Nicole Murphy and Michael Strahan split, is one of the most surprising celebrity breakups of 2014. The NFL legend and his girlfriend of seven years got engaged in 2009.
Michael Strahan and Nicole Murphy have called off their five-year engagement, ending what many people considered as one of the most stable relationships, in the entertainment world. A spokesperson for Strahan confirmed the split rumors to People on Friday, via the following statement:
“They love each other very much, but with the distance and work schedule it has been hard to maintain the relationship.”
The breakup announcement could not have come at a worse time for the host of “Live! With Kelly and Michael,” who was about to be inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame, when the news broke. It is safe to say that he is not the one who leaked the information, since it almost ruined one of the biggest moments of his professional life.
People close to the former defensive end say, he feels a bit betrayed that the split news was not better handled by both parties. Those insiders tell TMZ that he finds the timing more than suspect.
Was Murphy trying to go after him? Was it somebody from her camp looking for revenge? No one has answers to these questions for now, but what is clear, those two have not been together for a little while. It was all about letting the cat out of the bag in a clean way, and somebody decided to mess things up at the end.
Despite being blindsided by the breakup announcement, Strahan went on to deliver a very powerful speech at the Canton, Ohio, induction ceremony. He talked about his weight problems growing up and the realization of his dream when he got drafted by the New York Giants. The Super Bowl winner said last week was the best one of his life.
Strahan was previously married to Jean Muggli and Wanda Hutchins. He has two kids with each woman and none with Murphy. The star of VH1’s “Hollywood Exes” is actor and comedian Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife.
They had five children together before divorcing in 2006 after a 13-year marriage.
