Eddie Murphy Effortlessly Roasts Will Smith At The 2023 Golden Globes

Eddie Murphy is the latest star to poke fun at Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap, making quite the quip during his acceptance speech at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards. Per People, the comedy icon and actor received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honorary award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." Tracy Morgan and his "Trading Places" co-star Jamie Lee Curtis presented the comedian with the award during the ceremony on January 10. 

HFPA confirmed that Murphy would be honored with the lifetime achievement award last December 14, saying, "We're honored to present this year's Cecil B. DeMille Award to the iconic and highly esteemed Mr. Eddie Murphy. We're thrilled to be celebrating the lasting impact on film and television that his career – in front of and behind the camera – has had through the decades." 

Murphy — who started his acting career in the '80s — has been nominated for a slew of Golden Globes. In 2007, he won a best supporting actor trophy for his role as James Early in the hit musical drama "Dreamgirls." And as this year's recipient of the coveted Cecil B. DeMille Award, the comedy star couldn't help but poke fun at the highly controversial slap involving Smith and his fellow comedian Chris Rock. 

Eddie Murphy had everyone howling in their seats while accepting his Golden Globes lifetime achievement award. The "Dolemite Is My Name" actor began his speech by looking back at his illustrious career and thanking those who've helped him along the way, including his girlfriend, Paige Butcher, and his 10 "amazing" children. "I've been in show business for 46 years, and I've been in the movie business for 41 years, so this has been a long time in the making and greatly appreciated," he said (via E! Online). He then went on to share his advice for all the new up-and-coming artists in the industry. "I wanna let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind," he said. The blueprint, he added, was simple: pay your taxes, mind your business, and — in a not-so-subtle reference to Will Smith's Oscars 2022 meltdown — "Keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f—ing mouth!"

The surprise joke drew cheers from the audience and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response online. On Twitter, journalist Sylvia Obell said, "Eddie Murphy would be the only person to make a Will Smith joke that was actually funny." However, Murphy has since clarified his speech to ET and said that Smith, his wife Jada, and Chris Rock are all his friends. "I've worked with Jada," he said. "I love Will. I love Will. And I love Chris — and it's all love."