Eddie Murphy Reflects on Hurtful ‘SNL’ Joke by David SpadeEddie Murphy Reflects on Hurtful ‘SNL’ Joke by David Spade In a recent interview with The New York Times, Eddie Murphy discussed the controversial joke David Spade made about his career on “Saturday Night Live” in 1995. Murphy described the quip as “racist” and revealed that it kept him away from the show for decades. During a “Weekend Update” segment, Spade referred to Murphy as a “falling star” after his film “Vampire in Brooklyn” failed at the box office. Murphy, who was a cast member on “SNL” from 1980 to 1984, felt that the joke was personal and targeted his success. “It was like, ‘Yo, how could you do that?’ My career? Really? A joke about my career?” Murphy said. Murphy claimed that he was shocked by the joke because he believed he was the most successful former cast member of the show. He also alleged that “SNL” was facing low ratings before his return. “So the producers thought it was OK to say that,” Murphy said. “And all the people that have been on that show, you’ve never heard nobody make no joke about anybody’s career.” Murphy stated that the joke was one of the reasons he didn’t return to “SNL” until 2015. However, he has since reconciled with Spade and show creator Lorne Michaels. “I’m cool with David Spade. Cool with Lorne Michaels. I went back to ‘S.N.L.’ I’m cool with everybody. It’s all love,” Murphy said. In addition to addressing the joke, Murphy praised “SNL” for its impact on his career and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host the show in 2019. He reprised several of his iconic characters during the episode, including Buckwheat, Mister Robinson, and Velvet Jones.
Eddie Murphy has revisited the hurtful joke made by David Spade on “Saturday Night Live” that kept him away from the show for decades, describing the quip as “racist.”
In a new interview with The New York Times, Murphy recalled the “cheap shot” Spade made about his career in a “Weekend Update” segment.
In the December 1995 episode, Spade joked that Murphy was a “falling star” after the latter’s film “Vampire in Brooklyn” flopped at the box office.
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Eddie Murphy speaks onstage during the LA Tastemaker event for Comedians in Cars at The Paley Center for Media on July 17, 2019 in Beverly Hills City.
(Photo : Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix)
Murphy — who appeared on “SNL” from 1980 to 1984 — told the Times he felt that he was singled out and that the joke was “personal” because the show does not typically make its former stars’ careers the butt of its jokes.
“Most people that get off that show, they don’t go on and have these amazing careers. It was personal,” the 63-year-old actor said. “It was like, ‘Yo, how could you do that?’ My career? Really? A joke about my career?”
Murphy admitted, “So I thought that was a cheap shot. And it was kind of, I thought — I felt it was racist.”
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The “Shrek” star explained that he was shocked to hear the joke because he was “the biggest thing that ever came off that show.”
He also claimed that “SNL” was failing before he returned to the show.
Eddie Murphy poses with the Cecil B. DeMille award in the press room during the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 10, 2023.
(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Murphy went on to call out “SNL’s” producers at the time, noting that the joke would have had to go through them before making it on air.
“So the producers thought it was OK to say that,” the actor told the publication. “And all the people that have been on that show, you’ve never heard nobody make no joke about anybody’s career.”
According to Murphy, the joke was part of the reason he didn’t go back to “SNL” until 2015 — more than 30 years after he quit as a cast member in 1984.
Murphy said he has since reconciled with Spade and “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels, and “it’s all good” between them after they worked things out.
Honoree Eddie Murphy speaks onstage at Spike TV’s “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” at the Saban Theatre on November 3, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.
(Photo : Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
“I’m cool with David Spade. Cool with Lorne Michaels. I went back to ‘S.N.L.’ I’m cool with everybody. It’s all love,” he told the Times.
Murphy made a brief appearance in “SNL’s” 40th anniversary special at the time and later hosted the show for the first time in 35 years in December 2019.
During the 2019 episode, Murphy reprised some of his iconic “SNL” characters, including Buckwheat, Mister Robinson and pimp Velvet Jones.
