With Emma Bunton the only Spice Girl in attendance at Mel B’s lavish wedding to new husband Rory McPhee today, her biggest supporter was her loyal – and uncannily similar – sister Danielle.
Actress Danielle Brown, 44, beamed today as she watched her older sister tie the knot for a third time at St Paul’s Cathedral in London – ahead of a lavish £28,000 party at the Shard this evening.
Wearing a light blue minidress with a shawl around her shoulders, Danielle, who has previously starred in Emmerdale, appeared in every way the supportive younger sister.
These days, Mel B and Danielle are the epitome of closeness, going on holiday and appearing on talk shows together – while Danielle was a main character in her hen do to Tunisia last month.
But it’s not always been an easy ride for the lookalike siblings, who were previously estranged for 10 years due to a row over Mel’s ex-husband.
Mel famously cut her mother, father and sister out of her life in 2008 after they disapproved of her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, from whom she eventually split in 2017.
Back in 2008, Danielle and the sibling’s mother Andrea were cut off from Mel and her daughters due to their disapproval of the singer’s ex-husband Stephen.
Andrea made no secret of her feelings about Belafonte, who became Mel’s husband in 2007 after a secret Las Vegas wedding at the time of the argument.
It was their vow renewal ceremony in Egypt that led to the family feud reaching its peak, where Mel also fell out with her sister Danielle, and her father Martin.
This resulted in the family never meeting her youngest daughter Madison, born in 2011 – a far cry from when Andrea has been allowed to cut the umbilical cord at the birth of Mel’s second child Angel, in 2006.
Andrea even revealed in an interview with The Sun that she only learned of the pregnancy and birth via the internet.
‘I only found out she was pregnant because of Twitter and I found out on Twitter that she’d had the baby too,’ she said.
The family was estranged to the extent that in 2014, when Mel was taken to hospital with a suspected stomach ulcer while a judge on the X Factor, Danielle issued a desperate Twitter plea to Simon Cowell for information.
She wrote: ‘This is ridiculous and cruel !!! Evil ! How can NO one tell me and my family where my sister is and what is going on?????’
‘Just a simple call to say she gonna be ok is all it takes!!!!,’ she wrote.
Then she directly addressed Simon Cowell, writing: ‘@SimonCowell How can NO one tell me and my family where my sister is and what is going on????? Can you please help? Or who can we contact?’
An X Factor spokesman later put rest to Danielle’s worries by confirming that Mel would be returning to the show.
The statement read: ‘After being discharged from hospital and following medical advice, Mel has been deemed well enough to do the show. We’re delighted to have her back on the panel.’
Mel was married to ex-husband Belafonte for 10 years, with the star claiming their relationship triggered her post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
It was reported in January 2017 that Mel resolved the nine-year feud with her mother, dad and sister by inviting invited them to spend time at her family home in Los Angeles as she realised that ‘life was too short’ to maintain their argument.
In June 2019, Danielle joined Mel for an appearance on This Morning to discuss their ten-year feud and said ‘we finally feel like sisters again’.
Talking about how they became estranged, Mel claimed her marriage was ’emotionally traumatic’. Stephen has always denied any allegations against him.
Sitting alongside her lookalike sibling, she said: ‘I was in a 10-year marriage. Not the nicest marriage. I got very isolated from friends and family.
‘I was in a coercive and not nice relationship. One of the things happens is you get cut off from friends and family. It was emotionally traumatic.’
The ladies said they used to be inseparable and remained close even when Mel first tied the knot with Stephen in 2007.
Danielle said: ‘A lot of the close friends and people who worked for you got pushed to the side. It was done gradually. We were the last ones to go. Me, my mum and dad.’
Melanie said that living in Los Angeles made it harder to remain close to her family, writing that her trips to Leeds got less and less over time.
She said she didn’t fight the issue as she had learned to keep quiet to avoid an argument, saying: ‘It happened constantly. I always lost.’
Danielle said her friends advised her to simply turn up at Mel’s house, but she said it wasn’t as simple as that.
She said: ‘You know the blankness in her eyes. Her eyes always looked dead because she wasn’t that happy.
‘We found out her phone number and address, but it would all change. We would get a horrible email back nothing want to do with you. We know it wasn’t Melanie replying.’
The Spice Girl said: ‘I lost ten years of being with my sister and mum. We lost time with each other’s kids.’
Danielle said that despite what has happened, they are now closer because of their experiences.
Mel said: ‘Life is getting better and better and better. I don’t live a life of a relationship full of lying and embarrassment and shame.’
Stephen has always denied the allegations of abuse against him.
These days, the pair are clearly close and have enjoyed holidays together, for example to the Caribbean island of Nevis in 2019.
Just last month, Mel shared a birthday tribute to her sister, showing them partying the night away together.
Danielle commented: ‘Thanks big sis, love ya longtime.’
Danielle was part of Mel B’s hen party in Tunisia in June – part of a huge group of friends who all slipped into leopard-print bikinis
On Instagram, she describes herself as a ‘mum of three multitasking through life’.
After growing up in Leeds with her lookalike sister, Danielle has also enjoyed a variety of success in the public eye.
She starred in Emmerdale in 1998 as Paulette Lewis and Paradise Heights in 2002, playing Kylie James.
She also was part of Moulin Rouge as a Parisian dancer and plays Tara in the 2018 film Scott and Sid and runs a podcast, Roots & Wings, Raising Teens
In 2019, the siblings proved they had well and truly rekindled their friendship as Mel B bought her sister a sports car for her birthday.
The Spice Girls singer surprised the pregnant actress with the luxury vehicle which she called the ‘best present ever’, but she then joked it was a complete surprise as she was expecting a ‘stripper’.
In 2021, for her birthday, Danielle wrote: ‘A big Happy Birthday to my amazing strong shit hot big sister. You have special auntie powers too, never have I seen smiley Myla so still.
In a gushing tribute to her sister, she wrote: ‘So there I was yesterday chilling at mums with the family having a little pamper and waiting for mum to finish cooking a yummy roast dinner then Melanie and my daughter Mimi said I need to be blind folded and walk outside.
‘I thought she has only gone and got me a bloody stripper or something for a laugh,all kinds of thoughts were running thru my head. But no I’ve got a bloody car a big family singing and dancing sporty sodding car
‘What an amazing surprise !! And such a shock !! I had the biggest Braxton Hicks. Thankyou soooo much @officialmelb for the best birthday present ever at the best ever time!!!!Love you lots and lots and I am very grateful for such a generous and thoughtful huge gift (sic).’
She joked: ‘Hope you have a good birthday and just know I will never catch you up in age!’
Today, the Spice Girl, 50, looked gorgeous a pearl-adorned white gown, flashed a radiant smile after becoming the new Mrs McPhee.
The newlyweds appeared blissfully happy and shared a sweet kiss for the gathered crowds as they joined their friends and family in leaving the historic venue after exchanging their vows.
Scary Spice ditched her famous leopard print and opted for a traditional white wedding at the cathedral which will be followed by a lavish £28,000 post nuptial celebration at The Shard.
Mel’s gown featured a sheer illusion design adorned with white pearls and a ruched bodice, with the singer adding a flowing veil to her bridal look.
Meanwhile, groom Rory, 37, opted for traditional Scottish attire complete with a red and green tartan kilt.
Emma Bunton, the only other Spice Girl in attendance – led the celebrity guests in leaving the venue after watching Mel walk down the aisle for the third time.
While fellow spices Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm were absent on the big day – Emma ensured she was there to support her friend.
