By Kitty Chrisp
Copyright metro
Mel B’s eldest child Phoenix Brown has opened up in a new interview (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Phoenix Brown has revealed how her famous Spice Girls star mother Mel B ensured the 26-year-old forges her own path via some blunt home truths.
Melanie Brown – aka Scary Spice – was part of the UK’s most successful girl group of all time alongside Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Melanie Chisholm.
Over the years children of such successful stars have been branded ‘nepo babies’ – kids who can boost their careers through their well-connected and powerful parents.
So it’s no surprise the term has been bandied around in relation to 50-year-old Mel’s two children: Angel, 18, who she welcomed with Eddie Murphy, and Phoenix, 26, who the singer shares with ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar.
In a new interview, Phoenix has reflected on how her mother made her step out of that big old shadow and forge her own path, which has ended in a career as a DJ and artist.
Phoenix has been open about the nepo baby label in the past (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
She’s not going to shy away from the fact she’s a nepo baby (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Universal Music)
‘I’m discovering who I am, what I like, who I like, where I want to be. It’s a lot of questions, and I just got to figure out the answers, but I’m here for the journey,’ Phoenix told the Daily Mail in a new interview.
Phoenix then revealed how Mel once well and truly humbled her, as she recalled: ‘My mum kind of let me know that, “I’m the famous one and you’re not.”
‘That quickly made me realise that I got to find who I am and not be a shadow. So I’ve just had a journey with that.’
She also said of the nepo baby title: ‘It is what it is. I’m not going to shy away from the fact, I am a nepo baby, so go ahead, call me that. But my name is Phoenix.’
Phoenix played her first music festival last year shortly after appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox with her mum.
Ahead of Phoenix’s 2024 Channel 4 documentary, Born in the Limelight – Nepo Babies: Untold, she discussed the nepo baby label with Metro.
‘I’ve never really related to the word “nepo baby” in the sense of when they call me that in the press,’ she shared.
Phoenix is an artist and a DJ (Picture: AARON PARFITT)
‘When we did more of a deep dive on the word nepotism and how it bleeds into everyone’s lives one way or another in certain aspects, I was like, “Yeah, I do get why people don’t like me”, or if they would hear about me, and they’re like, “Oh, she didn’t work for anything.” I would see their point of view. I feel like that was the point of the documentary.’
In the documentary, Mel B appeared adamant in her belief that her own fame didn’t help boost her daughter’s career, as she always encouraged Phoenix to go out and earn her own money.
However, Phoenix later revealed that her mum’s opinion on the topic has since changed, acknowledging that being the daughter of a Spice Girl will come with an inevitable advantage.
Phoenix reflected on her own opportunities in the art world, and told us: ‘I can’t just go around being like, “I worked for it. I did this.” I probably did but I also have to realise that I probably didn’t have to work as hard, or there was some type of gap, or I got an extra door, or something.
‘Respecting that and owning that, there’s no shame in that, because if someone opens a door for you, they can open the door, but it’s up to you to stay in that door.
‘I feel like everyone does have that chance, but to get in that door, not everyone has that door. If you just own it and say, “Yeah, I come from where I come from. I respect it, but I’m still gonna work on what I love, and I’m gonna be great at it no matter what”, no one can be mad at that.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
