hear the Spice Girl had remarried in a secret ceremony and is worried that her new son-in-law Stephen Belafonte is taking advantage of Melanie while she’s vulnerable.

Melanie and producer Stephen married in a drive-through ceremony in Las Vegas at the start of June but kept their nuptials a secret until last week. The pair only started dating in the spring but have been “good friends” for a number of years.

However, reports have now emerged that Stephen had previously been convicted of battery of a former girlfriend Nicole Contreras and was ordered to take a paternity test and pay child support after denying he was the father of Nicole’s daughter. He also married another woman, Nancy Carmell, in Las Vegas in 1997 and she described him as “emotionally abusive” during the 12 weeks before their marriage collapsed.

Andrea Brown told the Sunday Mirror recently: “Melanie’s not normally the sort to be taken in by anyone, but her hormones were all over the place after the baby. Maybe Stephen came along at just the right time and said all the right things.”

“I need to speak to her, but she won’t answer my calls because she knows what I’m going to say.”

“I think she’s made a big mistake. How can you fall in love that quick? I’m desperate to speak to her. I feel like jumping on a plane and flying out to her, I’m so worried.”

“I’ve read that he’s got a conviction for assaulting his ex girlfriend and it really worries me. I don’t know whether she could be influenced by someone that much because I don’t know him. But it’s shocking to think that people who really know her do think that he has that sort of power over her. She’s not the sort to be bossed about by anyone. I can’t believe that she’s allowed someone to influence her like that. Her best friends are here in England and they’re worried sick.”

A friend told the Mail on Sunday though that Melanie is not under any illusions about her new man: “Mel knows he’s no angel. She went into the relationship with her eyes open.”