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Spice Girl Melanie Brown has reportedly asked ex Eddie Murphy to pay more child support for their 13-year-old daughter, Angel.
Mel earned around £3,2 million (R66m) for the 2019 Spice Girls reunion tour but the 45-year-old’s income has taken a knock due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to court documents obtained by US Weekly.
The mom-of-three, who lives with her mother in the UK, has asked the American actor to hand over his income and expense accounting for her to modify their child support agreement.
Mel has also asked that the father-of-10 to pay for her legal fees.
“Melanie is a singer, songwriter and television personality. Eddie is a legendary comedian and actor. Until recently, Melanie has been fortunate in her career to sustain a comfortable lifestyle for herself and Angel.
“Unfortunately, Melanie’s income has dramatically reduced, such that she must consider modifying child support for the first time,” said Mel’s lawyers, Erica Lubans and Bruce Cooperman, in court documents
Documents also stated that Mel, who has sole custody of Angel, was asking for a court hearing after “numerous efforts to resolve this case without court intervention, without any success”.
Their 2009 arrangement saw Eddie agreeing to pay £21 000 (around R438 000) a month as well as the paying for the teen’s medical and educational expenses, the Mirror reports.
Mel and Eddie’s relationship got rocky in 2006 when he publicly questioned if he was Angel’s father.
“I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir,” Eddie told a journalist when asked about Mel’s pregnancy.
The X-Factor judge said at the time that she was disappointed by Eddie’s remarks.
He apologises constantly for that, she says.
“He wishes he never said it because that baby was planned. We planned that baby together and we were madly in love and it just went wrong, dramatically went wrong,” Mel said in an interview with Piers Morgan last year.
The singer gave birth to Angel in 2007 and later said that a DNA test confirmed that the Coming 2 America actor is the father.
Despite not having a relationship with Angel when she was little, Eddie is more involved with his daughter’s life, and he and Mel are reportedly on good terms.
Eddie is engaged to Australian model Paige Butcher, who gave birth to his 10th child last year. He was previously married to model Nicole Murphy.
“We had something special that I’ve never really truly felt with anybody else,” Mel said in an ITV interview last year. “He is the love of my life. He always will be.”
