David Spade says a three-second gag on “Saturday Night Live” turned one of his heroes into a long-running problem he couldn’t shake. Speaking on his “Fly on the Wall” podcast with Dana Carvey, Spade recalled making a 1995 “Weekend Update” joke about Eddie Murphy after Murphy’s film “Vampire in Brooklyn” stumbled at the box office. Spade flashed Murphy’s photo and quipped, “Look, children, it’s a falling star. Make a wish.” Spade said the fallout hit fast: “It was weird going from being a super fan to having him hate me overnight.”
Spade told Carvey Murphy called him after the bit aired and “had it out,” while Spade barely pushed back. He said he felt guilty and listened as Murphy laid out why the jab felt personal. Spade framed it as a lesson in how a punchline changes shape when it comes from inside the clubhouse, especially from a newer cast member taking aim at a performer who once carried the show.
Murphy has explained that same point from his side, arguing the joke landed as an institutional shot, not a stray swipe. On The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast in 2024, Murphy said his feelings were hurt because the line came from “family,” and because a joke like that had to clear multiple layers before it reached air. He called it a “cheap shot” and said he “felt it was racist.”
The rift became part of “SNL” lore, tied to Murphy’s long reluctance to return to Studio 8H. Murphy eventually hosted again in 2019, and he has described that decision as a move toward peace rather than payback. Spade says the awkwardness finally broke at the show’s 50th anniversary events in February 2025, where they spoke face-to-face and left on good terms. “Everything’s fine,” Spade said, adding that Murphy later confirmed publicly that they were “all good.”
