Was Michael Strahan Blindsided By Nicole Murphy Breakup Announcement? 'Timing Was Suspect,' Say Sources

Following the surprise announcement of Nicole Murphy’s split from Michael Strahan, reports now say Murphy blindsided the NFL star with the news. The pair, who dated for seven years, reportedly broke up due to work conflicts.

TMZ reports though the announcement came Friday, the two actually broke up several weeks ago and there was allegedly no plan from Strahan’s camp to break the news prior to his induction into the Hall of Fame this past weekend. The former football player was inducted Saturday, cementing his position as one of the greatest defensive players in the sports history. Several people close to Strahan think the “timing was extremely suspect.” However, it does not seem the breaking of the news had much of an impact on him, as the 42-year-old began his speech on by saying, “This has been the best weekend of my life.”

Last week, the retired NFL player’s rep told People, “They love each other very much, but with the distance and work schedule, it has been hard to maintain the relationship.”

It is unclear how the two met, but in 2008, Murphy first opened up about her relationship with the 42-year-old athlete, saying: “When I got divorced, I said never again. But Michael and I talk about everything, and we both love to travel, explore and laugh.”

Murphy and Strahan got engaged in 2007, and Strahan seemed quite smitten with the 46-year-old beauty.

"I have a great relationship and she's a great girl," said Strahan, who has four children from previous relationships, at the time. "I don't like to talk much about my private life, but I'm really happy," he told People in 2009. But over time, Strahan’s increasing work commitments allegedly took a toll.

In addition to a new gig as a co-host on ABC's "Good Morning, America," Strahan has been working on “Live! With Kelly and Michael” for almost two years, and he flies to Los Angeles on weekends to co-anchor "Fox NFL Sunday" before taking a red-eye flight back to New York. In addition to his jobs, Strahan does two workouts every day, including one at 4:30 a.m.

Murphy was previously married to comedian Eddie Murphy. They split in 2006 after being together for about 15 years and have five children. Strahan was wed twice before, with his previous marriage to Jean Muggli ending in 2006.