Comedy can be brutal, and sometimes a single joke can fracture a relationship for decades.
David Spade discovered this truth after mocking Eddie Murphy’s career on Saturday Night Live in 1995, sparking a feud that lasted over 20 years.
Murphy has since clarified his anger was directed at SNL itself rather than Spade personally, but their reconciliation has been a long, winding road.
Spade recently reflected on their tumultuous history during a November episode of his Fly on the Wall podcast with Dana Carvey, revealing just how painful the fallout was for him.
From Super Fan to Enemy Overnight
Spade didn’t hold back about how devastating Murphy’s response was to him personally.
It was weird going from being a super fan to having him hate me overnight, and to try to win him back for the last 25 years.
His comments came after Murphy discussed their conflict in the Netflix documentary Being Eddie, where Murphy previously called the joke racist and reflected on his initial outrage.
Spade acknowledged their rough patch began when he was new to SNL’s Weekend Update segment, making fun of celebrities across the board—Murphy included.
We had some bumps in the road along the way, early on. I was on Weekend Update, on SNL, new to the show, making fun of all the celebrities and I made fun of him and it didn’t go well. And he called me and we had it out.
Spade then corrected himself with brutal honesty.
Actually, he had it out. I didn’t really fight back. Because I did feel a little guilty about it. And he did make some sense, I just didn’t like that because he was a hero.
The Joke That Broke Everything
During the December 9, 1995 episode of SNL, Spade delivered his notorious “Spade in America” segment.
He roasted Princess Diana, Antonio Banderas, and Heather Locklear before turning to Murphy, whose comedy Vampire in Brooklyn had just flopped at the box office.
Sitting beside Murphy’s image, Spade quipped: “Look, children, it’s a falling star. Make a wish.”
The live audience reacted with a mix of laughter and shock. Spade doubled down, adding that making a Hollywood Minute omelet meant breaking some eggs.
Murphy, whose legendary SNL run literally saved the show from cancellation in the early ’80s, was deeply hurt.
Murphy’s Perspective: Betrayal by His Alma Mater
Murphy didn’t mince words about feeling blindsided by SNL turning on him.
It’s like your alma mater taking a shot at you. The audience there said ‘boo,’ and hissed him for saying it. I was hurt. My feelings was hurt.
What stung most for Murphy was thinking about how many people had to approve that joke before it aired.
If there was a joke like that right now, and it was about some other SNL cast member, and it was about how f‑‑‑ed up their career was, it would get shot down. The producers look at you, ‘You can’t, you’re not saying that joke.’
Murphy had joined SNL in 1980 at just 19 years old, leaving four years later after becoming one of comedy’s biggest stars.
He brought that success to blockbuster films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America. While Vampire in Brooklyn grossed under $20 million—a drop from his earlier hits—Murphy certainly didn’t expect SNL to publicly mock him for it.
The Joke Aged Terribly
To Murphy’s credit, Spade’s jab became laughably inaccurate almost immediately.
Murphy had a box office smash with The Nutty Professor in 1996, just months after the joke aired. He followed with massive hits:
- Dr. Dolittle (1998)
- Daddy Day Care (2003)
- The Shrek franchise (ongoing success)
- Dreamgirls (2006) — earning an Oscar nomination
Murphy’s career trajectory proved he was anything but a “falling star.”
Decades of Cold Shoulders
Murphy’s response to the joke was cutting ties with SNL for years.
He was the only major cast member to skip the show’s 25th anniversary special in 1999. He didn’t appear on SNL again until the 40th anniversary in 2015, and didn’t host again until 2019.
SNL boss Lorne Michaels eventually admitted at an April 2013 event that approving the joke was a mistake.
I figured it was kind of a clean hit. I didn’t really think about it. But Eddie did.
Finally Patching Things Up
Spade insists their so-called feud is now firmly in the past.
I’ve seen him once or twice [since]. And then I saw him at the 50th and we talked a little bit and everything’s fine. And then they asked him about it and he said, ‘Yeah, we’re all good.’ So yeah, we’re all good.
Spade previously explained their encounter at the SNL 50th anniversary special in February 2025 was surprisingly warm.
I walked past him on my way into the show and he put his arm back and blocked me, and so I had to say hi and give him a hug. He was super cool. [I] dapped him up.
After 25 years of tension, reconciliation, and awkward run-ins, Spade can finally breathe easy.
Sometimes winning back your heroes takes decades—but it’s worth it.