After making a joke about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy was quick to remind the public that the punch line should be taken lightly.
When accepting a Golden Globe on Tuesday, Eddie joked that one key to success was “keeping Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth!”
However, it seems the Coming to America star isn’t too concerned about possibly offending the Smith family.
When asked if he’s spoken to Smith or Rock since the joke, the 61-year-old comedy icon said: “No, I haven’t. But I love them both.”
‘It’s all love’: After Eddie Murphy made a joke about Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Golden Globes, he was quick to remind the public that the punch line should be taken lightly
Murphy added to Entertainment Tonight, “Yes, because I actually worked with Jada. i love will I love Will and I love Chris – and it’s all love.”
The actor then said he didn’t think he’d be hearing from Smith after making the remark, telling Extra he would have made the same joke if he was hosting this year’s Oscars.
“I would have sort of processed that joke I made,” he told Extra.
Murphy explained why he told the joke: “You have to say something about it, then you move on.”
The moment: Will slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars last March for making a cheeky joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who shaved her head because she had alopecia
Eddie cracked the joke when presented with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award for “Outstanding Contribution to the World of Entertainment.”
He concluded his speech with a message to “all the new aspiring dreamers and artists who are in the room tonight”.
The Shrek star teased, “I want you to know that there is a definitive plan that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind.”
He shared that the to-do list consists of “three things” – pay your taxes, mind your own business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your mouth!
Celebrated: Eddie cracked his joke on Tuesday when he was presented with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the World of Entertainment’.
Build: The Shrek star teased, “I want you to know that there is a definitive plan that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind.”
Punchline: He shared that the to-do list consists of “three things” — pay your taxes, mind your own business, and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your mouth!
Will slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars last March for making a rude joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who shaved her head because she has alopecia.
One of the more memorable moments of the shocking outburst was when Will screeched, “Keep my wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth!”
Walking offstage at Tuesday’s Golden Globes, Eddie told Entertainment Tonight that “actually, I worked with Jada. i love will I love Will and I love Chris – and it’s all love.”
Jada starred alongside Eddie in the hit 1996 comedy The Nutty Professor, a remake of a 1960’s Jerry Lewis vehicle.
As seen on the red carpet: Will initially laughed at the joke, but Jada rolled her eyes and he stormed onto the stage to slap Chris in the face
I worked with Jada: Jada starred opposite Eddie in the hit 1996 comedy The Nutty Professor, a remake of a 1960s Jerry Lewis vehicle
She was heavily criticized last year after Will slapped Chris over a joke made at her expense during the Oscars.
“Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it,” Chris said, referring to the 1997 film starring Demi Moore with his head shaved.
Will was initially seen laughing at the joke, but Jada rolled her eyes and then stormed onto the stage to slap Chris across the face.
Then Will jumped back into his seat and repeatedly yelled at Chris, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!”
River to my people: Will was applauded both for his win and for his tearful speech, in which he described himself as the protector of his family and expressed a desire to be a “vessel of love.”
Less than an hour after his outburst, Will won the Best Actor Oscar and received a standing ovation for his tearful speech, in which he described himself as the protector of his family and expressed a desire to create a “vessel of love.” being.
Although he apologized to the Academy and his fellow candidates during his speech, he did not publicly apologize to Chris until the next day.
After the awards shows, he went to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and danced to his own song, “Getting Jiggy Wit It,” while other party-goers cheered him on.
As the backlash mounted, but before the Academy could decide what punishment to impose for the incident, Will resigned from the organization.
Wow: After the awards shows, he went to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and danced to his own song Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It while other partygoers cheered him on
Although his departure meant he could no longer vote for the Oscars, he was still able to take part in the show at that point.
However, the academy has since imposed a 10-year ban on him from attending the ceremony, though he’s still eligible for Oscar nominations and wins.
Jada finally addressed the slap in June on an alopecia episode of her show Red Table Talk, urging Will and Chris to work out their differences.
“I reached out to Chris”: In late July, Will released an agonizing apology video for his “unacceptable” behavior at the Oscars, confirming that Chris was “not ready to speak.”
She cooed, “Now for Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, to speak out, and to make up.”
Meanwhile, a month after the slap, Will showed up in India, where a People source said he plans to meditate, do yoga and focus on spirituality.
In late July, he released an agonizing apology video for his “unacceptable” behavior at the Oscars, confirming that Chris was “not ready to speak.”