![<> on April 6, 2011 in New York City.](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/bill-cosby.jpg)
Last night, Norm Macdonald spilled the beans on Twitter about Steve Higgins’ plan to drop jaws with an Eddie Murphy appearance as the now-controversial Bill Cosby in the “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch during the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, and how Murphy wound up passing because he didn’t want to “kick a man when he is down.” Cosby has now weighed in, according to NBC News:
Bill Cosby says he is grateful that Eddie Murphy rejected an offer to impersonate the embattled comedian during the 40th anniversary “Saturday Night Live” special. “I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions,” Cosby said through a spokesperson.
It’s no surprise that Cosby is grateful for someone backing away from a chance to make fun of him during such a high profile event, especially after months of being ripped apart in the media and by his peers after a string of sexual assault allegations. It’s important to note that Murphy’s decision to abstain from slamming Cosby isn’t necessarily a display of support for Cosby. Murphy didn’t want to kick a man while he was down, but that doesn’t mean that he takes issue with him being down. We still don’t know for sure how Eddie Murphy feels about the Bill Cosby situation.
Via NBC