Eddie Murphy almost killed 'Coming to America' - and ruined Arsenio Hall's first three

Eddie Murphy almost killed ‘Coming to America’ – and ruined Arsenio Hall’s first three

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Arsenio Hall’s dreams of having triplets were dashed by Eddie Murphy – after the actor clashed with the “Coming to America” ​​cast.

In “Arsenio: Memoir,” the former talk show host, now 70 years old, writes that while shooting the 1988 comedy, he was given “the horrible New York weed” and invited two women to dinner and a private party at his Waldorf Astoria home.

“I’ve long wanted to have a ménage-à-trois,” she writes. “It’s high on my bucket list, maybe in the top three, and tonight is the night. I am close to fulfilling my dream.”

Arsenio Hall writes about shooting the 1998 film, “Coming to America,” in his memoir. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
The comedian, seen here in February 2026, was about to make his third feature debut when he received a call from the head of Paramount Pictures. Getty Images for ABA

Hall said her dates were “making a bed and I was getting turned on,” when the phone rang.

He reluctantly answered to find Paramount Pictures president Ned Tanen on the other side, shouting that “Coming to America” ​​was over.

Tanen angrily claimed that Murphy had “choked” the film’s director, John Landis, “on Queens Boulevard, in front of a whole crowd,” prompting him to “f—king” quit.

Murphy had “choked” the director of the film, John Landis, when he was there, causing Landis to leave it. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Hall said he noticed the tension between Murphy and Landis, who later worked together on “Beverly Hills Cop III”. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Hall had noted an “uncomfortable dynamic between” Murphy and Landis, calling it “anarchy between them”. The two had previously worked together in 1983’s “Trading Places”.

Eager to save the day, she put her party plans on hold and immediately got in a car to Murphy’s Englewood, NJ estate, Bubble Hill. As unusual as Murphy was, he decided the time was right.

The two began unloading screwdrivers and Hall pulled out his bag of weed – something Murphy didn’t do. But Hall insisted and taught the “48 Hours” star how to breathe in and out.

The companions, who were photographed here in 1987, got drunk and high and did not talk about what happened. Collection by Ron Galella via Getty Images
Hall eliminated about three and went to Murphy at his home in New Jersey. Christopher Sadowski
The next day, Hall learned that a peace deal had been struck, and the film was already being remade. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
The film was a big hit at the box office. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

“We drink and smoke and get high like motherf–ka,” she writes.

The next day, Hall returned to the Waldorf and received another phone call announcing that “Landis is back at work, he and Eddie have met, they’ve made peace, or they’ve made a decision, or – I haven’t found out exactly what happened that afternoon on Queens Boulevard.”

While promoting the film, Murphy was asked if he would work with Landis again, prompting him to say, “Vic Morrow has a better chance of working with Landis than I do” — referring to the actor who was killed in a fatal accident on set while Landis was filming 1983’s “Twilight Zone: The Movie.”

However, Landis and Murphy reunited for “Beverly Hills Cop III” in 1994.

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