Melanie B and her new boyfriend film producer Stephen Belafonte

In one of the more moving paternal addresses we’ve seen in a while, Eddie Murphy has acknowledged his daughter Angel Iris Murphy Brown. He also made sure to counter Melanie Brown’s statement that “she was planned and wanted by both of us.” Heaven forbid the he let the kid think she was wanted when she wasn’t. His publicist, Arnold Robinson, released a statement.

“‘Mr. Murphy and Ms. Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of ANY sort,’ the statement said. ‘He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms. Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy.’”

[From the Associated Press]

Well if it’s in ALL CAPS, it must be really really true. Poor kid. I’m sure she’ll always be treated as an obligation. Gloria Allred, Scary Spice’s lawyer, responded by noting that Eddie seems to think of Angel as a financial obligation instead of his daughter.

“’He has not indicated in his statement or to us that he plans to visit the baby.’” Brown’s primary concern is that Murphy ‘see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter,’ Allred said.

[From the Washington Post]

Gloria Allred actually sounds pretty fair to me. Most psychologists agree that a girl who is treated well by her father will have better self esteem. There’s obviously a lot of exceptions. But having your father treat you like you’re nothing more than a financial burden can’t be good for a little girl. Mel B had a much publicized lunch with Nicole Mitchell, (who Murphy was married to for twelve years) this past weekend. The two met, with Nicole bringing along her five children with Eddie and Mel bringing Angel Iris. There were really cute pictures of them all embracing, and a picture taken through a window of Nicole holding Angel and playing with her. I’m sure it was a well-orchestrated photo op, but it sends a very clear message to Eddie: the women you’ve screwed over are forming a united front. Somehow it bugs me that he’s left such a trail of little children in his wake. He’s moving on happily with his life, buying his new doe-eyed fiancé an eight carat engagement ring, while ignoring at least one of his kids. If he doesn’t get his act together, pretty soon they’ll be adults, writing “Daddy Dearest” memoirs.

Images thanks to PRPhotos.

Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds got engaged this past weekend. No articles are bothering to mention how he asked her, just that her ring is really, really big. Eight carats big. Why is old lady sized jewelry trendy again? I looked it up, and it turns out that’s about the size of a rib eye steak. Sexy.

“ET has learned that EDDIE MURPHY and his girlfriend of 10 months, TRACEY EDMONDS, are engaged!

According to OK! magazine, the 46-year-old ‘Dreamgirls’ and ‘Shrek the Third’ star proposed on July 25 with a “massive,” roughly 8-carat CARTIER yellow diamond engagement ring.

A friend of the couple says, “They’re very adorable together, very happy,” adding that they plan to tie the knot before the end of the year with a private wedding: “something low-key and romantic.””

[From Entertainment Tonight Online]

TMZ pointed out that Eddie Murphy’s first wedding to Nicole Mitchell in 1993 was on Forbes top ten most expensive celebrity weddings, clocking in at $1.5 million. They obviously have something a little more understated planned the second time around, which I think is classy. Ironic, since I wouldn’t call an 8 carat ring understated, but whatever.

Murphy and Edmonds are going to have quite the bustling house. Eddie has five kids from his twelve year marriage, and one new daughter with Scary Spice Melanie Brown. Tracey has two sons from her thirteen year marriage to Babyface. Eight kids are a lot of little feet running around the house. I’ve always heard that Eddie is a control freak. I kind of imagine that his kids live in his house kind of like the Von Trapp children in the “Sound of Music” - responding to whistles and marching around in concentric circles. And something tells me Tracey wouldn’t really object. She just has that passive doe-eyed expression too often.