Eddie Murphy has recently revisited his longstanding feud with David Spade, criticizing the fellow comic over a joke he made on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) back in 1995.
During the live comedy sketch show, Spade humorously remarked that Murphy’s career was on the decline after the box office failure of his film “Vampire in Brooklyn.”
On the “Weekend Update” segment, Spade humorously said, “Look, children, it’s a falling star. Make a wish.”
@_wil_roc_ [1] #davidspade [2] burns #eddiemurphy [3] on #snl [4] Spade in America: Hollywood Minute #saturdaynightlive [5] ♬ Cena Engraçada e Inusitada – HarmonicoHCO [6]
Expressing his discontent, Murphy, age 63, shared his thoughts on the matter during a recent interview [7] on the New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, emphasizing the personal nature of the joke.
“It was like, ‘Yo, how could you do that?’ My career? Really? A joke about my career? So I thought that was a cheap shot. And it was kind of—I felt it was racist,” said Murphy.
As a former cast member of SNL from 1980 to 1984, Murphy considered himself to be the most successful product of the show and criticized the producers for allowing the jab at his career.
“You’ve never heard nobody make no joke about anybody’s career,” Murphy expressed, highlighting his disappointment in the show’s producers for approving the joke.
This disagreement between the two comedians has been ongoing, and Murphy had previously directed his anger towards both Spade and SNL.
According to Spade’s recollection in his memoir, ‘Almost Interesting’ Murphy called him and unleashed his frustration, saying, “David Spade, who the f–k do you think you are?!”
This verbal altercation left Spade remorseful, as he admitted feeling terrible about the situation and accepting the scolding from Murphy.
After the incident, Murphy distanced himself from SNL for over three decades. However, in 2019, he made a comeback as a host with guest appearances by Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock, and Tracy Morgan.
Reflecting on the events, Murphy stated in “The Interview” podcast, “In the long run, it’s all good. Worked out great. I’m cool with David Spade. Cool with Lorne Michaels. I went back to ‘SNL.’ I’m cool with everybody. It’s all love.”