Melanie C Opens Up About Being Sexually Assaulted Before First Spice Girls Show

Spice Girls band member, Melanie Chisholm, popularly known as Mel C or Melanie C, recently revealed that she was sexually assaulted the eve before her first show with the girl group. The 48-year-old was part of the famous British girl band formed as far back as 1994.

In her biography, set to be released on September 22, Melanie shed light on a long-buried memory of her ordeal before her first show. The artist revealed that a male masseur sexually assaulted her in a hotel; however, the memory only recently came to her in a dream while writing her book.

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Melanie is set to release a copy of her autobiography "Who I Am: My Story," named after her 2021 single, "Who I Am." There, she opened up about how she was sexually violated shortly before her first performance with the Spice Girls in Istanbul. According to the 48-year-old, the entire episode bothered her so much that she attempted to bury it in her memories. The ordeal reportedly refused to stay buried and came back to her in a dream while the artist was working on her autobiography.

Melanie revealed that the incident happened in 1997 when she was 23, and she didn't say anything at the time because she didn't want to upset people. The star's move to continuously ignore the event made it fester within her until it reappeared to her in a dream.

"It happened to me on the night before the first ever Spice Girls live performance," she recalled.

"We were in Istanbul, we did two shows over there, and we'd never done a full-length concert before, so obviously we'd rehearsed for weeks ahead, costume fittings, make-up here, everything was leading towards the pinnacle of everything I'd ever wanted to do and ever wanted to be."

The 48-year-old revealed per Mail Online that the incident happened when she went to the hotel they stayed at to treat herself to a massage on the eve of the show. According to Melanie, she didn't want to make a fuss about the incident, and she was already swamped with a lot of other issues during the period.

"And what happened to me I kind of buried immediately because there was other things to focus on. I didn't want to make a fuss, but also I didn't have time to deal with it," the artist said. "Because I didn't deal with it at the time, I realize that I allowed that to be buried for years and years and years."

The 48-year-old also revealed that she still suffered moments of depression due to the incident and how she handled it. Her fear of attracting unwanted attention reportedly did not let Melanie ask for the help she needed during her much harsher depressive episodes.

As per Mail Online, Melanie further revealed that when the memory came to her in a dream, she contemplated having it in her autobiography and decided it was finally time to address it. "I had to think, 'Do I want to reveal this?', and I just thought, 'I think it's really important for me to say it and to finally deal with it and process it' - and for other people," she said.

Melanie admitted that compared to most sexual assault incidents, hers was mild, but at the time, she felt "violated," "very vulnerable," and "embarrassed." The British artist revealed that she wasn't sure what was happening and if she "got this right."

"I was in an environment where you take your clothes off with this professional person," Melanie continued. "It has affected me. But I buried it. Lots of people do." The girl band's first show was called "Girl Power! Live In Istanbul" and was scheduled after their first album, "Spice," a year earlier.

Melanie joined the "How to Fail" podcast and revealed that as a result of several factors in her life, she constantly lived with depression; however, she had learned to cope with it. She previously revealed that she had issues with her weight, trying to handle fame and constantly being body shamed.

"Even now, in 2022, I live with depression," the 48-year-old said. "You know, it's there. I've learned very much how to deal with it and cope with it and keep it at bay, but sometimes it can get the better of me."

Melanie encouraged everyone struggling to "learn what works for you" and pull through. For her, healthy food, scheduled workouts, sleep, and a limited amount of alcohol aided her in her quest to improve her mental health.