Eddie Murphy Claims Oscar-Winning Actor Propositioned Him

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Declan Gallagher | Last updated Nov 12, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Eddie Murphy makes a surprising claim in Netflix’s documentary Being Eddie (now streaming), alleging that an Oscar-winning actor once made an amorous proposition to him.

Murphy Claimed a Startling Interaction

The comedian recalled an alleged interaction between himself, Oscar-winning actor Yul Brynner, and Brynner’s wife at Murphy’s 21st birthday party. Brynner won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his title role as King Mongkut of Siam in The King and I (1956). He also won a Tony award for performing the role on Broadway, and was known for playing Rameses II in The Ten Commandments (1956).

“My 21st birthday party I had at Studio 54,” Murphy explained. “Yul Brynner, from The Ten Commandments, he was with his wife, and he was like, ‘How would you like to go back to my apartment with my wife and I and party?’ And I was like, ‘Nah, I’m cool,’” Murphy said, indicating that the party around him was perfectly sufficient. At the time of Murphy’s 21st birthday in April 1982, Brynner was recently divorced from his third wife and dating Kathy Lee, whom he married the following year.

“I realized as I got older,” Murphy continued, “I was like, ‘Party? He wanted to…’ His wife was smiling. I was like, ‘Did he want me to go f–k his wife?’ When I got older I thought back on it and was like…” Murphy said as he shook his head.

'Now I Wish I Would've Went'

“Now I wish I would’ve went,” the comedian admitted. “The story would end better, you know, if [I could say], ‘Yeah, I went back to Yul Brynner’s spot and f–ked his wife, and he was watching me f–king. He was going, ‘Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera,’” Murphy said, referring to a line from Brynner’s famous King and I performance.

Brynner died in 1985 at 65, so is unable to substantiate Murphy’s version of events.

By way of explaining those heady times in Murphy’s career, the documentary cuts to Dave Chappelle, who says, “Man, that s–t is extreme. Being Eddie Murphy in the ‘80s. That’s some extreme s–t.”

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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