LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comic actor Eddie Murphy and his new wife Tracey Edmonds have split up just two weeks after their romantic wedding in French Polynesia, People magazine reported on Wednesday.

The star of "Shrek" and "Dreamgirls" and Edmonds, a film producer, exchanged their vows on a private island off Bora Bora on Jan. 1.

Under U.S. law, the couple needed a ceremony on U.S. soil to make the marriage legal.

But Murphy, 46, and Edmonds, 40, told People in a statement they would not do that and had decided to remain friends.

"After much consideration and discussion, we have jointly decided that we will forego having a legal ceremony as it is not necessary to define our relationship further," the statement said.

"While the recent symbolic union in Bora Bora was representative of our deep love, friendship and respect that we have for one another on a spiritual level, we have decided to remain friends," it added.

Murphy, 46, was divorced from his wife of 13 years, Nicole, in 2006. They had five children together. Last year, he fathered a daughter with Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls, but did not acknowledge paternity until four months after the baby was born.

Edmonds split last year with her husband, R&B singer/songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. They had two sons together.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)
© Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Photo:
Actor Eddie Murphy poses with actress Tracey Edmonds at the premiere of "Good Luck Chuck" at the Mann National theatre in Westwood, California, in this file photo from Sept. 19, 2007. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni