‘She’s Back’: Nicole Murphy Shocks Fans with New Look Months After the Passing of Her Boyfriend from Cancer

Months after losing her boyfriend Warren Braithwaite to cancer, Nicole Murphy has debuted a new look for the summer.

The mother of five and ex-wife of comedian Eddie Murphy has been known for her stunning looks since they were married in the 1990s. But even beauties can be heartbroken.

Nicole Murphy debuts new look
Nicole Murphy has fans turning heads after debuting her new look months after the passing her boyfriend, Warren Braithwaite, died of cancer. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)

Many fans appreciated Murphy coloring her brown hair to platinum blonde as she makes steps to move forward following her devastating loss. Her signature short pixie cut remains, but now it is bleached, complementing her new golden bronze complexion.

The model revealed her new hairstyle on Instagram in a short video clip earlier this month. She can be seen smizing into the camera. In the caption, Murphy wrote, “She’s back. Loving my new look and feeling fabulous! #fountainofyouryouth #fabover50.”

Murphy gave her one million followers a closer look at her transformation in her Instagram story on June 30.

Hollywood Unlocked posted a video of the 56-year-old out and about, and its followers went bonkers in the comment section, expressing their approval and excitement for her new look.

Some requested her “anti-aging secrets,” while a few accused her of having plastic surgery.

“She looks great! Meanwhile a lot of ppl in the comment will be aging like toilet paper,” a comment read, while another said, “Surgery Or Not, She Looks Good!”

A third said, “I remember her being on Hollywood Ex’s and said she spends 100K a year on her looks. So her secret is facelift, filters, botox and fillers,” one comment recalled. “I seen her at Essence musical Festival not that long ago and she looked really aged. She’s beautiful though.”

Effacé Aesthetics hoped in the comments for some free promo and wrote, “We are her anti-aging secret! We’ll be sharing her recent visit to us soon with the treatments she received. She was sweet and wanted to share with y’all.”

Referring to her new hairdo, one individual called it the “Off to steal someone else’s husband haircut.”

Back in 2019, Murphy was caught locking lips with married “Training Day” director Antoine Fuqua in Italy. Fuqua is married and has children with “Waiting to Exhale” star Lela Rochon. Murphy said they were just “friends” and expressed her regret with an apology about dealing with a married man, despite her being under the impression their marriage was over.

Murphy is currently coming back from the loss of the man she considered “her world.”

Eddie’s ex introduced Braithwaite in July 2023 on social media, shocking the world with her mystery man. Over the last year, Murphy shared their passionate relationship in a series of photographs and videos.

The public would later find out about Braithwaite’s untimely demise in March 2024. He had lost his battle with cancer, shredding the hearts of his friends and loved ones.

She took to her Instagram to share a tribute writing, “I miss you so much my love.”

“May you rest in peace my sweet,” she continued. “It’s so hard not hearing your voice or seeing your face,” she continued. “You were my world & my everything.”

Murphy has been linked to a few high-profile men over the years, including basketball legend Michael Jordan, TV host and former NFL star Michael Strahan, and actor and comedian Nick Cannon.

However, her most significant relationship was one of the top comedians of his generation and the father of her five children.

Pointing back to her divorce, one person said, “I don’t understand Eddie Murphy. Honestly, I don’t.”

Murphy and the “Beverly Hills Cop” star have been divorced for nearly 20 years. Their marriage began in 1993 and ended due to irreconcilable differences after 12 years.

Murphy filed for divorce in August 2005, which was finalized the following year in April 2006. Despite the end of their marital relationship, the couple remained committed to co-parenting their children and maintaining a stable family environment post-divorce​. She, Eddie and Braithwaite took photos together at the wedding of the former couple’s son Myles Murphy.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top