entertainment: gossip

Eddie Murphy confirms he is father of Mel B's baby

Monday August 6th 2007

Movie star Eddie Murphy has finally publicly acknowledged he fathered a child with Spice Girl Mel B.

The 46 year old Hollywood actor released a statement through his publicist saying he would "honour his responsibilities as a father".

The announcement comes a day after Mel B took legal action to establish him as a parent to Angel Iris Murphy Brown, who was born in April.

Murphy and Brown dated for a brief period in 2006 but the relationship didn't seem too serious.

Murphy said in his statement that the couple "never made any plans of any sort".

He goes to say that he does however "acknowledge paternity of the child, Angel, and has paid child support to Ms Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy."

Angel is the second daughter for Mel B, also known as Scary Spice. She has an eight-year-old daughter, Phoenix Chi, from her marriage to former Spice Girls backing dancer Jimmy Gulzar.

Murphy has five children with Nicole Mitchell Murphy who he divorced in 2005.