Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds were married in Bora Bora on New Year’s Day in front of 25 friends and family, but a lawyer is stating that the marriage is likely to be invalid.

The Sydney Daily Telegraph is reporting that Malgras Benoit, a general law specialist in French Polynesia, declared that the couple was ineligible to be married locally because they had not lived in the region for at least 30 days, which is a qualification that must be met under French law.

Benoit explained that the wedding, which took place on the beach with Tracey walking barefoot down the aisle to Gladys Knight’s “Makings of You,” does not constitute, “a real marriage, if it is on the beach with only a local priest. I think it was just an exotic, artistic ‘marriage.’”

Eddie, 46, has five kids with former wife Nicole, who he divorced last year, as well as one with Spice Girl Melanie Brown. Tracey, 40, has two children with ex-husband Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

All Eddie has to do is pay off a few officials, and suddenly the marriage is valid.

Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds really did get married on New Year’s Day on a private island off Bora Bora in French Polynesia in front of 25 friends and family. The couple have only been dating a little over a year. Among the guests were best man Johnny Gill, maid of honor Nicole Avant, matron of honor Julie Lev, as well as Edmonds’s parents Jacqueline and George McQuarn, her brother Michael, Murphy’s mother Lillian Lynch and his brother Vernon.

Edmonds, 40, gave her bridesmaids gold and diamond earrings from XIV Karats in Beverly Hills, and Murphy, 46, gave his groomsmen D.Atlantis watches.

Eddie is always in such a rush. Hopefully he got a pre-nup. Edmonds just gave her career a big boost.

Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds might be getting married this weekend. Marc Malkin reports:

A source tells me guests and members of the wedding party are expected to arrive in Tahiti sometime today. "It’s a small, private affair," the source says.

Last-minute preparations took place earlier this week. "The bridesmaid dresses are all custom from somewhere in Beverly Hills," my source reports. "They just had their final fittings."

Edmonds, 40, hinted at the holiday-season nuptials back in the fall. "I’ll say it’ll be before the end of the year," she told People magazine in October. "And someplace far away and fun."

This is the second marriage for both. Edmonds and music impresario Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds divorced after 13 years of marriage. They have two sons.

Murphy, 46, has five children with his ex-wife, Nicole, and one with former girlfriend Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown.

Shortly after Murphy popped the question in July, Babyface insisted he and Tracey were "really good."

"It’s as good as it could get," he said on Aug. 28 at a private concert at L.A.’s House of Blues. "We’re still very good friends."

The way Eddie goes through women it seems senseless to keep marrying them.

The Mirror UK reveals today that Melanie Brown’s new husband Stephen Belafonte was arrested in 2003 for attacking his common-law wife Nicole Contreras. Court papers accused him of "willfully and unlawfully using violence against Nicole“. Belafonte pled "no contest" to the battery charge, which is considered the same as a guilty plea. Belafonte faced up to one year in jail, but was let off with a suspended sentence, probation, and was ordered to complete a one year domestic violence program. Belafonte began the program in 2003 but skipped so many classes that he was thrown out twice. He eventually completed the course in 2005. Adding to all this, a different girlfriend tells the Mirror he cheated on her non stop and was “a psycho”. She said:

"He never invited me over, never introduced me to his friends, never talked about his family. We met about two weeks after he broke up with the mother of his daughter. But he later told me that he was still sleeping with her throughout the whole time we dated. I knew in my gut something wasn’t right about this guy. He was such a psycho and all-round weirdo."

On last night’s "Larry King Live," Larry revealed that Eddie Murphy’s people are claiming Scary demanded a $9 million mega mansion from him. Brown denied Eddie’s claim.

This guy is amazing, he looks like he has downs syndrome and he’s violent. It’s great Brown found her soul mate. These two just got married, only four months after she had Eddie Murphy’s baby. It’s good thing Melanie married him, because the ladies were probably standing in line hoping he’d pick them.

On Friday Eddie Murphy said the paternity test confirmed he IS the father of a 4-month-old daughter with Melanie Brown, but it wasn’t planned, since they only dated briefly. Eddie also said he has paid all the child support owed and covered the expenses of Brown’s pregnancy. Brown on the other hand says the pregnancy was planned, they were going to get married, and claims Eddie hasn’t paid a thing, and she filed a paternity suit against Eddie. Although Eddie says he wants to keep this private, that only makes him look guilty. If Eddie paid everything he said he did, he should make copies of his receipts and go on Oprah to shut down Scary Spice right now. One of these two is an a-hole.

Brown has wasted no time in hooking up with another guy. A sure sign she’s a stable influence on her daughter. She has what looks like an engagement ring on her left hand, but she’s wearing it on her middle finger. Where did she get that? Then of course there’s the fact she is both drinking alcohol, and smoking in these pictures. Is she still breast feeding?

…and yes, she does look hot and spicy in her bikini.