Victoria Beckham has reportedly launched legal action to halt the remaining Spice Girls from singing the group’s famous hits.
Melanie Brown, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton were due to reunite later this year to celebrate the girl band’s 20th anniversary, but Victoria and Melanie Chisholm have refused to take part.
Calling themselves GEM, the reunited Spice Girls were planning on performing the group’s extensive back catalogue of hits, but the fashion designer has allegedly called in her lawyers over their plans.
According to Britain’s The Sun newspaper, Victoria, known as Posh Spice during her pop star days, is refusing to let her former bandmates use any songs on which she has writing credits.
A source told the newspaper the mother-of-four is resorting to “aggressive legal letters” to stop Mel B, Geri and Emma – a move that has apparently left her former bandmates saddened.
“It is an extremely sad way for things to end after all they have been through together. The girls are devastated. It is an extremely sad way for things to end,” the source told the publication.
One of the factors that allegedly led to Victoria calling in her lawyers is said to be GEM’s leaked track, Song For Her, which left fans divided. The Sun reports she is concerned they were mixing Spice Girls hits with fresh material.
As well as having writing credits on Spice Girls hits, Victoria also co-owns the companies which control the band’s legacy and finances.
The hugely successful fashion designer said last year she would prefer it if the reformed Spice Girls trio sang their own material. “I do think they should sing their own material though, because what we did in the Spice Girls was so special,” she told Claudia Winkleman. “If they sang Spice Girls songs I think I might be a bit sad.”
The legal news comes as it was also reported Geri Horner has pulled out of the reunion plans to focus on her family. The 44-year-old announced last October that she was expecting her second child, her first with husband Christian Horner.
For the record, Beckham’s name is listed as a songwriter on every one of the Spice Girl’s charting songs.
