Mel B couldn't be away from her children, court told It wasn't about the money ... Melanie Brown, who pulled out of The X Factor. When former Spice Girl Melanie Brown pulled out of her role as a judge on The X Factor her husband told a Channel Seven executive "it's not about the money" but was about "spending six months away from the children," a court has heard. Less than two months later, the singer had signed a deal to join Channel Nine's rival show Australia's Got Talent. I actually suggested that she should post a tweet to her fans telling them she wouldn't be coming back to Australia. Giving evidence in the ongoing legal battle over Ms Brown's controversial move to Nine, her husband Stephen Belafonte said that earlier this year he learned that the singer would not be able to bring two of her children out to Australia during the filming of The X Factor. The court heard that Brown's former partners, including actor Eddie Murphy, had refused to sign release forms, thus preventing her from obtaining Australian visas for the children they had fathered with her. "I told them that it couldn't happen," said Mr Belafonte, appearing via video link from Los Angeles. It was either go and have a lengthy court battle [with the fathers] that could last a couple of years, or [pull out]. Any way you looked at it, there wasn't any option. [Head of production at Seven, Brad Lyons] said to me, 'Are you sure there's nothing we can do, do you need money?' I said, 'Brad, it's not about money - there's no way Mel can be away from the kids for six months'. Mr Belafonte strenuously denied that he had told Mr Lyons: "Buddy, we're Seven people through and through," as the executive alleged earlier in the hearing. Anyone who knows me knows I don't talk like that ... It sounds like a Seven slogan. He also denied offering to post a misleading tweet to Brown's fans expressing her excitement about coming back to Australia for The X Factor when he knew this was not going to happen. "No, I actually suggested that she should post a tweet to her fans telling them she wouldn't be coming back to Australia," Mr Belafonte said. Mr Belafonte told the court that Mr Lyons had described Brown's departure as a "very touchy subject" which they need to "keep under wraps." He didn't want the other [X Factor] judges to gouge Seven [for more money]. He seemed very nervous about the fact that Nine had just announced that Ricky Martin was coming over. Around six weeks after the conversation, Nine announced that Brown would be joining Australia's Got Talent as a judge. It is understood this show has a shorter production schedule. Seven is furious at the move, declaring that Brown had breached her contract with them to be a judge on The X Factor. It immediately sought an injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the singer from working for Nine or promoting any of its programs.