Actress and model Nicole Murphy has finally broken her silence on what led to the passing of her boyfriend of nearly two years.
Initial reports claimed that Warren Braithwaite died from cancer, but turns out it was more severe than what was told to the public.
“He had multiple myeloma cancer, it’s blood cancer,” Murphy explained during an appearance on the “Tamron Hall” show Oct. 25. “The only way you can treat is through chemo [therapy].”
She said Braithwaite was diagnosed for years before they had even met. As a fitness and health enthusiast, she explained that his diagnosis impacted his body much harder when he became sick.
“It’s like when you catch a cold, you get rid of it in maybe four or five days. Him it would take a month and I just saw the decline and it just started, you know, catching up to him,” Murphy shared.
Murphy said it was “shocking” when Braithwaite shared his diagnosis, which made her question if she wanted to pursue things with him further.
“You do question yourself,” Murphy said. “Do I want to deal with this? How am I going to deal with this? But I got to know him and I fell in love with him. He’s such a great person and he treated me like a queen.”
The 56-year-old noted that the five kids she shares with comedian Eddie Murphy “adored” Braithwaite and she has no regrets about taking care of him in the eleventh hour.
“He was worth taking care of. When he was in the hospital, I stayed in the hospital with him. Slept in a bed for two weeks and two days. I was like, ‘You sick, I’m sick.’”
The host then asked Murphy about attending the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February with Braithwaite, who had told her “I don’t know if I’m going to make it.”
“I couldn’t believe he said that. I was like, ‘Don’t say that,’ and he was like, ‘Well, you never know,’” she confessed, noting her strong belief in the power of manifestation.
“Of course when we got back he got more sick and then he ended up in the hospital,” after she was “begging him,” Murphy explained. ”I was like, ‘You need to go to the doctor, and he fought me on it. And then finally I said, ‘Listen,’ it was a Saturday, I said, ‘If you’re not well by 6 p.m. I’m calling the ambulance.”
She stated that Braithwaite advised her to call the ambulance at 5 p.m. and later he was admitted to ICU, where Murphy was unable to see him.
“Turned out he got COVID-19 on top of pneumonia, so I was like there’s no coming back from this. His immune system was just too weak, so it was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening,'” Murphy recounted.
Murphy described her partner as someone who was on top of his health, going to the gym and eating healthy. So much so that he attended her son Myles’ wedding in September 2023, just months after she went public with their relationship online.
Her ex-husband of 12 years, the “Beverly Hills Cop” star, even posed for a photo op with Nicole and Braithwaite.
“Wonderful moments, I cherish them all. He taught me how to be treated by a man, really,” Murphy admitted.
NICOLE MURPHY'S PARTNER WARREN BRAITHWAITE REPORTEDLY PASSES AWAY FROM CANCER…🙏🏾
— 9MagTV (@BlackInkChi) March 2, 2024
SEE VIDEO HERE: https://t.co/rvpTwmRXNs pic.twitter.com/r0wy2V6MiL
“Live life to the fullest. Go do it, what you’ve been dreaming about,” she stressed as her new philosophy on life. “I’m just on this new journey where I got to live, you can’t take life for granted.”
After Braithwaite’s passing in March, Nicole stated, “It’s so hard not hearing your voice or seeing your face. You were my world & my everything,” in a touching tribute online. She never shared many details about his passing until now as fans send their condolences, hopeful she will find love again.
“I kept wondering what happened to him, I figured they just broke up. I was sad because he seemed to make her really happy. I had no idea this had happened,” wrote one Instagram user.
A second wrote, “The loss is unbearable but when they appear to be a healthy specimen it hurts a bit more.”
“I am so sorry for your loss,” added a third person in the comment section of her interview posted on YouTube. “God gave him to you for a season..you learned HOW it feels to be treated like the QUEEN God made you to be He set the bar high..therefore it will be HARD to accept a man if he does not know how to treat you. Your story does not happen for us..therefore I a m really glad you experienced it. To God be the glory..always!!Show less.”
Many sympathized with Murphy, sharing kind and comforting words as well as inquisitive responses about Braithwaite’s condition.
“Multiple Myeloma is a rare form of cancer that forms in the bone marrow. It is not easily detected. Usually people in their seventies and above get it. There is no cure but there is treatment. That guy look young. God rest his soul. I wonder if he took a pneumonia shot. Myeloma patients are offered the shot,” said one individual.
Another added, “Aww. I hope she can find her somebody again. That’s sad.”
Murphy took a break from social media for months after her boyfriend’s passing. She returned with a fresh new look, swapping out her signature short brown hair for a blond bombshell look.
“She’s so beautiful! Aside from all the drama associated with her… you can’t deny she’s breathtaking!” said one person on YouTube.
Aside from being the ex-wife of a famous comedian, Nicole was also engaged to former NFL player and current “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan. The two dated for five years but ultimately called it off in 2014.
Five years later, she became infamously known for having an alleged affair with Lela Rochon’s husband after they were caught kissing on vacation in photos from 2019.
Nicole and filmmaker Antoine Fuqua were spotted locking lips at a hotel in Ischia, Italy, while in town for the Ischia Global Festival, where he received an award for director of the year. However, she has adamantly denied the affair, stating that she had no idea he was married.
“It was a moment, girl. You learn from your mistakes,” Murphy said on “The Wendy Williams Show” before fake attempting to put her hands around Wendy’s neck. “I regret it,” she added, “Yeah. It was mistake. I’m human.”
