Geri Halliwell: Mel B’s sex claims are ‘very hurtful’

Mel B’s claims that she once had sex with her Spice Girls groupmate Geri Halliwell are simply untrue, according to Ginger Spice herself.

“It has been very disappointing to read about all these rumors again, especially on Mother’s Day [in the U.K.] of all days,” a rep for Halliwell tells Us Weekly. “Geri is really grateful for your support and loyalty for so many years. She loves the Spice Girls: Emma [Bunton], Melanie [B], Melanie [C] and Victoria [Beckham]. She would like you to know that what has been reported recently is simply not true and has been very hurtful to her family.”

The statement continues, “Moving forward, Geri can’t wait to see the girls and all the fans on the tour, have an amazing time with everyone and make some new memories. She wishes you a Happy Mother’s Day.”

PHOTOS: Geri Halliwell through the years

Mel B (a.k.a. Scary Spice) claimed in March that she slept with Halliwell, 46, during the height of the Spice Girls’ fame in the 1990s. “She’s going to hate me for this because she’s so posh in her country house with her husband,” the former America’s Got Talent judge, 43, said on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, referencing Halliwell’s spouse of nearly four years, Christian Horner.

Mel C (a.k.a. Sporty Spice) was in the audience during Mel B’s interview and appeared shocked about the claim. “I don’t know anything,” she said. “I don’t. This is all new to me.”

A source later told Us that “nothing actually happened between Mel B and Geri,” calling the rumors “all just a bit of silliness.”

Mel B attempted to downplay her remarks soon after, saying on 2Day FM Breakfast With Grant, Ed & Ash, “We’ve known each other for 20-plus years. It was just one of those things that happened one night.”

The Spice Girls are set to kick off their 13-date reunion tour (sans Beckham, who has shifted her focus to her fashion career) in Dublin on May 24.

PHOTOS: The Spice Girls in the late 1990s