Getty Eddie Murphy, his ex-wife and their children.
Eddie Murphy had a major comeback in 2019. In addition to his acclaimed turn as Rudy Ray Moore in the Netflix biopic Dolemite Is My Name, the comedian hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time since he left the series in 1984.
To make matters more special, all ten of Murphy’s kids were present in the SNL audience. Read on to learn more about Murphy’s kids, their respective careers, and whether any of them have followed in their father’s footsteps.
Here’s what you need to know about Eddie Murphy’s kids and family:
1. Murphy Has Sons with 2 of His Former Girlfriends
Murphy’s oldest sons, Eric and Christian, were born out of relationships with two former girlfriends. Eric was born on July 10, 1989 to Murphy and his then-girlfriend Paulette McNeely, but Closer Weekly reported that the relationship ended soon after. Christian was born on November 29, 1990 to Murphy and a woman named Tamara Hood, but by this time, the comedian had begun dating model Nicole Mitchell.
Eric has made a point of staying out of the limelight, but Christian has acted sporadically, with IMDb credits on The Shield and Cougars, Inc. as well as the documentary Love Cures Cancer: Take a Chance on Love II. Cheat Sheet reported that Eric and Christian are close, given their closeness in age and their desire to keep a relatively low profile.
Murphy confirmed that Eric and Christian were among the kids in attendance during his SNL taping. “My kids have all flown in for this,” he gushed to Today. “They’re all flying out for this.”
2. Murphy Has 5 Children with His Ex-Wife Nicole Mitchell
TV Overmind reported that Murphy met fashion model Nicole Mitchell at the NAACP Image Awards in 1988. They got married at the Plaza Hotel on March 18, 1993, by which time they had given birth to a daughter named Bria (born 1989) and a son named Myles (born 1992). The couple would go on to have three more kids, including Shayne (born 1994), Zola (born 1999) and Bella (born 2002).
Murphy and Mitchell divorced in 2006, per People Magazine, but they have continued to parent their children together. Mitchell appeared on the VH1 reality series Hollywood Exes in 2014, which also included appearances from Shayne and Zola Murphy. Neither daughter has aspirations of becoming an actress, though Shayne did follow her mother’s career path and become a professional model. Her Facebook profile states that she lives in Los Angeles, California.
Myles and his wife gave birth to a daughter named Evie in 2019, which makes Murphy and Mitchell both grandparents. The latter gushed about her grandchild when she appeared on an episode of the Wendy Williams Show. “I’m in love with my grandbaby,” she said. “I can’t get enough. I just want to eat her up.”
3. Murphy’s Oldest Daughter Bria In an Actress & Painter
Bria Murphy, 30, has pursued an acting career much like her father, and her IMDb credits include Amateur Night (2016) and Conflict of Interest (2017). She continues to act in film and television, but she has recently taken up painting as her core medium of expression. She explained the career shift during an interview with Spectrum News.
“I just got so frustrated going on auditions and everything, because people thought they were gonna get a female version of Eddie Murphy,” she admitted. “And I love and respect my dad, but like most people I can’t do what he does. This is a way for people to really hear my voice and my culture to hear my voice loud and clear.”
Bria claimed that her painting is specifically intended for an African American audience, and critiques the superficiality of mainstream culture. “Beautiful black people showing off their gold and material objects, but that gold they’re showing off is actually chains,” she said. “Working in art is definitely way for me to make my own independence.”
4. Murphy Has a Daughter Named Angel with Singer Mel B
Murphy briefly dated Mel B after his divorce. The former Spice Girl announced that she was pregnant with Murphy’s child in December 2006, but Murphy said he was skeptical that the child was really his. “I don’t know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test,” he told People. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, sir.”
Mel B gave birth to a daughter named Angel Iris Murphy Brown, on April 3, 2007, which also happened to be Murphy’s 46th birthday. A few months later, a DNA test confirmed that Murphy was the father. The comedian was reportedly hesitant to take a parenting role, and Mel B criticized him for it during a Digital Spy interview. “He never bothers with his daughter,” she claimed. “I mean, what kind of man is that?”
New York Daily News reports that Murphy and Mel B overcame their differences in 2010, and that the former has assumed a larger role in his daughter’s life. “Eddie’s ex-wife Nicole helped them reconcile their issues, too,” an insider claimed. “Angel is Eddie’s youngest child, and Nicole wanted her children to know her. That helped Eddie to come around and get past all the animosity he had toward Mel.”
5. Murphy Has 2 Children with Fiance Paige Butcher
Murphy has been dating model Paige Butcher since 2012, and they have 2 children together. They welcomed a daughter named Izzy on May 3, 2016, and a son named Max on November 30, 2018, according to People. The latter was given the middle name Charles, as a tribute to Murphy’s late brother Charlie.
Murphy talked about his large family and the reactions that people give him when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “Men kind of look at me like, ‘He’s crazy! How much did that sh*t cost?’ And women, it’s kind of like, there’s something sexy about it, I think. ‘Eddie Murphy must be doing his thing. Eddie Murphy be getting it in! He don’t be bullsh*ttin’!’… I like it, I’m happy with it. It’s funny the reaction that the audience gives.”
Page Six stated that Murphy and Butcher got engaged in September 2018. They have yet to set a wedding date.
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