Mel B's husband Stephen Belafonte denies 'disgusting' domestic violence rumours

Mel B's husband Stephen Belafonte has slammed speculation that he assaulted the X Factor judge, condemning the domestic violence rumours as "disgusting".

The rumour mill first went into overdrive when the former Spice Girls star pulled out of the ITV show's grand finale on Saturday night (14 December), after she was admitted to hospital with a mystery illness.

Following her return on Sunday night, some eagle-eyed viewers noticed she was not wearing her wedding ring and had what appeared to be appeared scratches on her body and a bruised cheek.

Within minutes social media erupted and rumours that the couple had been involved in a domestic violence incident began circulating.

"Mel B seems to be sporting a nice shade of domestic abuse on her cheek. Shame him, love, you deserve better," one fan tweeted.

Taking to Twitter, the furious film producer denied hitting his wife.

In another message, her husband of seven years claimed that the "negative" comments were not from "real fans".

Although Mel B did not reveal details of her condition on the show, she did refer to her hospital dash, saying: "I really missed being here but thanks to all the doctors and nurses who took care of me and got me here tonight."

She also told viewers she was feeling "better ish".