Eddie Murphy Admits To Fathering Mel B.’s Baby

Eddie Murphy admitted to being the father of Melanie Brown’s infant daughter yesterday, two days after Brown filed a Superior Court petition to legally establish him as the child’s parent.

Murphy’s publicist, Arnold Robinson, acknowledged paternity in a statement to Access Hollywood:

“Eddie Murphy always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father,” said Robinson. “Mr. Murphy and Ms. Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of ANY sort. He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms. Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy. Mr. Murphy views this as a private matter and as such, will not be making any further comments about it.”

Brown’s attorney, Gloria Allred, claimed today that Murphy isn’t accepting his parental responsibilities when it comes to Angel Iris:

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

At a press conference on Wednesday, Allred said that Brown will seek sole custody of Angel Iris and reasonable child support.

Brown (aka Scary Spice) has long contended that Murphy was the father of the four-month old Angel Iris, and listed him as the father on the baby’s birth certificate in April. She told reporters on Wednesday that she and Murphy had mutually agreed to have a child together. “Angel is my baby and Eddie’s,” she said. “She will always know that she was planned and wanted by both of us.”

According to the 32 year-old Spice Girl, she and Murphy dated for four months in 2006, and there was never any doubt in her mind that he was the baby’s father.

Murphy, however, told a reporter in December that no one should automatically assume he is the father since he and Melanie were no longer a couple. “We don’t know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test,” he said. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

The 46 year-old actor reportedly submitted to a DNA test on June 11.

Last weekend it was revealed that Murphy had proposed to film producer Tracey Edmonds. Murphy began dating Edmonds not long after his split with Brown. Edmonds was previously married to music producer and artist, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

Murphy has five children from his marriage to Nicole Mitchell Murphy, which since has ended in divorce last year. Brown also has an 8-year-old daughter from her marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar.

On Thursday, Brown and Murphy’s ex-wife lunched together at the Ivy restaurant in LA. As shown is the photo, Melanie brought along Angel Iris, while Nicole brought her little girl, Bella Zahra.

Whether the two were just introducing the children to their half-sibling or swapping gossip on the “Dreamgirls” star, only the Ivy table they sat at knows.