According to the paper, Mel told a friend: "There’s no question that Eddie is the father of my baby. I haven’t been with anyone else since I met Eddie.

"I’m shell-shocked by the whole thing. As far as I was concerned we hadn’t really broken up - we’d just had a bit of a row."

To make matters worse, it seems the first thing Mel heard about the split was when she read it in the paper.

The Beverly Hills Cop actor, 45, was seen showing off his new girlfriend, film producer Tracey Edmonds at the New York premiere of Dreamgirls, earlier this week.

The ex-wife of singer Kenneth ’Babyface’ Edmonds said they had been seeing each other "for about a month and a half".

Is Eddie’s mum to blame for Mel split? - Dec 6 2006
It seems that Eddie Murphy’s mum might be to blame for the split between the Hollywood actor and former Scary Spice, Mel B.

The Beverly Hills Cop actor, 45, was seen showing off his new girlfriend, film producer Tracey Edmonds at the New York premiere of Dreamgirls.

But apparently there is another woman in the works - his mum Lillian whom Eddie still lives with.

One of Mel’s pals told the Daily Mirror: "He lives with his mother and she didn’t approve of Mel. But he’s a 45-year-old man and should stop being such a mummy’s boy.

"Mel and Eddie had been rowing a lot about his family, most of whom are on his payroll.

"They are suspicious of Mel because she got pregnant so quickly after they met."

The singer, who already has a daughter by dancer Jimmy Gulzar, put on a brave face as she flew from Los Angeles to London. She is furious that Eddie thinks the child may not be his.

The friend added: "Mel is not that sort of girl. It’s 100 per cent his.

"She’s been talking about how much she’s looking forward to having his baby while he has been saying things like that. She is absolutely devastated."

Mel B and Eddie split? - Dec 5 2006
Has Eddie Murphy split from girlfriend Mel B? According to Dutch TV he has - and according to his spokespeople, that’s not the case.

According to to TMZ.com, the interviewer asked the notoriously private star whether he was happy about Mel’s pregnancy, to which Eddie apparently replied: "You’re being presumptuous, because we’re not together any more."

But now the actor’s people have told the website: "Mr. Murphy does not discuss his personal life publicly, so whatever is being reported is a fabrication and did not occur."

Certainly the comedian has previously kept his relationship with the ex-Spice Girl very quiet and has steadfastly refused to answer any gossip.

Surprisingly, the gobby British pop star has also kept schtum.

So it seems very unlikely that the Dreamgirls actor would have suggested that Mel’s baby isn’t his - as the Dutch TV channel also implied.

What does the future hold for Meleddie? Watch this space!

Whirlwind Mel pregnant ’first time’ - Oct 19 2006
Mel B and Eddie Murphy are in the running for most whirlwind couple, after friends revealed the former Scary Spice got pregnant "the first time they slept together", according to reports.

The odd pair have been dating for just four months and Mel is already moving into the Beverly Hills Cop star’s Hollywood mansion, the Daily Mirror reports.

And, according to pals in LA, their baby was conceived just days after they got together.