Mel B's fight got thrown out of court

Spice Girl and X Factor judge Melanie Brown (Mel B) / Pic: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph

Peter Bodkin, The Daily Telegraph, reports

Scary Spice's courtroom showdown with Sydney's most controversial photographer is officially over after police dropped an apprehended violence order application against the "Prince of Paparazzi".

Celebrity snapper Jamie Fawcett will now pursue police for his legal costs, claiming in court he could prove officers knew former Spice Girl Mel Brown's allegations were "false and misleading".

The X-Factor judge, who recently relocated to Los Angeles with her husband Stephen Belafonte and three children after taking a judging slot on America's Got Talent, accused Fawcett of endangering her life during a run-in on Sydney Harbour last year.

The photographer also allegedly threatened to kill Belafonte during the ugly stoush.

But the Downing Centre Local Court was today told the AVO application was being withdrawn before a hearing scheduled for next month.

Fawcett, who represented himself in court, told The Daily Telegraph he would be seeking "four or five grand" to cover his expenses. "As I've always said, there was no evidence to support the application and that's my belief as to why it was dismissed," he said.

Fawcett said police had been "blinded by the celebrity" of Brown and Belafonte when they applied for the AVO.

"I just want to, as a photographer, continue to take my photos. It's ludicrous to suggest that I would threaten to kill or make racial slurs against somebody in the course of my job," he said.

Neither half of the celebrity couple was in court yesterday.

Fawcett's costs application will be heard at a later date.

Watch out Keith Urban, the curse of reality TV strikes again

Keith Urban, married to Nicole Kidman, should be wary of the reality TV show curse that's striking at the heart of celebrity relationships. Source: Supplied

Siobhan Duck, The Herald Sun, reports

Watch out Keith Urban. The curse of being an Aussie reality TV judge has claimed another victim.

Dannii Minogue is the sixth talent quest star to split up with their partner, officially calling it quits with Kris Smith last week.

It seems TV talent quests may be great for reviving flagging careers, but they appear to wreak havoc with love lives.

Minogue's high-profile bust-up follows The X-Factor Australia's Ronan Keating's recent announcement that he and his wife, Yvonne, are getting divorced after 14 years and three children.

Their marriage weathered the strain of Keating's relationship with a dancer in 2010, but fractured irreparably after Keating's role on the The X-Factor kept them apart for long periods.

"Sadly our news is true. Thank u all for your support. Yvonne and I still love and care for each other and want to protect our kids,'' Keating tweeted of the break-up, which took place last year.

Minogue's Australia's Got Talent co-stars Brian McFadden and Kyle Sandilands have also undergone high-profile splits since they started on the series.

Sandilands and wife Tamara Jaber divorced in 2010 - the same year he joined the show.

McFadden broke up with his fiancee, Delta Goodrem, in 2001. He is now happily engaged to DJ and model Vogue Williams.

It's more of the same over at Nine's rival talent show, The Voice.

Only Urban - who has been married to Nicole Kidman since 2006 - has escaped relationship woes since signing on to the new series.

Fellow panellist Seal broke up with his model wife Heidi Klum last month.

The split rocked Hollywood as the couple - who have four children - were widely believed to be one of the happiest and rock-solid unions in Hollywood.

The often put on public displays of affection and renewed their vows each year after they wed in 2005.

Goodrem also recently announced her break-up with teen heart-throb Nick Jonas.

The couple - who had only been dating 10 months - said they remained friends.

Joel Madden and wife Nicole Richie have also been the subject of speculation.

Madden recently dismissed reports he and Richie were separating to pursue careers on opposite sides of the world- Richie on the New York-based Fashion Star series and Madden on Aussie series The Voice.

"I don't usually comment on gossip, but seeing as this is something that is defaming my character and the sanctity of my marriage and family, I feel like I have to make something clear,'' he wrote.

"My wife and my children are the most important thing in the world to me. I try very hard to be the father that (children) Harlow and Sparrow need and deserve, and the husband I believe Nicole deserves."

Mel B's selling up in LA with eye to moving to Sydney

Mel B and Stephen Belafonte may be moving to Sydney. Picture: Getty

 
The Daily Telegraph reports

FIREBRAND celeb Mel B has listed her LA abode for sale as she eyes settling permanently in Sydney.

The loudmouth former Spice Girl -- who was looking to buy in the Harbour City before her X-Factor judging duties finished up last year -- is trying to offload her house in the San Fernando valley (pictured right, with Mel B and husband Stephen Belafonte) for $3.45 million.

She paid $3.2 million for the French country-style five-bedder in 2009.

Sitting on more than 2000sq m, the chateau features eight bathrooms, a gym, movie theatre, pool and recording studio.

It's a far cry from what you would be up for for a place carrying the same price tag in this town.

The curvy singer, her music producer husband and their three kids were renting a sprawling penthouse apartment in Rose Bay, said to be worth more than $8 million, for much of last year.

The New South Head Rd loft had incredible views of the Opera House and Bridge.

Brown's local manager, Sean Anderson, said she was yet to decide where to set down roots.

Yes, they have their LA property on the market," he told Confidential yesterday.

"They are looking at houses in Los Angeles, but are also considering Australia. Mel and her family all fell in love with Australia and the Aussie way of life."

There are rumours she will compete on this year's Dancing With The Stars.

X-Factor judge and former Spice Girl Mel B recently faced deportation

Singer and X-Factor judge Mel B came very close to being kicked out of Australia after a visa bungle. Picture: Nic Gibson Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Article by Richard Clune and Ros Reines, The Sunday Telegraph

X FACTOR judge Mel B has been left red-faced by an embarrassing visa bungle that could have seen the former Spice Girl deported back to Britain.

Immigration officials last week launched an investigation into the British pop star's Australian work commitments after she revealed she had signed on as an ambassador for weightloss firm Jenny Craig in a deal said to be worth up to $150,000.

Brown - also known as Scary Spice - had been sponsored by the Seven Network to come to Australia as a judge for its popular TV talent quest, but her visa conditions prevent her from working for other organisations without securing additional sponsorship.

The guidelines state that international artists who enter the country to work on an Entertainment Visa (subclass 420) must successfully apply for further sponsorship if they undertake secondary work.

While the Department of Immigration would not comment on Brown's specific case for privacy reasons, a source close to the 36-year-old singer confirmed she had been investigated. Her management met with the department and the matter "was now resolved", the source said.

A Jenny Craig spokesman said there was no issue with her contract. At 75 kilograms, Brown is more curvy than flabby, but has declared that she wants to shift 15 kilograms in the next three months - more than Jenny Craig's recommended guideline of one kilogram a week.

The mother-of-three said she wasn't deterred by criticism levelled at her for joining the weightloss program just five weeks after giving birth, saying she liked the structure it provided.

"My husband usually takes care of me, preparing meals for me that are good for me. But he has to keep going backwards and forwards from LA, so he can't look after me all the time," Brown said.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Brown also revealed she had been to a number of Kings Cross strip clubs with husband Stephen Belafonte since arriving in Sydney.

"We live an exciting life and we like to let off a bit of steam," she said.

"It keeps the marriage spiced up and alive."

Brown said she was so impressed with the city, she and her husband were considering buying a house in Sydney's eastern suburbs, close to where she is living with daughters Phoenix, 12, Angel, 4, and newborn Madison - in a rented apartment in Point Piper.