Geri Horner 'proud' of Spice Girls bandmate Mel B after domestic violence video

Watch: Mel B discusses domestic abuse in wake of hard-hitting film

Geri Horner has praised her Spice Girls bandmate Mel B for appearing in a short film to raise awareness of domestic violence against women.

Mel, whose full name is Melanie Brown, appeared in the powerful four-minute short for Women's Aid, entitled Love Should Not Hurt.

Read more: Mel B opens up about experiences of racism

Brown said the film aims to illustrate the "traumatic, ugly and soul destroying" reality of the violence that can often lurk behind closed doors, even in relationships which seem happy to outside observers.

Horner shared a news article about the film with her one million followers via Instagram Stories, and offered her thanks to Brown for highlighting such an important issue.

"Proud of my brave sis Mel B for speaking up about her experience," Horner wrote, adding links to Women's Aid and domestic abuse charity Refuge.

Brown accused ex-husband Stephen Belafonte of "emotional and physical abuse" following their split in 2016 and claimed she has nightmares about him cutting off her fingers.

Read more: Mel B references Belafonte divorce on stage

She alleged that his violence began after her run as a contestant on US competition show Dancing With the Stars in 2007, just a few months after they tied the knot secretly in Las Vegas.

Representatives for Belafonte denied the allegations against him and referred to Brown's claims as "outrageous and unfounded".

Discussing her performance in the Women's Aid Video, Brown said: “I have had my own experiences of abusive relationships but as patron of Women’s Aid I have spoken to so many other women, listened to what they have gone through and I know how very real the danger is to so many women out there and I’m not going to stop breaking the silence and then shame around this subject because it’s too much and we have to stand up and do something.

“This performance represents the stories and the experiences of those women I have met, spoken to or heard about.

"My heart breaks for every single woman and child who suffers from any form of domestic abuse, and while the film shows a range of abuse, I want to send a clear message that you don’t have to be hit to be abused. Coercive control is at the heart of domestic abuse – it is about power and control.”

Watch: Geri Horner says she feels "connected" to other women