Norm Macdonald defends Eddie Murphy on Twitter after awkward ‘SNL’ appearance

TORONTO – Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Norm Macdonald says Eddie Murphy didn’t perform a sketch on the show’s recent anniversary special because he didn’t want to impersonate Bill Cosby.

In a flurry of tweets Wednesday night, the Ottawa-born Macdonald wrote that writers wanted Murphy to do a Cosby impression on Sunday’s 40th anniversary program on NBC.

It was intended to be in a “Celebrity Jeopardy” bit that involved several stars.

But Murphy didn’t feel comfortable with the idea, amid allegations from numerous women that they were sexually abused by Cosby.

Macdonald wrote that Murphy decided the laughs weren’t worth it and he did not want to “kick a man when he is down.”

As a result, Murphy only delivered a brief and awkward speech during the special, which baffled many viewers.

“Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs,” wrote Macdonald.

“Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars.”

Macdonald also wrote that while Murphy was an “SNL” cast member in the 1980s, “in Lorne’s absence, (he) kept the show alive. Singlehandedly.”

“To every comedian who ever performed on ‘SNL,’ what Eddie accomplished was unthinkable.”

Macdonald spent five seasons with “SNL,” and anchored the “Weekend Update” segment for three years.