Eddie Murphy is back in the spotlight with a new documentary titled Being Eddie, with the 2025 Netflix release chronicling his meteoric rise from Saturday Night Live phenom to one of the biggest box-office names in comedy. However, as much as Being Eddie celebrates his career, it’s also drawn attention for what it leaves out. According to one insider, the doc omitted one major part of the Nutty Professor actor's life.
Several insiders and longtime associates of Murphy recently spoke with Radar Online about the doc. Those individuals say the documentary sidesteps a reality that has quietly shaped Murphy’s life for decades. Instead of confronting the full scope of his OCD and severe anxiety, Being Eddie paints the star more laid back than those close to him claim that he is. As one source put it bluntly:
The documentary celebrates Eddie's brilliance, but it leaves out the scale of the routines he lives by. It shows him looking affable and relaxed at his mansion, but the place is huge and is basically his bubble. He rarely leaves it as he loves routine and cleanliness. The truth is far stranger and far sadder than what made the final cut. He's basically not normal!
Directed by Oscar-winner Angus Wall, Being Eddie features testimonials from Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, and Dave Chappelle, all tracing the Shrek 5 voice talent’s electric journey through iconic moments and roles over the past four decades. However, some close to the A-list star claim the documentary skips over the legendary SNL veteran's long-rumored struggles with Howard Hughes-level germaphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Murphy has openly admitted to obsessive-compulsive tendencies in the past. Back in 1997, after a widely reported incident in West Hollywood, the comedian turned actor told police he was “obsessive-compulsive with cleanliness.” The Delirious icon also revealed he wiped down everything that had been touched in his car after an encounter. Over the years, those habits have reportedly only intensified. Another source added:
There's a whole world he keeps sealed off – the film only shows the parts he's comfortable revealing.
Murphy’s former partner, Spice Girl Mel B, also shed some light on his world behind closed doors. She described his immaculate home as “a gilded cage,” saying:
His bathroom is perfect and he lives in a paradise home. He doesn't like surprises, he doesn't like disorder; all those seemingly mad, impromptu comedy performances are carefully constructed. There was something about Eddie's house that was like a gilded cage… he was an anxious germaphobe… a total germ freak.
The pop star-turned X-factor-judge added that Eddie Murphy’s world is so tightly controlled that even something as basic as cooking requires learning his rules, and socializing meant sticking to carefully chosen routines. Other insiders echo the sentiment that what’s shown in the documentary is only what the Bowfinger lead is most comfortable sharing. According to yet another source:
Eddie's world is controlled down to the last inch. Every object has its proper place, meals follow strict patterns, and he double-checks the locks every night… The documentary gives a soft-focus version of his life at home, but not the reality of someone who's built a kingdom he can't bear to leave. Notably, hardly any of that film is shot outside his mansion, where only a very close circle of friends and his children are allowed.
Of course, the claims that come from these people who are supposedly in Murphy's inner circle cannot be substantiated. We can only take the documentary for what the final cut is. Still, if those rumors are true, for fans hoping to see all sides of Eddie Murphy, vulnerable, and dare I say, RAW, the real story may still be waiting off-camera.
Being Eddie is available to stream now for anyone with a Netflix subscription.
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