Melanie Chisholm, also called “Mel C” and Sporty Spice from the Spice Girls, is opening up a few evening she alleges she was sexually assaulted previous to her first efficiency as a Spice Woman.
In an interview on Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail podcast forward of the Sept. 15 launch of her forthcoming memoir Who I Am, the Spice Woman shared that she was sexually assaulted by a therapeutic massage therapist at a spa in an Istanbul, Turkey, lodge in 1997. Chisholm was staying within the lodge the evening earlier than the lady group was about to have their first reside efficiency.
“We had been in Istanbul. We did two reveals over there and we’d by no means achieved a full-length live performance earlier than, so clearly we’d rehearsed for weeks forward, costume fittings, make-up, hair, the whole lot was resulting in in direction of the top of the whole lot I ever wished to do, and ever wished to be,” Chisholm recalled. “What drives me is being on stage, being a performer, so right here we had been, the eve of the first-ever Spice Women present, so I deal with myself to a therapeutic massage within the lodge.”
She continued, “And what occurred to me — I form of buried, instantly, as a result of there have been different issues to give attention to. I didn’t wish to make a fuss but additionally I didn’t have time to cope with it.” She added that as a result of she “didn’t cope with it on the time,” she has since realized that that allowed for that evening to be “buried for years and years and years.”
She stated that the she didn’t take into consideration the incident till writing about it for her memoir: “It got here to me in a dream, or I form of awoke and it was in my thoughts. And I used to be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I haven’t even thought of having that within the ebook.’ Then, in fact, I needed to assume, ‘Effectively, do I wish to reveal this?’ And I simply thought, truly, I feel it’s actually vital for me to say it, and to lastly cope with it and course of it.”
“Horrible issues occur on a regular basis and this example wasn’t as unhealthy because it might’ve been,” she stated. Although she didn’t share additional particulars of the assault, she described her expertise as a “delicate model” of sexual assault. “However I felt violated. I felt very weak. I felt embarrassed. After which I felt uncertain — have I acquired this proper? What’s occurring? I used to be in an setting the place you are taking your garments off with this skilled particular person.”
Chisholm went on to say that there have been “so many ideas and emotions” about that second in her life, however she finally wished to share and speak about it due to the impression it had on her: “It has affected me. However I’d buried it, and I’m certain … numerous folks do.”
This text was initially revealed by The Hollywood Reporter.
