Nicole Murphy has reportedly apologized for kissing married director, Antoine Fuqua, 53, in Italy last Saturday.
The 51-year-old allegedly told TMZ that she would like to send her apologies to the family and that ‘it was not her intention to be in the situation.’
The director is currently married to Waiting To Exhale actress Lela Rochon, 55, with the pair marrying in 1999 and sharing two children.
Steamy: Nicole Murphy was spotted in a steamy clinch with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua in Italy on Saturday – amid claims he is still married to actress Lela Rochon
‘Without going into the entire situation, I want to apologize to my family, and to Lela and the Fuqua family for what transpired,’ she said.
‘It was not my intention to be in this situation. I do not condone women kissing or interacting in anyway inappropriately with a married man. I too was once married and I would never intentionally undermine another woman, despite what has been written.’
The publication continued to report that the ex-wife of Eddie Murphy believed Antoine and Lela’s 20-year relationship was over.
Apology: ‘Without going into the entire situation, I want to apologize to my family, and to Lela and the Fuqua family for what transpired. It was not my intention to be in this situation. I do not condone women kissing or interacting in anyway inappropriately with a married man’
‘Nicole was under the impression that Antoine was divorced, and that’s why she engaged with him the way she did. We’re told she feels terrible about this and hopes folks can forgive her for the mistake,’ revealed sources close to Nicole, according to TMZ.
Mail Online has reached out to Nicole’s representatives for further comment.
Nicole and Antoine’s passionate PDA took place in Italy on Saturday at the Regina Isabella hotel in Ischia.
A rep for the model told Dailymail.com at the time: ‘Antoine and Nicole are just family friends. She ran into him in Italy and they exchanged a friendly hello and that was it.’
Married? Fuqua, 53, is allegedly still wed to Waiting To Exhale actress Lela, 55, with the pair tying the knot in 1999 and sharing two children. She shared this post with him in February
Just friends? At the time of the pictured PDA, a rep told Mail Online: ‘Antoine and Nicole are just family friends. She ran into him in Italy and they exchanged a friendly hello and that was it’
Nicole looked incredible in a colorful string bikini and sheer white cover-up which was tied at the waist but open enough to reveal her taut tummy.
The tiny top also revealed her ample assets adorned with gold chains as she soaked up the sun.
The beauty accentuated her ageless visage with a simple swipe of mascara as she packed on the PDA with the reportedly still married director.
While it’s unclear what the current status of Fuqua’s marriage is, his wife of 20 years switched her Instagram account to private on Monday, just as photos of the rendezvous emerged online.
Business as usual! And amid all the drama, Nicole took to social media on Monday to share a lovely clothed post for her 918K followers
All appeared well back in February, as Lela, 55, congratulated her spouse on winning a filmmaker gong at the MPSE Golden Reel Awards.
Sharing a sweet selfie of the pair, she wrote: ‘Congratulations to my husband #antoinefuqua who received the Filmmaker Award last night at the MPSE Golden Reel Awards.’
Fuqua and Rochon married in 1999 and have two children together; daughter Asia, 16 and son Brando, 15. He also has a son from a previous relationship.
And amid all the drama, Nicole took to social media on Monday to share a lovely clothed post for her 918K followers.
‘Every journey begins with just one single step….’ she captioned the cryptic image.
The Hollywood Unlocked claims Murphy met Antoine at the July 2018 premiere for Equalizer 2 – which he attended with his wife – and has since kept in touch with the skincare guru.
Nicole has been single since her five-year engagement to Michael Strahan came to an end in 2014 but was rumored to be dating Drake and Nick Cannon in recent years.
She divorced comedian Eddie Murphy in 2006 and shares five children with him; daughters Bria, 29, Shayne, 24, Zola, 19, and Bella, 17, as well as a 26-year-old son, Miles.
Murphy first started modelling at the age of 13, signing with Ford Models after winning an international modelling contest.
She met Eddie in 1988 at the NAACP Image Awards, and they lived together for two years before getting married in 1993.
Former couple: Nicole divorced comedian Eddie Murphy in 2006 and shares five children with him (pictured 2005)
