Saturday Night Live: 30 scandals and secrets you didn’t know

2. Why Eddie Murphy boycotted the series

As you’re seeing here today, there are many celebrities fired from Saturday Night Live. In the case of one of the show’s biggest stars ever, Eddie Murphy, the opposite happened. Murphy cut all ties with the series and for decades, never returned as a special guest. Why was it that Murphy steered clear of the series which made him famous?

It appears Murphy feels he should be off-limits when it comes to SNL mocking celebrities. A passing joke by David Spade would deeply offend Murphy. When talking about the former SNL star on Hollywood Minute, Spade said “look, children, a falling star. Make a wish!” The riff on Murphy losing steam in his film career infuriated the actor to the point where he never wanted to come back.

While seemingly not really a big deal, Murphy stuck to his guns and wouldn’t touch SNL for years and years. Only on the 40th Anniversary Special would he finally reappear on the program, although it was just to say a few kind words. He didn’t engage in any sketches or do any actual comedy on the show. It’s very possible no celebrity was more offended by an SNL joke than Eddie.

However, Murphy finally returned to host again in 2019 for a record-setting episode. And according to Spade, the feud between the two is officially over.