By Amanda Moses
Three inspirational celebrities put pen to paper and shared personal accounts of their journey to fame and for some, the cost of this recognition. Barnes & Nobel located at 555 Fifth Avenue rounded out Women’s History month featuring three powerhouse women: Mel B of the Spice Girls, Becky Lynch from WWE, and former WWE Superstar and UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey. The Spring Creek Sun was on hand to photograph the events, which had many fans in tears as they shared how each of these women have inspired and empowered them.
Spice Girls Singer Mel B
On March 27th, Spice Girls singer Mel B, affectionately known as Scary Spice, participated in a meet and greet with fans as she celebrated the paper back release of her expose Brutally Honest with expanded content. This New York Times Best Seller was first published in 2018 and was written by Lousie Gannon and Mel B. It recounts the global icon that was known as Scary Spice, who began as a girl from a working-class family in Leeds, England. Mel B is truly brutally honest as she discusses what it was like breaking free from a ten-year-long abusive marriage. The same honesty and kindness Mel B exhibits on television and on the stage was also on display at Barnes & Nobel while she listened to fans open up about their pain and the personal way her music helped them overcome it. She continues to work to bring awareness to domestic violence with her story and advocacy.
WWE Superstar Becky Lynch
On March 26th, WWE fans were delighted to meet “The Man” Becky Lynch as she celebrated the release of her memoir. The book, Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Girl details her voyage of becoming the women she is today. From discussing what it was like as a scrappy young girl in her early wresting days to her rise to fame. As wrestling fans get ready for the road to WWE’s Wrestle Mania, they got a chance to meet their hero Becky Lynch, who went from a steampunk grappler into a fighting machine taking bloody punches to the face and getting back up to win. Lynch has broken through barriers and even taking the title “The Man” as she made the squared circle her house.
Former UFC Fighter and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey
On April 2nd, Rowdy Ronda Rousey—a professional wrestler, judo Olympic medalist and UFC fighter—posed with fans as they picked up their signed copy of Rousey Our Fight. Rousey was the first American woman to earn a bronze medal in the Olympics during the summer of 2008, yet this would not be the first barrier she put her fist through. Rousey took part in UFC’s first-ever female fight during the Women’s Bantamweight Champion and held the most defenses for this title by a female (six title defenses) and was the first female to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. She also won the women’s championship during her stint in WWE. Despite this rise to fame, Rousey had humble beginnings and shares, in her hardback book, the battles she had to overcome to get where she is today.
Photos by Amanda Moses and Dean Moses
