What Really Happened Between Michael Strahan And Eddie Murphy's Ex-Wife?
Michael Strahan is known for many things. Most notably perhaps is Strahan's 15 Season stint with the New York Giants, which started in 1993 and concluded in 2008, per ESPN. However, Michael's post-football career as a TV host and personality is equally impressive. Since retiring from the NFL, Michael has enjoyed a lucrative career in television, landing high-profile gigs as Kelly Ripa's co-host on "Live! With Kelly and Michael," before eventually transitioning into an anchor role on Good Morning America, along with a slew of other hosting gigs (including Michael's canceled show, "Strahan, Sara, and Keke").
Unfortunately, Strahan's romantic life hasn't been quite as celebratory. Strahan has been married and divorced twice. According to Hello! Magazine, Strahan's first wife was designer Wanda Hutchins, who he was married to from 1992-1996. The couple had two children together, and have remained friends, per Fan Buzz. However Michael's relationship with his second wife Jean Muggli, which lasted from 1999-2006, turned nasty during the divorce phase with Jean launching emotional and physical abuse claims Michael's way, although she later retracted them. In the end, Michael ended up shelling out a $15.3 million divorce settlement and $18,000 a month in child support.
And though Michael has remained unmarried in the years since, he did come quite close when he dated his now-ex fiancé, who just so happened to be the ex-wife of actor/comic Eddie Murphy.
Michael Strahan and Nicole Murphy were once engaged
Shortly after Michael Strahan's 2006 divorce from Jean Muggli was finalized, he started dating Nicole Murphy in 2007. Like Strahan, Nicole had recently gotten out of a marriage to Eddie Murphy, who she first married in 1993, via Hollywood Life. The couple was uniquely private about their relationship in the beginning. However, in 2009, Strahan proposed to Murphy while vacationing in the Bahamas, and he couldn't help but share the good news with People. "I have a great relationship and she's a great girl," shared Strahan through his manager. "I don't like to talk much about my private life, but I'm really happy." Unfortunately, Strahan and Murphy remained engaged for five years and never became husband and wife.
Shortly before their breakup made headlines, Strahan had nothing but glowing things to say about Murphy and their relationship. "It's great. As a divorced man, you just want somebody around your kids who's respectful and will treat them like her own," Strahan shared with Ebony Magazine per E! News. "When you understand that, there's never any issue. We laugh and are at graduations and birthday parties, you know ... all that stuff." The former football star added, "I love the kids and the family. For us, it's key that we maintain normalcy. We have a great life," via E! News.
Nicole Murphy announced her breakup with Michael Strahan right before a major life event
Nicole Murphy called off her engagement to Michael Strahan in 2014. And while Strahan's reps assured that, "They love each other very much, but with the distance and work schedule it has been hard to maintain the relationship," Murphy's decision to confirm the breakup to People, the day before Strahan was to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, doesn't exactly allude to a civil ending.
According to multiple reports, Murphy ended the engagement because of alleged cheating on Strahan's part. Per TMZ, Murphy first suspected that Strahan was involved with someone else romantically in July 2014, and thus started "investigating." Prior to their breakup, Murphy allegedly caught up with Strahan at a hotel in an attempt to catch him cheating, making a scene in the process. "I know you're in there with some b***h," reportedly yelled Murphy," via New York Daily News.
Despite Strahan's strained past with Murphy, he appears to still be close with her daughter, Shayne Audra. According to Hello! Magazine, Strahan was spotted out with the then-26-year-old in 2021, sparking romance rumors. However, they quickly set the record straight, referring to each other as "bonus daughter" and "bonus dad" on social media.