Bill Cosby "applauds" Eddie Murphy for refusing to play him on "SNL"

Eddie Murphy refused to play Bill Cosby on "SNL"

Eddie Murphy reportedly refused to portray Bill Cosby in a bit on the 40th anniversary "Saturday Night Live" special last weekend. This according to fellow "SNL" alum Norm McDonald, who tweeted that he had asked Murphy to play Cosby during a "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch, but said Murphy wouldn't do it.

Now Cosby is speaking up about it, telling CBS News through his spokesperson, "I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions."

Over the past few months, Cosby, 77, has faced a series of allegations from several women who claim he drugged or assaulted them -- or both.

The story about Murphy turning down the "SNL" sketch came in a flurry of tweets from McDonald, who wrote about the writing process behind Sunday's show. The comedian and former "SNL" cast member also explained how he tried to convince Murphy to do the Cosby impression during the skit:

Murphy, 53, was among the many cast members who came back for the "SNL" 40th anniversary special. During Sunday's episode he spoke about how special the show was to him.

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