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Eddie Murphy recalls when John Belushi and Robin Williams allegedly offered him coke: ‘God was looking over me’
By Sara Whitman,
18 hours ago
Eddie Murphy alleged that comedians John Belushi and Robin Williams once offered him coke in the ’80s — but he declined and is thankful he did.
“I remember I was 19, I went to the Blues Bar. It was me, Belushi and Robin Williams,” he recalled on the New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast , which was published Saturday. “They start doing coke, and I was like, ‘No, I’m cool.'”
The “Beverly Hills Cop” star, 63, said he turned down their alleged offer because he was uninterested in trying the drug.
Eddie Murphy claimed on the New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast that comedians John Belushi and Robin Williams offered him coke in the ’80s. Getty Images for Niche Imports He said he declined because he was uninterested. Getty Images for Netflix
“God was looking over me in that moment,” he added. Getty Images
“I wasn’t taking some moral stance. I just wasn’t interested in it,” Murphy explained. “To not have the desire or the curiosity, I’d say that’s providence. God was looking over me in that moment.”
The “Nutty Professor” star went on to describe the rise and fall of so many stars, including Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Belushi and Williams as “cautionary tales.”
Belushi died of a heroin overdose at the age of 33 in 1982, while Williams took his own life in 2014 at the age of 63. The King of Pop and King of Rock ‘n’ Roll also died prematurely and unexpectedly.
Murphy said he saw the swift rise and fall of various stars as “cautionary tales.” Getty Images He reasoned that being so famous that you can get anything you want can be dangerous. CBS via Getty Images
“When you get famous really young, especially a Black artist, it’s like living in a minefield. Any moment something could happen that can undo everything,” Murphy noted to the New York Times. “It was like, all of this stuff is going on, and I’m totally oblivious.”
He added, “Now, at this age, I can look back and be like, ‘Wow, I came through a minefield for 35 years.’ How do you make it through a minefield for 35, 40 years? Something has to be looking over you.”
Murphy has been in the business for decades, making his debut on “Saturday Night Live” at 19 years old.
Despite reaching the level of fame at which he had the world at his fingertips, he confirmed he never took up drinking and only tried weed at the age of 30.
Belushi died of a heroin overdose at the age of 33. Getty Images Williams took his own life in 2014 after living with depression. Getty Images
In the same interview with the Times, Murphy spoke about his years-long feud with David Spade, which began after the latter joked that his career was failing during a 1995 episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
“It was like, ‘Yo, how could you do that?’ My career? Really? A joke about my career?” he recalled.
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