Bill Cosby scandal update: Disgraced comedian thanks Eddie Murphy for not doing SNL skit

Bill Cosby said he was pleased Eddie Murphy turned down a chance to impersonate him during Sunday's "SNL 40" anniversary special.

"I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions," Cosby said through a spokesperson according to NBC.

Murphy reportedly turned down a suggestion that he do an impression of Cosby during a "Jeopardy!" parody in the first hour of the Sunday special, according to former "SNL" cast member Norm Macdonald.

The comedian, whose Bill Cosby impression became the stuff of legends, bailed from reviving his multi-coloured sweats to impersonate "America's Dad" amid accusation the 77-year-old drugged and raped a sleuth of vulnerable women.

Macdonald tweeted about going to Murphy's dressing room and trying to persuade him to change his mind. "Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs," Macdonald wrote.

Murphy did appear on the show, coming out briefly to tell the crowd how much he appreciated the show, without telling jokes or doing any impersonations. It was a puzzling and brief appearance, though it makes a little more sense now.

Watch Eddie Murphy's awkward SNL skit below: