Mel B attended the America's Got Talent semi-finals in Pasadena on Tuesday, drawing attention on the red carpet in a skintight red leather minidress paired with fishnet stockings and matching thigh-high boots.
The 50-year-old judge joined fellow panelists Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel, as well as host Terry Crews, as series 20 moved toward its concluding rounds. Cowell wore a charcoal fitted T-shirt with blue jeans; Vergara opted for a black strapless jumpsuit printed with silver stars; Mandel appeared in a black waistcoat and trousers, and Crews stood out in a shimmering metallic suit.
Mel B's appearance coincided with public comments from her daughter, Phoenix Brown, who addressed the advantages and challenges of having a famous parent. In an interview published this week, the 26-year-old said her mother told her early on, "I'm the famous one and you're not," a remark Brown said helped prompt her to seek an independent path.
Brown said she has moved to define her own career through DJ work, art exhibitions in London and by pursuing fashion opportunities, including walking in her first London Fashion Week show for the streetwear label Sprayground. She also produced and appeared in a Channel 4 documentary, Born in the Limelight – Nepo Babies: Untold, which examined public perceptions of the so-called "nepo baby" phenomenon and the broader question of how familial connections affect opportunity.
"I'm discovering who I am, what I like, who I like, where I want to be," Brown told the interviewer, adding that she does not intend to live in the shadow of her mother's fame. Addressing the "nepo baby" label directly, she said: "It is what it is. I'm not going to shy away from the fact, I am a nepo baby, so go ahead, call me that. But my name is Phoenix."
The Channel 4 documentary, released last year, explored both the perceived advantages that can accompany celebrity parentage and the pressures that can come with public scrutiny. Brown said she was initially nervous about the project because she expected it could provoke negative responses, but that she hoped it would prompt broader reflection about privilege and opportunity beyond celebrity circles.
Mel B, who rose to international fame as Scary Spice in the 1990s girl group the Spice Girls, joined America's Got Talent as a judge for the U.S. edition, contributing to the panel's assessments as the program advances through the semi-final stage. The semi-finals in Pasadena are part of the televised competition's run toward its season finale, which will determine the series 20 winner.
Both Mel B's red-carpet look and her daughter's remarks received coverage in the British press, where reporting recounted Brown's comments and her ongoing efforts to build a profile in music, visual art and fashion. Brown's comments reflect a continuing public conversation about how children of public figures navigate their own careers and identities while living under public scrutiny.
As the America's Got Talent season progresses, judges and hosts have continued to generate attention for both on-screen critiques and off-stage appearances, while family members of judges occasionally receive media focus that intertwines with conversations about fame, access and professional independence.