Eddie Murphy Reflects on Past Jokes about the LGBTQ+ Community and AIDS

In an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning,” Eddie Murphy, renowned comedian and actor, expressed regret and shock over his old stand-up routines from the 1980s.

These routines, including his 1983 special “Delirious,” featured numerous anti-gay jokes, some of which even included slurs against the LGBTQ+ community, and garnered significant backlash and protests.

When asked if he still found the content funny, Murphy admitted that there were parts that made him cringe.

He stated, “Some of it, I cringe when I watch.

I'm like, oh my God, I can't believe I said that!”

It seems that he has come to realize the offensiveness of his past material.

However, Murphy also attributed his jokes to the context of the times and his young age as a performer.

Joining the cast of “Saturday Night Live” at just 19 years old in 1980, he acknowledged that some jokes may have been cringeworthy but emphasized that he still appreciates them, saying, “And I'm going, okay, I'm a kid, saying that.”

It is worth noting that Murphy previously apologized in 1996 for his jokes about the LGBTQ+ community and AIDS, acknowledging that he was misinformed at the time and expressing deep regret for any pain caused.

In a September interview with The New York Times, he further described his early material as “ignorant.”

Despite his fame as a young man, Murphy revealed that he managed to avoid self-destructive behaviors such as drug problems.

He attributed this to his spiritual grounding and belief in God.

In his own words, “I believe in God and I believe in prayer.

I pray all the time, you know.

You don't have to, like, get down on your knees and pray, you know.

You can pray wherever.”

Murphy, now 58 years old, recently made a comeback with his Golden Globe-nominated film “Dolemite Is My Name.”

After a hiatus of 35 years, he returned to host “Saturday Night Live” on December 21, reprising many of his iconic sketch roles, including Gumby, “Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,” and Buckwheat.

When questioned about whether he considered himself in the midst of a comeback, Murphy seemed to embrace the idea.

He humorously responded, “I guess, you know, they like to say comeback.

I don't know.

Let's make it easier.

Yes, it's my comeback.

Yes, it's my big comeback!

Every 10 years or so I launch a big comeback.

I've been doing that for the last 40 years.”

In conclusion, Eddie Murphy reflects on his past jokes about the LGBTQ+ community and AIDS, expressing regret and acknowledging their offensiveness.

He attributes these jokes to the context of the times and his young age as a performer.

Despite the controversy surrounding his early material, Murphy has managed to stage a successful comeback with his recent film and return to “Saturday Night Live.”