Comedian and actor Eddie Murphy has acknowledged that he is the father of the baby daughter born to Spice Girls member Melanie Brown. The singer brought a paternity suit against Murphy last week after he had failed to accept publicly that the girl, called Angel, was his.
The admission of fatherhood came in a short statement issued by a publicist on behalf of the 46-year-old star of Beverly Hills Cop series of films and the voice of the donkey in Shrek. It said that Murphy ”always has and will continue to honour his responsibilities as a father”. The statement went on to downplay the relationship last year between the Spice Girl, formerly known as Scary Spice, and the actor.
”Mr Murphy and Ms Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of ANY sort,” the statement read. ”He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy.”
The development follows a series of attacks on Murphy in the media, including criticism from fellow Spice Girl Victoria Beckham who referred to Murphy as ”Beverly Hills Cock” in the recent television documentary about her move to Los Angeles.
Murphy’s press statement ended by emphasising the actor would not speak again on this ”private matter”. In June a DNA test confirmed Murphy was the father of Angel Iris Murphy Brown. Last Wednesday, Brown (32) filed her claim in Los Angeles, to legally establish his paternity and seek unspecified child support for the three-month-old girl.
Murphy is believed to have become engaged in the past few days to his girlfriend of 10 months, Tracey Edmonds. The star already has five children from his first marriage to Nicole Mitchell, which ended in divorce in 2006. – Guardian Unlimited Â