Brando Murphy Is Comedy's Public Enemy Number One [EXCLUSIVE]

It’s not everyday that you hear about a legendary comedian being embroiled in a battle with someone reported to be claiming kinship. Well, such is the life of Oscar-nominated actor/comedian Eddie Murphy. He is currently in a the middle of a $50 million lawsuit brought on by up and coming Los Angeles based comic Brando Murphy. If you have been on a gossip blog in the past few months, you’ve more than likely heard this story.

Eddie Murphy began firing cease and desist letters to Brando when he got wind Brando was allegedly using the Murphy name and the fact that the two resemble each other to get people to believe Brando was Eddie Murphy’s long lost son. However, Brando Murphy was the one who slapped the “Coming To America” star, his legal team, manager, and few others with a fifty million dollar lawsuit for defamation. Brando claimed in his court documents that “the name Murphy is of Irish decent … and not exclusive to Eddie Murphy, a ‘Black Man’ of African Ancestry and a purported African American.” Eddie Murphy’s legal team responded to the lawsuit with, “This is an absolutely ridiculous lawsuit, and we are confident it will be immediately dismissed by the court.”

When I first heard about the lawsuit, I admittedly dismissed it as some struggle comic trying to get famous off the name of Eddie Murphy. Despite already having been the judge and jury in my own private trial of the case, I was open to hearing Brando Murphy’s version of events. Of course with Eddie Murphy being the star, media outlets would only report the story from his side without giving Brando a real shot at defending himself.

Well, Brando Murphy isn’t one to wait for an opportunity. He reached out to The Urban Daily in an effort to share his side of the story. Brando Murphy gave one of the most passionate interviews we’ve conducted in a long while. Judge for yourself if Brando Murphy is a comic just trying to get famous by using a legendary comedian’s name or is he just misunderstood.

TUD: Let’s start from the beginning. What is your legal name?

BM: My government name is Brando Murphy.

According to some reports, you changed your name. So what is your given name?

I was born Brandon Roberts.

How did this whole beef with Eddie Murphy start in the first place?

Well, all I know is I was just killing the stages in the comedy world and we got ready to do a show called “The Sons of Comedy” and I guess as I was in the comedy scene, doing my thing, making a little noise, word got back to Eddie. I don’t know what got back to him, but we got ready to do “Sons of Comedy” and next thing you know I’m getting these harassing letters from Eddie telling me to cease and desist right before the show.

Do you see why he believes you were trying to capitalize off his name if you’re on the “Sons of Comedy” tour and you’re not his son?

“Sons of Comedy” is a brand name just like “The Kings of Comedy” was. Can we say that the kings of comedy, who were on there–Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer–can we really say they were kings of comedy? No! It was a great name that sold. That’s just like the “Sons of Comedy.” There were other people who weren’t sons. There was a flyer that went out that had me and Mason Pryor on it. It said, “Brando Murphy & Mason Pryor.” In captions, it said “Richard Pryor’s son.”

Now, “Sons of Comedy” is a name. I’m not an actual son of comedy like Mason Pryor. But I am a son of comedy because comedy birthed me. So you’re telling me I can’t be on a show called “Sons of Comedy” because Eddie Murphy has a last name saying Murphy?! That’s ridiculous!

Where did he get the idea that you were claiming to be his son in the first place?

People were assuming I was his son. I guess it’s because I look like him and because I changed my last name to Murphy.

Why did you change your name to Murphy?

Because in Hollywood, it’s customary for entertainers to come here with names that don’t really sound good in Hollywood and they change them. I can give you a list of people who changed their names. Jamie Foxx changed his name from Eric Bishop to Jamie Foxx after the late great Redd Foxx. Nobody said anything to Jamie. Nobody said anything to a whole list of entertainers who changed their names. It’s business!

So you feel singled out by Eddie Murphy, considering your last statement?

Of course I feel singled out! Nobody else has had to go through what I have to go through over a name. You know the problem is? It’s not the fact that I have a name, it’s that my talent is at the level that it is. Eddie feels threatened.

Why do you say Eddie Murphy is threatened by your talent when you two haven’t achieved the same things?

We haven’t achieved the same things, but it’s just like the next generation like when Ali came up with Sonny Liston. Sonny Liston was already the champion. Ali didn’t achieve what Liston achieved, but he challenged the throne. And what happened? He became Ali! Ali didn’t start off as the champion, but he kept beating the people on the throne. Just like Eddie Murphy did when Richard Pryor was on. When he showed up, Richard Pryor ain’t wanna see him because Eddie was the next man up. You can’t hold him down forever.

The problem is there are a lot of comedians out here like Kevin Hart and other comedians who kiss ass to Eddie Murphy. It’s not about kissing ass. I respect the man for what he has done. But at the same time, I want to grab the throne. I want the championship belt. And if nobody is going to challenge him for it, I’m gonna do it. And I’m wrong for that? Get outta here!

I’m tired of all of these old entertainers holding on to something and ain’t no new introductions made until “it’s their time to go.” Entertainment is at a state where it’s weak. We got the same stuff and the same people in every damn film. How is it believable to have Morgan Freeman running around with a machine gun?! He is 93 years old! He can’t even shoot a whole film! I don’t know how he keeps coming up in these films. It’s not believable. You got Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups.” You got these 50-year-old guys running around with no shirts on. Don’t nobody wanna see that flabby ass stomach. You wanna see somebody sexy like me! Where is the young talent, they trying to block them out. But I’m going for what I want and I want the title.

So because of that you’re suing Eddie Murphy for $50 million?

I’m not suing him for fifty million. There’s a whole lot of other people who are in the lawsuit that don’t seem to be reported on. I’m suing The National Enquirer, Eddie Murphy, Wendy Williams, The Wendy Williams Show, Lavely & Singer Law Firm (Eddie Murphy’s legal team) and a guy by the name of Barry Katz. (Hollywood producer and manager)

You say people in Eddie’s camp have threatened to have you killed. Is that because of the name or because you refuse to give in to their demands?

I’m sure there are a bunch of reasons why. I don’t really want to go into it because it’s stated in the complaint which is public information. So everything that I said they did to me is in the complaint. And I don’t really wanna go through this right now because it’s all public information. There’s fifty-two pages of the complaint.

If you don’t want any problems with Eddie Murphy or anybody else, why did you start talking about Charlie Murphy? You called him a gorilla.

First of all, I was asked about Charlie Murphy being my uncle. I’m a comedian. So my response was in a comedic way. I did call Charlie Murphy a gorilla because he is. If you hold up a picture of a gorilla and Charlie Murphy, you will see a resemblance. That’s why I said what I said, but word got back to me that Charlie Murphy said if he sees me onstage, he’s gonna whoop my ass for using the Murphy name. So once I hear something like that, I’m in attack mode. There’s nothing wrong with what I said.

The problem in Hollywood is people are too scared to talk about other people. They got people scared like, “If you talk about me, you gonna get black listed.” Back in the day, when these guys were coming up, they were talking about everybody. What happened to that? See, I’m not scared. I’m not a comedian running around scared. A lot of other guys are because they ain’t doing what I’m doing. Then you have comedians mad at me because they’re not getting the attention I am. I don’t operate out of fear. I can’t operate out of fear otherwise I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.

I’m not suing Eddie Murphy just to be in the papers. I’m suing them because I was done wrong and there was a lot that has been going on behind the scenes for the last three and a half years. What goes on in the dark shall come to light. They’re not gonna stop me from living my dreams.

Is this lawsuit really about the money or just the fact you feel they are trying to stop you from living out your dream?

It’s not about the money! At the same time, it’s the general principle. You guys have damaged my reputation. The damage has been done and I didn’t just choose fifty million. There’s a reason why that number’s there. The lawyers know why that’s there. That’s standard. It’s not about the money.

Nobody is gonna stop my dream. I’m gonna fight for it because I’m sure there are plenty other people who nobody knows about who got bullied behind the scenes. They accepted it. I’m not going to accept it. You got all of this bullying going on in the world and I’m not gonna go for it. I’ve been bullied before back in elementary and middle school. I ain’t gonna be bullied no more. I’m not a bitch! I’m a grown man and I’ll fight anybody in whatever capacity.

How is Wendy Williams involved? 

She was going around saying false information. Wendy Williams should’ve known that the information that The National Enquirer reported was false. Come on now, how you gonna quote The National Enquirer?!

What is it that you want people to know about Brando Murphy that’s not being reported?

All I am is a guy from Fort Lauderdale, Florida who wants to pursue his dreams. That’s it! All I wanna do is do what I’m good at. They’re stopping me and trying to hinder me because they know I’m good. They know I’m good! And the world needs what I have to give and that’s nothing but light and entertainment. Humanity needs that!

Some people might hear this conversation and write you off because they think you have a chip on your shoulder. Do you have a chip on your shoulder?

I have to have a chip on my shoulder. Put yourself in my shoes. You got people attacking me from all angles, big powerful people. If I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing. I wouldn’t be able to fight. Ali had a chip on his shoulder. Floyd Mayweather has a chip on his shoulder. Eddie Murphy has a chip on his shoulder. The list goes on and on. Justin Bieber got a chip on his shoulder. I feel bad for the people who don’t have a chip on their shoulder. So what you just gonna let people run all over you?! PLEASE! I have to be a certain way because Hollywood is a beast. Entertainment is a beast. This not what people think. This is not no easy job! You have to deal with issues like this. I’m fighting for my livelihood.

Have you ever had movie deals and projects clearly booked and people tell you they wanna put you in other movies and that you’re this breakout star only for it to be smacked out of your mouth because of what may be going on with Eddie Murphy? Have you ever had that happen to you?

Yes, I have. It hasn’t happened to me in the film world, but in journalism, it happens all the time.

Okay, but that’s in journalism. We’re talking about entertainment. Not everybody can do this. I’m not saying everybody can do journalism, but you don’t know how it feels to be attacked and to have your name and reputation be screwed.

Say tomorrow, Eddie Murphy and all the parties involved give you what you want, then what?

All I wanna do is do entertainment! Listen, I have relationships with people who wanna put me in things, but this whole Eddie Murphy stuff has stopped that. I want to continue to do comedy. Man, I’ve had comedy clubs not wanna put me on because of what was reported on Wendy Williams and everywhere else that’s not cool! I was doing it no problem!

Now if I was a Chinese person and my name was Brando Murphy, there would be no issue. If I wasn’t talented, I wouldn’t be buzzing like this. If I wasn’t talented, it would be like, “Okay. Whatever.” You would never hear about me. So what is the real issue, we need to ask ourselves. Eddie hasn’t done comedy in 25 years. Why is he trying to stop me? I’m not the bad guy here. I’m trying to do everything that this man has already achieved. So why can’t I have the right to do that? Richard Pryor didn’t stop him when he showed up. So why do I have to? Why does this man have to try to oppress me rather than picking me up?

They tried to do a remake of “Beverly Hills Cop” and they put Brandon T. Jackson in it. Come on now, we didn’t hear it was already sold to CBS. CBS wanted it, they shot the pilot and it came back trash. You know why it was trash? Because they’re not putting talented people where they need to be. They’re sitting here using the same guys who ain’t shit. That’s right! I said it! If you would have put me in “Beverly Hills Cop,” boy, I tell you that thing would’ve been fire! The people said that.

The people are saying that if you were in the remake of “Beverly Hills Cop,” it would’ve been excellent and everything, who are these people and where are they?

Where are these people? Well, if you go on my Facebook page, you can see all of the comments!

I hear you, but playing devil’s advocate, the people who are telling you that you would have been good in the remake are already fans of yours. So isn’t that getting gassed off of your own hype?

Let’s say this, if I wasn’t being blocked, more people would see me. They would appreciate my talent and my gifts. They would be drawn in like all of the other fans I’ve accumulated because of my talent. Now when you stop somebody from doing shows and getting booked elsewhere…I’ve had people try to book me for shows outside of Los Angeles and they didn’t want to do it because of this Eddie Murphy stuff. So it’s not that I’m getting gassed off my own hype. I know who I am and I know what I can do. The proof is in the pudding. I’m not somebody who just talks. I can back it up with everything that I do.

Have you ever seen a live show with me?

I have not. I hadn’t heard of you until I heard about the Eddie Murphy drama.

Sometimes, that’s how the cookie crumbles. You hear about people one way and then you get drawn in and you like it. There are people who are going to like it and people who aren’t going to like it. I do my stuff for the people who appreciate it.

In one of the reports, Eddie Murphy’s camp alleges you would show up to places Eddie Murphy frequents and would scream, “My father won’t talk to me!” Where would they come up with an accusation like that?

Just like they came up with all the other accusations. It’s he said, she said. Nobody was there but me and Eddie.

TUD: Once all of this settled, will remain a blemish on your career even if you reach the level of success you’re trying to?

It’s always gonna be there, but it will be overshadowed because there are so many other things that I do that the world will see and all of that is going to overshadow this. You never know the route. You just know the vision and end goal. All I’m really focused on is the end goal. I don’t really see this as a negative. Did it happen to me? Yes. Was it painful? Yes? Was I damaged by it? Yes.

Put yourself in my shoes. It’s been three and a half years of knowing you can do something good and you want to be great. And somebody that you looked up to at one point in your life, comes and tries to put a stop to it. How would you feel? Ask yourself that? If you had a kid and he was going through all that in going through, how would you feel? Ask yourself that. I’m not the bad guy. I don’t have $500 million. All I wanna do is pursue my dream and live it. That’s it! But I’m not going to be bullied! The lawsuit is about respect, plain and simple!

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