Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence Welcome Grandchild Together
If you need a Hollywood story that's just genuinely wholesome, here it is.
Eddie Murphy confirmed at the American Film Institute Achievement Award Ceremony on April 18 that his son Eric and Martin Lawrence's daughter Jasmin have welcomed their first child together — a baby girl named Ari Skye.
"They just had a baby girl," Murphy told E! News with obvious pride. "They just had her two weeks ago, or a week ago. Yeah, Ari. Ari Skye."
Two of the most iconic names in comedy history are now grandfathers to the same child. Let that sink in.
The Couple
Eric Murphy is 36 and Jasmin Lawrence is 30. They got married last May in what had to be one of the most surreal wedding guest lists imaginable — the fathers of the bride and groom being Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, two men who defined an era of American comedy and have been close friends for decades.
Eric and Jasmin made their relationship Instagram-official back in July 2021. Jasmin posted a birthday tribute to Eric that year and the internet collectively lost its mind when people realized whose kids these were. The two had apparently been in each other's orbit for years — which makes the whole thing feel less like a coincidence and more like something that was always going to happen eventually.
Ironically enough, Eric Murphy and Jasmin Lawrence met through Jasmin's uncle, rather than their famous fathers. They bonded over shared experiences as children of iconic entertainers and became close friends before their relationship turned romantic. They went public in 2021 and are now married.
Less than a year after their wedding, in February, the couple announced they were expecting on Instagram. The photo was black and white — Jasmin in an off-the-shoulder dress showing her bump, Eric with his head resting on her stomach, looking up at the camera. She smiled down at him in one shot. Standing alone outside in others. The caption was simple.
"Thank you Jesus for the greatest gift."
Later that same month they celebrated with a baby shower, sharing photos on Instagram Stories.
"Ari Skye. Mommy loves you so much. This day is all for you."
She wrote over the clip — "My baby Ari Sky Murphy"
The Lasting Friendship Of Their Parents
Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence go way back — and not just as industry acquaintances. These two are genuinely close and have been for a long time.
They first worked together in 1992 on Boomerang, the romantic comedy where Murphy played a fast-talking advertising executive and Lawrence played his best friend Tyler. Lawrence was already developing his own TV show at the time but the two had obvious chemistry onscreen that left fans wanting more.
They delivered seven years later with Life — a 1999 buddy comedy-drama directed by Ted Demme that has since become a certified cult classic. It's now streaming on Netflix and routinely described as one of Murphy's best performances and a deeply underrated film.
The movie even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup for its aging effects on both men.
When Eric and Jasmin started dating Murphy wasted no time ribbing Lawrence about it publicly. In a 2024 red carpet interview Murphy was asked about the kids potentially getting married and immediately pointed out that tradition says the bride's father pays for the wedding — before noting with a grin that Lawrence had just had a massive hit with Bad Boys: Ride or Die and could "certainly afford a splendid wedding."
Murphy has also been developing a comedy project with Lawrence for years — a remake of the classic film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World that he described as a movie featuring "anybody that was funny over the last 30 years." Whether that ever gets made remains to be seen, but the two clearly aren't done working together.
What Eddie Had to Say About Parenting Advice
When asked at the AFI ceremony whether he or Martin Lawrence had offered any wisdom to the new parents, Murphy gave an answer that was equal parts funny and genuinely wise.
"Oh, you don't give advice like that. Your kids don't go by your advice. Your kids go by the example you set. They watch you."
He continued — "The stuff you be saying, they don't even pay that s--t no mind. They watch and see what you do. So I don't give a lot of advice."
From a man who has fathered ten children, that's not a throwaway line.
The Bigger Picture
Two comedy legends who have been friends for decades. Two kids who found each other on their own and built something real. A baby girl named Ari Skye who will grow up with both sets of grandparents being absolute giants of American entertainment.
She'll probably think all of it is completely normal. That's usually how it goes.
Welcome to the world, Ari Skye.
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