Nicole Murphy Net Worth

What Is Nicole Murphy's Net Worth?

Nicole Murphy is an American model and reality television star who has a net worth of $10 million. Nicole Murphy is best known for her marriage to comedian Eddie Murphy, with whom she shares five children, as well as her successful modeling career, reality TV ventures, and business endeavors. She also made headlines for high-profile relationships with Michael Strahan, Nick Cannon, Jimmy Jackson, and Drake. In 2019, she sparked controversy after being photographed kissing married film director Antoine Fuqua during a trip to Italy..

Early Life

Nicole Ronnette Mitchell was born on January 5, 1968, in Sacramento, California. Her mother, Ellen, was a British homemaker, and her father, Eddie "Mitch" Mitchell, was an African American United States Air Force pilot. After her parents separated during her childhood, Nicole and her three brothers were raised by their mother, although her parents later reunited.

Modeling and Entertainment Career

Nicole began modeling at the age of 13, signing with Ford Models after winning an international modeling competition. She quickly rose through the ranks and relocated to Europe, where she joined Glamour Models in Paris. Over the next seven years, she became a sought-after runway and print model, working with top fashion houses including Chanel, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, and Ungaro.

From 2012 to 2014, she starred in and produced the VH1 reality series "Hollywood Exes," which chronicled the lives of women formerly married to famous men. She also appeared on the reality competition series "Global Beauty Masters" and had acting roles in indie projects such as "Shut the Fuck Up" (2009) and "Just Love" (2016).

(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Eddie Murphy Marriage & Divorce Settlement

Nicole met Eddie Murphy at the 1988 NAACP Image Awards, and the couple married on March 18, 1993. Together, they had five children, four daughters and one son, before Nicole filed for divorce in 2005, citing irreconcilable differences.

Nicole Murphy received a $15 million one-time payment from Eddie Murphy as part of their divorce settlement in 2006. Unfortunately, Nicole was bilked out of $7 million of her divorce settlement in a failed investment scheme. In 2010, she was rumored to be broke, having blown through the other half of her divorce settlement. At the time, it was reported that Nicole owed $5 million on a mortgage for her house in Los Angeles, $600,000 to her lawyers, nearly $900,000 to the IRS, and more.

Her financial issues have clearly recovered slightly since 2010, or at least she chose a very good person to date, because in December 2013, she and fiancé Michael Strahan, a retired NFL American football player, purchased a $16 million mansion in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Strahan and Murphy split up in 2014 due to their busy schedules, ending their five-year engagement; they had been dating since 2007.

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Financial Scandal

Unfortunately, a large portion of Nicole's divorce settlement was lost in one of the most shocking celebrity fraud cases in recent memory. Shortly after her divorce became public, Nicole was approached by childhood friend Troy Stratos, who convinced her to invest in what he claimed were exclusive overseas business deals involving Middle Eastern oil contracts.

Stratos persuaded Nicole to place $11 million of her divorce settlement into a revocable trust and gave him full access to her finances, including her real estate, luxury cars, and jewelry. He promised to invest her funds and even claimed he would help sell her Granite Bay, California, home to royalty from the Middle East. To impress supposed buyers, he convinced her to lease a Rolls-Royce and a BMW, vehicles he then used for himself while living rent-free in her home.

Stratos never made a single legitimate investment. Instead, he used Nicole's money to fund a lavish, jet-setting lifestyle, opening bank accounts in Florida and charging expenses under the guise of generosity. Nicole later discovered that he had lied about his business dealings and had been running scams under multiple aliases, including Troy David, David Stafford, and Ken Dennis.

Nicole eventually hired a private investigator, a former FBI organized crime agent, who traced Stratos' history of fraud across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He uncovered multiple wealthy women and businessmen who had been conned by Stratos, as well as several men who claimed to be both victims and lovers.

Stratos was charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to all charges in Nicole's case and another high-profile scam involving $11.25 million stolen from a businessman who believed he was purchasing pre-IPO shares of Facebook. Stratos used that money to pay off gambling debts, buy a $92,000 Land Rover, and fund his extravagant lifestyle. He was ultimately sentenced to federal prison.

Nicole lost at least $7 million in the ordeal and was rumored to be facing financial ruin in 2010, with reports citing a $5 million mortgage on her home, $600,000 owed to lawyers, nearly $900,000 in back taxes, and more.

Business Ventures and Later Life

Despite the setbacks, Nicole Murphy has rebuilt her life and image through entrepreneurship. In 2009, she launched a jewelry line, FLP by Nicole Murphy, and in 2018, she debuted ZOBELA, an anti-aging skincare line. She has also partnered with Red Styxx Beverage to launch her own line of premium Moscato wine.

Her business success and continued presence in media have helped stabilize her financial standing. Though her fortune was once severely diminished, Nicole Murphy remains a prominent figure in entertainment, fashion, and wellness.

Granite Bay Mansion

In 1998, Nicole and Eddie paid $3.8 million for an 11,000-square-foot mansion (with 6,000 square feet of additional structures) set on 2.5 acres in a gated community in Granite Bay, California, an upscale suburb of Sacramento. After divorcing in 2006, Nicole received the home. As we detailed above, she at one point fell very behind on the mortgage. She sold the home in 2007 for $6.1 million. Below is a video tour of the home when it was listed in 2014 for $12 million. It ultimately sold at auction for $3.5 million 🙁

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