Comedy legend Eddie Murphy (pictured left) couldn’t resist the opportunity to mock Will Smith over his infamous Oscars slap during a 2023 Golden Globes speech. The iconic funnyman, 61, won the coveted Cecil B DeMille award at the 80th annual ceremony on Tuesday, once again reminding the world of his playful humor.

The star shared his three ‘simple’ tips to enjoy a long-lasting career: ‘Pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith ‘s wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth.’ The unexpected reference to the moment Smith, 54, slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face at the 2022 Oscars filled the star-filled room with laughter.

Viewers flocked to Twitter to share their delight at the cheeky joke. One tweeted: ‘Eddie Murphy just dropped the mic on Will Smith at the Golden Globe Awards tonight. Love it!’

Another wrote: ‘Been an Eddie Murphy fan since the 80’s… only Eddie Murphy can drop a [expletive] bomb on a Will Smith joke… truly special. Amazing talent!!!’

The Independence Day star shocked the world last year when, following a joke Chris Rock made about the actor’s wife, Smith took to the stage and slapped him. The actor was unimpressed by the mockery as his wife Jada (pictured right), 51, famously shaved her hair off to hide hair loss. Smith can still be nominated for, and win Oscars but will not be allowed to attend ceremonies until after April 8, 2032.

The star did not attend the Golden Globes on Tuesday as Murphy was handed the Cecil B DeMille award. The coveted gong is granted to actors, producers, directors and musicians for ‘outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.’ Throughout his career, Murphy has won Emmys and Golden Globes for various television and movie roles. He has starred in such films as Coming to America, Shrek and Dr. Doolitle.

‘You’ve been moving through your creative life, and we’ve all gotten to see you grow as an artist,’ Jamie Lee Curtis (pictured left) said as she introduced the legendary comedian.

In his speech, Murphy stated: ‘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.’ After thanking his family, associates, producers and agent,

Murphy ended his speech with some advice for others dreaming of making it big. He continued: ‘Like I said, I’ve been doing this for a long time so I could literally stand up here and keep saying thank you till they play the piano. But I’m going to wrap it up and say something to all the new up and coming dreamers and artists that are in the room tonight. I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind. It’s a blueprint and I followed it my whole life, it’s very simple. There’s three things you just do: pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth.’

The 2023 Golden Globes was hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael, the show’s first ever Black solo compare. Tuesday’s ceremony marked a return to air for the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HPFA) since it overhauled its organization following a racism row in 2021.

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