Eddie Murphy Makes Jokes About Will Smith’s Slap at Golden Globes

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Only Eddie Murphy could get away with this. While accepting the prestigious Cecil B DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, the beloved comedian made a joke about the notorious Will Smith Oscar slap. The subject has been considered taboo to joke about, but somehow, Murphy got away with it.

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Eddie Murphy Honored with Cecil B DeMille Award After 46 Years of Entertaining

Eddie Murphy has been a lead player in the world of comedy and acting for almost 50 years. The 61-year-old actor started doing standup as a teenager. His first films were 48 Hours in 1982 and Trading Places in 1983. The success of Beverly Hills Cop in 1984 led to more than one sequel, which would become a common theme in Murphy’s work. He’s always had a knack for creating memorable and lovable characters.

Nearly every movie starring Eddie Murphy has been a success, which is obvious when you flip on the TV and see one of his comedy classics from the 1980s. They’re universally timeless and relevant.

Take Coming to America for example. It came out in 1988. Its sequel came out in 2021. The Dr. Doolittle, Nutty Professor, and Shrek franchises and spin-offs (Murphy did the Donkey voice) were all immensely popular. Eddie Murphy also is a Saturday Night Live favorite and has been in over 66 episodes between 1980 and 2019. And then there are his countless stand-up specials.

All said and done, Eddie Murphy has an entire Wikipedia page just for his awards and accolades. He’s had 7 Golden Globe nominations and been awarded two (a win for Best Supporting Actor in Dream Girls in 2006 and then his Cecil B DeMille honor). Murphy has won a Grammy for a comedy album, an Emmy, a Screen Actors Guild Award, 3 People’s Choice Awards, 4 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, a Saturn Award, and 2 NAACP Awards. That doesn’t even scratch the surface.

A Brief History of the Cecil B DeMille Award

The Cecil B DeMille Award has been bestowed on one person in the entertainment industry each year since 1952, with the exception of 2022 (due to a boycott). It is given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to a person who has made “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” The first honoree was Cecil B DeMille himself, at the 9th annual Golden Globes. The next honoree was Walt Disney in 1953. More recent honorees include Anthony Hopkins, Jane Fonda, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Robin Williams.

Eddie Murphy’s Golden Globe Acceptance Speech

While accepting the Cecil B DeMille award, Eddie Murphy kept his speech fairly short. He thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press and mentioned how he’s been in the entertainment industry for 46 years and the film industry for 41. Then he thanked his wife Paige and his (ten) children. He thanked Mark Landsman and Charisse Hewitt-Webster, and entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham. Next were producers Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and John Davis.

“Like I said, I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I could literally stand up here and keep saying thank you till they play the piano,” Murphy said. “But I’m gonna wrap it up and just say something to all the new up-and-coming dreamers and artists that are in the room tonight.”

“I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind,” he continued. “There’s a blueprint. And I’ve followed it my whole career. It’s very simple. There’s [sic] three things. You just do these three things.”

“Pay your taxes…

“Mind your business…

“And keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”

And just like that, Eddie Murphy boldly made a joke about Will Smith’s extraordinarily taboo Oscar Slap.

Did Murphy Just Turn Lemons Into Wine?

The room burst into an uproar of laughter, which is almost surprising. No one has really been able to reference Will Smith’s Oscar slap in a humorous way without being heavily scolded by the public. This is largely due to the fact that, when Smith slapped Chris Rock at last year’s Oscar ceremony, he was very close to completely being canceled. The emotional reaction to Rock’s crude joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia nearly cost Smith his career— one he’d worked on for almost 40 years.

Smith probably saved his own career by virtue of being the executive producer of Cobra Kai, so he kept his foot in the door. Most recently, he produced and starred in Emancipation, which came out in December. Regardless, Eddie Murphy later told Extra (via MSN) that he meant no harm to either Will Smith or Chris Rock, stating that he “loves them both.”

The Public’s Reaction to Eddie Murphy’s Oscar Slap Reference Was Very Positive

How the Oscar Slap could be transformed from traumatic to funny, I don’t know, but it seems that Eddie Murphy found a way. And that, my friends, is a testament to how he deserved the Cecil B DeMille Award. Bravo.

Read More: Meet Eddie Murphy’s 10 Children with 5 Different Women

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