What did Eddie Murphy say about Will Smith? Golden Globes joke sparks wild reactions, leaves internet divided

Eddie Murphy recently found himself on the Twitter trending page after making a Will Smith joke during his acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes on Tuesday.

The actor-comedian started his speech with a message for newcomers and said:

“I have been doing this for a long time, so I can literally stand up here and keep saying thank you until they play the piano, but I am going to say something to all of the new dreamers and artists that are in the room tonight.”

He further noted that there is a specific blueprint one can follow to achieve success, peace, prosperity, and longevity:

“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. I followed it my whole career — it's very simple.”

The comic then poked fun at Will Smith and added:

“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!”

Murphy’s joke was in reference to Smith’s infamous Oscars 2022 moment, when the latter slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage for poking fun at Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Shortly after the slap, Will Smith went back to his seat and asked Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.

The slap incident created havoc on social media and was soon considered to be one of the most infamous moments in Oscar history. It also led to Will Smith resigning from The Academy and his 10-year ban from the Oscars. The actor has since apologized for his actions.

However, Eddie Murphy’s joke left the internet divided, as some appreciated his humor while others expressed their disappointment at the continued use of Will Smith jokes nearly a year after the Oscars slap incident.

In addition to Murphy, Golden Globes host Jerrod Carmichael also made a joke about Smith. Following a commercial break, Carmichael was met with silence from the audience after he said that officials presented the “Rock Hudson Award” to the King Richard star during recess for the “best portrayal of masculinity” on TV.

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Twitter reacts to Eddie Murphy’s Will Smith joke at the Golden Globes

Eddie Murphy's Will Smith joke left the internet divided (Image via Getty Images)

Eddie Murphy was the latest celebrity to joke about Will Smith and Chris Rock’s infamous Oscars slap moment, even though it has been nearly a year since the incident.

As the video of his remarks went viral, several social media users took to Twitter to react to Murphy’s joke. Many expressed their displeasure at the continued references and consistent mockery of a rather unfortunate and concerning incident.

However, some sided with Murphy and praised his humor for making a new joke about Smith.

As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Will Smith will respond to Eddie Murphy’s joke in the days to come or if the latter will respond to the online reaction to his comments.

On the career front, Murphy recently signed a three-picture, first-look deal with Amazon Studios and is reportedly set to appear in a string of new films. He is also set to star alongside Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, and Nia Long in director Kenya Barris’ rom-com, You People, per Variety.