Eddie Murphy Was Mad At SNL For Letting Joke Through That Sparked Feud, But Said, ‘I Wasn’t Like F–k David Spade.’

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Eddie Murphy has been doing a lot of thinking recently, especially because of his new documentary, Being Eddie, now streaming on Netflix. The film looks at many aspects of his life and career, including his time on Saturday Night Live, where he first became famous. He also talked about how he felt when the show made fun of him years after he left, and how that caused some hurt feelings.

What Was The Eddie Murphy Joke That David Spade Made, And How Did Murphy Say About It?

Near the end of his time on Saturday Night Live, David Spade had a segment called “Spade in America” where he joked about happenings in Hollywood. In a December 1995 edition, he made a joke about Eddie Murphy after a picture of the Beverly Hills Cop star appeared on screen. Spade said, “Look, children. It’s a falling star. Make a wish.” He made this comment after Murphy’s movie, Vampire in Brooklyn, didn’t do well in theaters. You can watch the clip here.

As you can hear in the video, many people in the audience didn’t appreciate the comments made by the star of Joe Dirt. Eddie Murphy himself also addressed the situation, explaining in his new documentary that he was hurt his former school would joke about him like that.

The crowd reacted negatively, booing and hissing, when he said that. It really bothered me; it felt like being attacked by my own school. It wasn’t about the joke being funny or not, but a direct hit at my career. They called me a ‘falling star.’ If another SNL cast member had a joke like that aimed at their struggles, the producers would never let it air. Jokes go through a review process, but this one made it on television, and he actually said, ‘Catch a falling star.’

Eddie Murphy also explained that his problem wasn’t really with David Spade personally. He was actually upset with Saturday Night Live as a whole at the time.

I wasn’t upset with David Spade specifically; I was angry at Saturday Night Live as a whole. I couldn’t believe they would treat me that way, and that’s why I avoided the show for so long.

It’s amazing to me that this one joke still gets talked about almost 30 years later – I think that’s probably why Eddie Murphy was even asked about it in that documentary. And over the years, David Spade has given his side of the story too, which is always interesting to hear.

What Did David Spade Say About The Murphy Joke?

David Spade discussed a joke he made about Eddie Murphy back in 2015, saying he regretted it for several reasons. He admitted he doesn’t handle criticism of his own work well, but also explained that he now understands Murphy’s perspective. Spade realized that everyone in the entertainment industry wants to be liked, as that’s how they gain fans, and it really hurts when someone makes fun of them. He described the feeling as a painful “sting.”

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It seems like any past disagreements about Eddie Murphy’s jokes have faded away. He made a notable return to SNL for their 40th anniversary in 2015, and then hosted the show in 2019, bringing back some of his most famous characters. More recently, he appeared at SNL’s 50th anniversary celebration, describing being surrounded by so many stars as an amazing experience.

It looks like Eddie Murphy and Saturday Night Live are on good terms now, which is fantastic. Murphy is still one of the show’s most memorable performers. You can revisit his best moments from his four seasons on the show by streaming classic episodes with a Peacock subscription.

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2025-11-18 03:38