Eddie Murphy And Rocsi Diaz Appear As Couple At Pre-BET Awards Celebration

Eddie Murphy and Rocsi Diaz are officially a couple. The 51-year-old actor and the former 28-year-old host of 106 & Park appeared arm-in-arm at Saturday night’s pre-BET Awards celebration, posing in complementing outfits for photographers.

The pair, who were attending CEO Debra Lee’s gathering, roamed and posed on the red carpet, Murphy in a pair of deep blue dress shoes that coordinated neatly with Diaz’s navy key-hole cocktail dress to a tee. Throughout the event, Murphy’s arm reportedly barely moved from Diaz’s waist.

Rumors about the couple (specifically, whether they are a couple) have been flying about forever. Since they had were first spotted together holding hands while leaving a coffee shop in Los Angeles in early June, neither had previously confirmed or denied the relationship. Things seem fairly conclusive now, and since their appearance together, it’s emerged Diaz joined Murphy on a family vacation in Maui, Hawaii as recently as June 12.

They may have pulled the wool over our eyes for longer than we realized: Us Weekly claims Murphy and Diaz initially began dating last November, but things didn’t start getting serious until around February.

The Chicago Sun-Times adds that Murphy is using his extensive list of contacts in Hollywood to give Diaz a leg-up in the movies. Diaz only recently left 106 & Park, and is now keen for a big screen career.

Murphy, who is decidedly not dead, has no less than eight children from previous relationships: as well as five kids with ex-wife Nicole Mitchell, he has a son with Tamara Hood, one son with Paulette McNeely and one daughter with former Spice Girl Melanie Brown.

And speaking of exes, the Nicole Mitchell will be one of five scorned wives in VH1’s totally classy upcoming series Hollywood Exes.