EXCLUSIVE: Mel B's ex-nanny stole $300,000 from her and is threatening to release sex tapes of the former Spice Girl, claims attorney during bitter restraining order court sessions

  • Melanie 'Mel B' Brown showed up to court in Van Nuys, California Friday to request a restraining order against her former nanny
  • Former nanny Lorraine Gilles is accused of 'conspiring' with singer's estranged husband Stephen Belafonte by threatening to release explicit sex videos of her 
  • Spice Girl's lawyer claims Gilles has the videos stashed in a rented storage facility at a secret location 
  • Attorney also charges that nanny stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mel B
  • Gilles is a witness for Mel B's estranged ex husband Stephen Belafonte in their impending divorce battle 
  • Brown accused her former nanny of acting as a 'puppet' who is making false claims to harm her reputation before the divorce

Former Spice Girl Mel B showed up in court in Van Nuys, near Los Angeles today - with her 18-year-old daughter Phoenix - to demand a restraining order against ex nanny, Lorraine Gilles, 25, whom she claims has been harassing her. 

Dressed in an elegant white dress, with leopard skin high heels and her hair partially dyed blonde, the 42 year-old America's Got Talent judge sat with her lawyer, Larry Mark Bakman as he argued Gilles stole $300,000 from his client.

He also claimed that the former nanny is in league with Mel B's former husband Stephen Belafonte and that she is hoarding sex videos of the former Spice Girl and threatening to release them.

Mel B strode across the courtyard of the court building with her daughter Phoenix (second left) and mum Andrea dressed all in white 

Mel B strode across the courtyard of the court building with her daughter Phoenix (second left) and mum Andrea dressed all in white 

Mel B leaves the courtroom in Los Angeles on Friday with her daughter, mother and legal team 

Mel B leaves the courtroom in Los Angeles on Friday with her daughter, mother and legal team 

Gilles and her legal team deny all the accusations and claim that she is merely caught up in the middle of a bitter divorce between Mel and Belafonte. 

Both sides argued over having video cameras in court today.

Bakman argued that 'sexual and salacious' allegations from Gilles could be harmful to Mel B's two younger daughters, Madison, six, and 10 year-old Angel if such video was broadcast on TV and the internet.

After a four-hour adjournment Judge Dordi turned down Bakman's request for a postponement and went on with the case which, till late in the day, centered on the mysterious public storage locker where, her lawyer claims, sexually explicit videos of Mel B are being kept.

Bakman painted a picture of Gilles being in league with Belafonte, telling her to rent a public storage unit to keep the embarrassing videos in and refusing to tell Mel B where the lockup is.

The attorney claimed, Gilles - who earned $6,667 a month as a nanny - was paid $300,000 by Belafonte to 'do his bidding' - a sum that was shelled out without Mel B's consent, alleged Bakman.

'Miss Gilles was stealing money from Miss Brown. No nanny can be expected to make $300,000. The payment of such a vast sum of money by Mr Belafonte to Miss Gilles could not be justified for nanny services.'

Mel looked thoughtful as she she strode out of the court building with her entourage

Mel looked thoughtful as she she strode out of the court building with her entourage

Mel chatted to her legal team as she attended court to request a restraining order against her former nanny Lorraine Gilles

Mel chatted to her legal team as she attended court to request a restraining order against her former nanny Lorraine Gilles

Mel B looked cool under pressure as she donned an all-white ensemble for her day in court

Mel B looked cool under pressure as she donned an all-white ensemble for her day in court

Lorraine Gilles walks to her car with her father as her attorney spoke to cameras after a grueling day in court

Lorraine Gilles walks to her car with her father as her attorney spoke to cameras after a grueling day in court

 Bakman accused Gilles of conspiring with Belafonte to threaten Mel B with the release of the sex videos 'which would damage my client ….and threaten her career and reputation.'

And when Gilles' attorney, Todd Eagen - who denied that his client had stolen from Mel B - objected that there's 'absolutely no proof' of Gilles threatening the star either, Bakman retorted: 'Whether those threats were made by Mr Belafonte or Miss Gilles, she was part and parcel of it.'

As the exchanges between the two lawyers got more and more heated, Eagan said of Bakman: 'The papers he's filed in this case are all salacious. Miss Gilles doesn't have a public storage unit - it's all made up!

'She has nothing - and they have no proof. She's a nanny caught in the middle of a bitter divorce. She doesn't have any video tapes.'

Mel B walked into Van Nuys courthouse flanked by her oldest daughter Phoenix Chi Gulzar (left) and mother Andrea Brown sporting all-white outfits and trendy sunglasses 

Mel B walked into Van Nuys courthouse flanked by her oldest daughter Phoenix Chi Gulzar (left) and mother Andrea Brown sporting all-white outfits and trendy sunglasses 

Mel B looked expressionless as she made her way to the important hearing

Mel B looked expressionless as she made her way to the important hearing

Brown is seeking a restraining order against her former nanny Lorraine Gilles. The Spice Girl's attorney claims Gilles will not return sexually explicit videos 

Brown is seeking a restraining order against her former nanny Lorraine Gilles. The Spice Girl's attorney claims Gilles will not return sexually explicit videos 

Lorraine was supported by her father who put an arm around her as the pair walked out of court

Gilles is a witness for Mel B's estranged ex husband Stephen Belafonte in their impending divorce battle

Gilles is a witness for Mel B's estranged ex husband Stephen Belafonte in their impending divorce battle

Gilles and her legal team deny all the accusations and claim that she is merely caught up in the middle of a bitter divorce between Mel and Belafonte

Gilles and her legal team deny all the accusations and claim that she is merely caught up in the middle of a bitter divorce between Mel and Belafonte

'The video could be viewed by the children who are in school,' Bakman told Judge Fridaus Dordi. 'People with other kids in the same school could see the video and Miss Brown's (Mel B) children could be subject to harassment because of the sexual content of the video.'

But Gilles' lawyer, Todd Eagan, argued that Mel B's own pleadings in the case are 'loaded with most explicit details of a sexual nature. They have opened the door. The petitioner's (Mel B) child is own court right now.'

Bakman countered that it was the singer's two younger daughters 'I am concerned about' as he asked the judge to postponed the restraining order hearing to give him time to mount legal arguments against having video cameras in court.

Bakman's request for a two-week postponement of today's restraining order hearing also had a second reason: His first witness, Mel B's estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, was not in court despite several efforts to serve Belafonte legal notices to appear in court today.'

Lorraine looked pensive as her father placed an arm around her shoulder

Lorraine looked pensive as her father placed an arm around her shoulder

Lorraine Gilles was fired as Mel B's nanny in September
She alleged she had sex multiple times a day with the singer and her estranged husband would join in for threesomes

Lorraine Gilles was fired as Mel B's nanny in September. She alleged she had sex multiple times a day with the singer and said Stephen Belafonte would join in for threesomes

Gilles claims she was Brown's nanny for seven years while she was married to Stephen Belafonte

Gilles claims she was Brown's nanny for seven years while she was married to Stephen Belafonte

'I need Mr Belafonte - he is a critical witness,' said Bakman who claimed that efforts to serve court papers on Belafonte at the restaurant where he works and places where Belafonte was having visitation with his children, have all failed. 'He is evading service.'

Bakmen accused Gilles - who is also a witness in the pending divorce action of Mel B and Belafonte - of 'acting in concert' with Belafonte in the continued abuse and harassment of my client.'

Bakman - who claimed that Gilles is refusing to return 'sexually explicit' videos belonging to Mel B - added: 'Miss Gilles is a puppet in this case and Stephen Belafonte is the puppet master.'

Asking the court for Mel B's restraining order request to be dismissed - and also for Mel B to pay Gilles' attorney fees - Eagan called Bakman's request for a two-week postponement 'a delaying tactic.'

Mel B claimed Gilles is acting as a 'puppet' of her estranged ex husband Stephen Belafonte (left)

Mel B claimed Gilles is acting as a 'puppet' of her estranged ex husband Stephen Belafonte (left)

'In order to obtain a stay away order (restraining order), Miss Brown must show that unlawful harassment occurred. But there has been no contact or communication between Miss Gilles and Miss Brown since September (when Gilles was fired from her nanny job).

'The purpose of this case has been to smear Lorraine Gilles. The case was originally filed in April. Times is up.

'Miss Gilles has been living under a cloud for to long. She has been destroyed in the media. We want to resolve this today.'

'Judge Dordi adjourned the hearing till 2.30pm  today to consider arguments from both attorneys as to whether the case continues today or is postponed.'

In April, Lorraine Gilles sued the former Spice Girl for portraying her as a 'home-wrecker' and 'prostitute' in a declaration in support of a request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order against estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.

The nanny said Brown defamed her and exposed private information that was 'blatantly and demonstrably false'

The nanny said Brown defamed her and exposed private information that was 'blatantly and demonstrably false'

Mel B said the only purpose of revealing the dirty laundry and her nanny's past was to protect herself and the welfare of her young children

Mel B said the only purpose of revealing the dirty laundry and her nanny's past was to protect herself and the welfare of her young children

Mel alleged that Gilles carried on an affair with Belafonte, whom she also accused of physical and emotional abuse for much of their 10-year marriage, and claims the nanny fell pregnant to him and Belafonte convinced her to get an abortion.

But Gilles said the entire story was a lie and sued Mel B - also known as Melanie Brown - for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, asking for unspecified damages. 

She also stated her pregnancy was actually the result of a one-night stand with a man she met at a West Hollywood.

 Gilles, claimed that Brown, and Belafonte targeted her when she first arrived in America from Germany at 18. She said the couple got her drunk and they had a threesome.

She claimed she never slept with Belafonte without Mel knowing or participating.

On the affair and the existence of sex tapes, Gilles alleged that her primary sexual relationship was with Mel, not Belafonte, and that he was involved only when invited by the singer, 'at which point Brown would often serve as the 'camera man' and record the sexual encounter and/or take part in the menage a trois herself,' her suit alleged.

The former nanny said Brown smeared her image by exposing private and sensitive information and made statements that were 'blatantly and demonstrably false.'

'When read in its totality, Brown's Declaration portrays Gilles as a home-wrecker, prostitute and extortionist, maliciously describing Gilles as being impudent, unscrupulous, and exploitative,' Gilles claimed. 

Mel B claimed her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte was physically and emotionally abusive. A trial date to determine whether a permanent restraining order should be put in place against Belafonte is scheduled for September

Mel B claimed her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte was physically and emotionally abusive. A trial date to determine whether a permanent restraining order should be put in place against Belafonte is scheduled for September

 But in new court papers filed on July 12 and obtained by DailyMail.com, the America's Got Talent judge slammed Gilles 'improper and unsupported damages' claim saying her declaration was 'absolutely privileged' and the complaint should be dismissed under anti-SLAPP rules.

The singer adds that the only purpose of revealing the dirty laundry was to protect herself and the welfare of her young children.

Brown demanded that the court strike the allegations included in Gilles' lawsuit, adding that she did not act in 'reckless disregard' with the intent to cause the nanny harm.

She explained that the allegations were simply part of her husband's history of abusive behavior.

Brown said she set forth the facts to show how Belafonte used Gilles as part of his campaign of abuse against her. She aimed to show how Gilles reported directly to him and acted as his agent at various times, acting against her interests.

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