Nicole Murphy Explains Kissing Married Antoine Fuqua, Says It Was 'Friendly Hello'

Nicole Murphy set the record straight and explained her controversial kiss with married director Antoine Fuqua in Italy. It was only a "friendly hello" according to her.

A picture paints a thousand words but for Nicole Murphy, a recent picture of her kissing Antoine Fuqua painted more than what it truly was.

THE CONTROVERSIAL KISS

In response to the scandal that spawned from what Murphy now says is a “friendly” kiss, the former wife of Eddie Murphy is clearing the air that’s muddling her reputation.

Earlier this week, photos of Murphy on a PDA moment with Lela Rochon’s husband of 20 years hit headlines raising questions of the nature of their relationship.

The image of the 51-year-old model and 53-year-old director kissing was reportedly taken at the poolside of a hotel in Ischia, Italy where Fuqua was receiving a director of the year award at the Ischia Global Festival.

Both holding a coffee cup in one hand, a shirtless Fuqua kissed a bikini-clad Murphy who also appeared to be smiling as they shared the tender moment.

This is not the first time Fuqua stepped out of his marriage. In fact, he allegedly fathered two children while married to Rochon who also shares two children with him.

HER EXPLANATION

In light of headlines painting her to be a homewrecker, Murphy scrambled to set things straight. She sent a statement to lovebscott.com to clarify that the kiss had been misinterpreted and that she and the director were mere friends. Her exact words were:

“Antoine and I are just family friends. I ran into him in Italy and we exchanged a friendly hello and that was it.”

For many, the kiss looked more than a “friendly hello” but we’ll have to take Murphy’s word for it for now.

THE STATUS OF FUQUA AND ROCHON'S MARRIAGE

It’s unclear if Fuqua and Rochon are still married though they were last seen together at the basketball game of their son a few weeks ago. The actress reportedly posted a cryptic message in reaction to the news before deleting it and all her social media accounts.

According to The Jasmine Brand, this is not the first time Fuqua stepped out of his marriage. In fact, he allegedly fathered two children while married to Rochon who also shares two children with him. Last April marked their 20th anniversary as husband and wife.