Eddie Murphy’s Ex-Wife Nicole Speaks out After Photo of Her Kissing Married Director Antoine Fuqua Leaks

Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife Nicole is speaking out after a photo of her kissing married director Antoine Fuqua recently leaked. Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) has been married to actress Lela Rochon (Waiting to Exhale) since 1999 and share two children — 16-year-old, Asia and 15-year-old, Brando. Murphy and Nicole married in 1993, but divorced in 2006.

In the leaked photo that was snapped at a hotel in Italy on Saturday, Nicole and Fuqua are engaged in a close kiss while holding what appears to be cups of cappuccino. Additionally, Nicole is wearing a two-piece bathing suit with a sheer cover, and Fuqua appears to only be wearing a towel, with a hat and sunglasses.

Nicole has since issued a statement to PEOPLE about the seemingly intimate moment: “Antoine and I [are] friends. We ran into each other while we both were in Europe. 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 (sic) inappropriately with a married man,” she added.

“I too was once married and I would never intentionally undermine another woman, despite what has been written,” Nicole went on to say, then setting the record straight by asserting, “I ran into him in Italy and we exchanged a friendly hello and that was it.”

Following news of the potential scandal, many have taken to social media to comment on the situation, with one person saying, “Both [Antoine Fuqua] AND [Nicole Murphy] are disgusting. He knows he’s married and she knows he’s married. Karma is going to eat them alive.”

“She’s damn near 60 years old and had 3 kids… I know y’all moms don’t look like Nicole Murphy,” another Twitter user said.

“Nicole Murphy is the worst kind of woman. She b—ed, moaned, and cried about Eddie cheating on her and dogging her out just to turn around and f— other women’s husbands. Her karma is about to be straight up disgusting. I just hope Lela gets a front row seat to the damn show,” someone else commented.

At this time, Fuqua does not appear to have commented on the controversy.

Photo Credit: Phillip Faraone / Getty Images