Eddie ‘not interested’ in daughter Angel

The messy custody battle between MEL B and estranged husband STEPHEN BELAFONTE (both 42) took an unexpected turn when the movie producer dragged Mel’s former flame, EDDIE MURPHY (56), into the fray.

Stephen – who helped raise Eddie and Mel’s daughter, ANGEL (10), during their 10-year marriage – is trying to persuade a judge to grant him stepparent visitation rights with the little girl, who “has called me Dad since she started to talk”, he says.

According to Stephen, his lawyers had been trying to reach Eddie to discuss his visitation request but to no avail. Grace Jamra, Stephen’s lawyer, told a Los Angeles court Eddie is simply “not interested” and “has had no contact with Angel”.

Strangely, just days after this revelation, what appeared to be a recent picture of Eddie hugging Angel surfaced on Instagram. And earlier this week the little girl was spotted running errands with Eddie’s mother, Lillian.

Just what is going on?

Mel B and Stephen with their daughter, MADISON (6), Angel and PHOENIX (19), Mel’s daughter with her first husband, Jimmy Gulzar.

LIKE DADDY, LIKE DAUGHTER