Eddie Murphy declined "Saturday Night Live" execs' attempts to have him impersonate Bill Cosby during a sketch for the show's recently aired 40th anniversary celebration, according to a series of roughly 100 tweets about the night's events by former cast member and comedian Norm MacDonald.

Once celebrated as "America's Dad," Cosby now finds himself accused of sexually assaulting as many as 20 women, many of whom also allege the famed funnyman drugged them first.  

"(Murphy) knew the laughs would bring the house down," MacDonald wrote in one post. "Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than any one (sic). Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down. Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs."

"I am very appreciate of Eddie and I applaud his actions," Cosby told NBC News in a statement.

In the end, Murphy only briefly appeared on the anniversary show, waxing poetic about his four years as a cast member ending in 1985 after being introduced by Chris Rock.

Murphy had not appeared on any "Saturday Night Live" show since leaving the cast, and another of MacDonald's tweets seemed to address why that may be. According to MacDonald, over the years Murphy remained perturbed about a skit performed by David Spade in which he poked fun at a down period in his career.

"Look children, a falling star," Spade quipped as a picture of Murphy peered in the background.  

The "Saturday Night Live" anniversary show featured such legendary former cast members and hosts as Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Justin Timberlake, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Melissa McCarfthy.