Melanie "Mel C" Chisholm said she was sexually assaulted the night before her first performance with the Spice Girls.
The singer, who was famously known among fans as Sporty Spice, reveals the 1997 incident in her forthcoming memoir "Who I Am," saying in an excerpt that she was sexually assaulted by a massage therapist at a spa in the Istanbul, Turkey, hotel where she and her fellow Spice Girls were staying, according to People. They reported it to reception but the massage therapist had already left.
Chisholm shared more about her experience during an appearance on Elizabeth Day's "How to Fail" podcast.
"We'd never done a full-length concert before, so obviously we'd rehearsed for weeks ahead, costume fittings, makeup, hair, everything was leading to the pinnacle of everything I ever wanted to do, and ever wanted to be," Chisholm said.
She said she decided to "treat" herself to a massage on the eve of the group's first concert, which was when the sexual assault occurred.
"And what happened to me — I kind of buried it, immediately, because there were other things to focus on," she said. "I didn't want to make a fuss but also I didn't have time to deal with it."
It took 25 years for Chisholm to feel like she was "finally" ready to address the incident— as she was writing her memoir.
"It came to me in a dream, or I kind of woke up and it was in my mind," she said. "And I was like, Oh my gosh, I haven't even thought of having that in the book. Then, of course, I had to think, Well, do I want to reveal this? And I just thought, Actually, it's really important for me to say it, and to finally deal with it and process it."
Chisholm described her experience as a "mild version" but it still left her feeling "violated," "very vulnerable" and "embarrassed."
"And then I felt unsure. Have I got this right? What's going on? I was in an environment where you take your clothes off with this professional person," she continued.
"So there were so many thoughts and feelings, and I just felt, You know what? I do want to talk about it because it has affected me," Chisholm added. "But I'd buried it, and I'm sure lots of men and women do."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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