Mel C reveals she was bullied during Spice Girls years

LONDON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Former Spice Girls singer Mel C says she was bullied during her years with the British girl group.

The 42-year-old recording artist, aka Sporty Spice, claimed as much in the December issue of Attitude, and revealed her new solo album, Version of Me, was inspired by the experience.

"Version of Me is about being bullied. About being in a situation as a young adult where I felt bullied and how that has affected me, and molded me in a way," Mel C told the magazine.

"Unfortunately, being bullied can really damage people and even when you are stronger and over it, it can still be in the background -- undermining you," she confessed. "I hope people will identify with that track."

Mel C confirmed the bullying occurred during her years with the Spice Girls, but said she's "not going to name names." She and the person in question have reportedly put the matter to rest.

"It's been addressed, they were aware of what they'd done. They apologized," the star revealed.

"When we were kids we were so hard on each other and so determined to succeed that if anybody fell out of line they were quickly brought back in. That was quite a lot of pressure to live under," she reflected.

Mel C, Mel B, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham formed the Spice Girls in 1994, and last released the album Forever, sans Halliwell, in 2000. Mel B, Bunton and Halliwell are planning a reunion for the 20th anniversary of Spice, but Mel C and Beckham won't take part.

"I made the difficult decision not to be part of a proposed reunion," Mel C explained in a piece for Love Magazine in August. "The hardest part for me was letting people down, the girls, the fans, civilization?! Unfortunately something didn't feel quite right and I had to follow my gut."