June 29, 2024
Eddie Murphy has the late Robin Williams and John Belushi to thank for realizing how lucky he is to not be interested in drugs.
In an upcoming interview with the New York Times’ The Interview podcast, Murphy recalled a night out with the duo in the ‘80s where they did cocaine, with the Shrek star realizing he didn’t want any of it.
“I remember I was 19, I went to the Blues Bar. It was me, [John] Belushi and Robin Williams. They start doing coke, and I was like, ‘No, I’m cool,’” Murphy told David Marchese.
“I wasn’t taking some moral stance. I just wasn’t interested in it. To not have the desire or the curiosity, I’d say that’s providence. God was looking over me in that moment,” the Beverly Hills Cop star added.
Belushi died of heroin overdose at the age of 33 in 1982, while Williams committed suicide in 2014 due to depression.
He noted: “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 went on to highlight the fates of legends like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Prince, calling them “cautionary tales.”
He revealed: “I don’t drink. I smoked a joint for the first time when I was 30 years old. The extent of drugs is some weed.”