Eddie Murphy mocks Will Smith slap in sharing 'blueprint' for Hollywood success
'Pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f---ing mouth!'
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As he accepted the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille award at Tuesday night’s Golden Globes, Eddie Murphy didn’t waste an opportunity to bring the house down with a well-timed joke aimed at Will Smith.
Murphy, 61, began his speech by offering heartfelt thanks to his girlfriend Paige Butcher and his 10 “amazing” children.
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“I’ve been in show business for 46 years, and I’ve been in the movie business for 41 years, so this has been a long time in the making and greatly appreciated,” the Beverly Hills Cop star said.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time so I could literally stand up here and keep saying names until they play the piano, 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.”
He continued, adding: “There’s a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind. It’s a blueprint, and I followed it my whole career. It’s very simple, it’s three things. Do three things: pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!”
Will attacked comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last year after he made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada, who suffers from alopecia.
The King Richard star later apologized for his behaviour, but was banned from attending future Oscar ceremonies for 10 years in response.
On social media, followers hailed Murphy’s joke with one person declaring his speech the “best” of the night, while another said it was in keeping with the comedian’s penchant for being a provocateur. “Eddie Murphy has always understood the assignment,” they wrote.
Afterwards, Murphy told Entertainment Tonight why he name-dropped Smith.
“I said that’s the blueprint, because in reality I’ve worked with Jada,” Murphy explained. “I love Will, and I love Chris — and it’s all love.”
Murphy is set to star in a slew of upcoming projects, including a fourth Beverly Hills cop film and You People, a Netflix comedy co-starring Jonah Hill and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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