Looking back at Eddie Murphy's career today, some people choose to focus more on the movies he starred in that were panned by critics. However, during the '80s when Saturday Night Live made him incredibly famous and beloved, Murphy was so successful that he feuded with music icons.
Back when it still seemed like everything Murphy touched turned to gold, everyone wanted to be a part of his success. At that time, a figure from Murphy's past came forward to sue the actor for $30 million claiming he was responsible for the SNL star's success.
Why Eddie Murphy Was Sued For $30 Million In 1987
After Eddie Murphy joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980, he quickly became the show's most popular star by far. In fact, many people believe that Murphy was so beloved by viewers that he saved SNL from failure at a time when the show was suffering great turmoil.
Since millions of people were tuning into Saturday Night Live just to see Murphy perform, it makes sense that Hollywood came calling before too long. Between 1982 and 1987, Murphy acted in four movies that are now considered classics.
After headlining his first movie, 48 Hrs., Murphy then went on to headline Beverly Hills Cop. Thanks to the massive success of both of those movies, Murphy then went on to star in The Golden Child and Beverly Hills Cop II.
If being a TV and movie star wasn't enough for Murphy, he proved how talented he was in another arena too. In 1984 the standup comedy special Eddie Murphy Delirious premiered on HBO, and it became a huge hit. Since his HBO special was so beloved, a follow-up standup special titled Eddie Murphy Raw was released in theaters in 1987.
Since it often seemed like Murphy could do no wrong during that era, everyone knew that he was raking in money hand over fist. Unfortunately for the comedy legend, a figure from Murphy's past knew how much money he was making and wanted a big piece of it.
In March 1987, a man named King Broder sued Murphy for a staggering $30 million. According to Broder, he played a pivotal role in Murphy's rise to fame, and he was entitled to a huge percentage of the actor and comedian's earnings.
In court papers, Broder claimed that he gave Murphy the guidance he needed to become a star. Broder's filing claimed he "smoothed out his act, advised him as to his dress, had photographs taken, helped prepare comedy material and did many other things for the benefit of (Murphy)".
In court, Broder and Murphy both agreed that they signed a contract when the comedian and actor was still eighteen years old and in high school. At the time, the deal Murphy signed on April 8th, 1980, was for a term of three years.
Broder claimed that the original contract had a clause that allowed him to extend the deal for another three years. According to Broder, he exercised that clause and extended his contract with Murphy until April 1986.
Between April 1980 and 1986, Murphy was paid for starring in four seasons of Saturday Night Live. On top of that, Murphy cashed in when he agreed to star in several films and his HBO special, Eddie Murphy Delirious.
Since he had a signed contract with Murphy, Broder claimed that he was entitled to a piece of all the money Murphy made during those years. That said, it would make sense for observers to question how Broder could claim that he was owed $30 million.
The reason why Broder sued Murphy for so much money was because of the details of their contract. According to that agreement, Broder was owed a staggering 25% of everything Murphy made between 1980 and 1986.
Did Eddie Murphy Lose When He Was Sued For $30 Million?
In Hollywood, it is very common for stars like Murphy to have managers who get a piece of each deal the talent signs. As a result, on the face of things, it may seem like King Broder had an open and shut case since even Eddie Murphy agreed the two men had a signed agreement.
When Broder sued him, Murphy responded by making several claims. First off, Murphy claimed that he signed his deal with Broder under false pretenses. According to Murphy, he signed the contract because Broder tricked him into thinking he already managed stars like Tina Turner, Neil Sedaka, and Teddy Pendergrass.
Murphy also claimed that Broder demanding 25% of his earnings was "unconscionable" and that he was never given a written copy of the contract. Finally, Murphy claimed that despite Broder's claims, the manager did nothing to further his career and he actually hindered the comedian and actor from making money.
Before Murphy and Broder's lawsuit made it to court, the famed actor made a pretty definitive pledge. While talking to the press, Murphy said that he wasn't going to pay Broder anything.
Once legal proceedings began in court, Murphy wound up changing his tune. Ultimately, Murphy and Broder came to an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount.
At the time of the settlement, Murphy stated his opinion that he and Broder came to "a reasonable agreement": Murphy also joked "I've still got a couple of dollars left". As for why Murphy decided to settle, his lawyer stated that Murphy would have been stuck in court for days if the lawsuit continued, and he wanted to get back to work.
After the settlement was reached the six members of the jury were polled. At that time, five of the six said they wouldn't have awarded Broder anything with the last juror saying he was undecided. However, at the time of the settlement, Broder's lawyer hadn't gotten the chance to cross-examine Murphy. According to Broder's lawyer, things would have gone bad for Murphy if he got the chance to question the star in court.
