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Stephen Belafonte's ex partner regrets not telling Mel B he violently choked her.

WARNING: This post contains an account of alleged domestic abuse which may be triggering for some readers.

The ex-partner of Stephen Belafonte has vowed to support Mel B (Melanie Brown) and regrets not warning the singer of his “abusive” tendencies.

Nicole Contreras, 40, a former model who had a six-year relationship with Belafonte, was assaulted by him in a 2013 “choke” attack, which left her “struggling to breathe”.

“Stephen grabbed me by the arms and pushed me against the wall,” Contreras, who has a 13-year-old daughter with the film producer, told The Sun.

“He was inches from my face and screaming at me. I could feel his hot breath on my cheeks.

Mel B and her husband Stephen Belfonte. Source: Instagram

“I was frightened and begged him to stop.

“But Stephen wouldn’t — he put his arm across my neck and had me in a choke hold.

“I was struggling to breathe. I knew I had to escape."

The incident, for which Belafonte received a conviction, is reminiscent of the alleged abuse endured by Brown over their almost 10 years of marriage, detailed in court documents which surfaced last week.

Just days after announcing their divorce, the X Factor judge had filed for a restraining order, alleging she had been repeatedly physically and emotionally abused by her partner.

Meanwhile, her co-star on the show, Sharon Osbourne, has come out in support of her, claiming she once saw Brown with "a black eye and bruising everywhere" as a result of an attack which hospitalised her, while an unnamed make-up artist told TMZ he frequently covered up signs of the abuse and would be willing to act as a witness.

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Brown shared this image to Twitter with the caption, "Running in 7 inch louboutin no good!!" Source: Twitter

“He is abusive, controlling and manipulative, as well as a narcissist and a sex addict," Contreras told The Sun.

“And when he is angry there is no lid to his fury. He needs help.”

When Brown and Belafonte first got together in 2007, at first Contreras was relieved.

“When he started seeing Mel I thought I wouldn’t have him in my life anymore. It was a blessing," she said.

Now, seeing what he has done to her, she told The Sun she is ashamed she didn't speak up:

“I don’t know if she would have even listened to me at the time.

“She seemed enthralled by Stephen. That was how he got me too.”

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.