We got Nicole Monday on Skid Row in downtown L.A., where she was spreading a little holiday cheer -- handing out personal hygiene kits with 20 dollar gift cards -- where our photog asked her about her ex-hubby, Eddie Murphy, and his brilliant performance on SNL this past weekend.

She loved it ... with a caveat. As we reported, Bill Cosby's publicist lashed out at Eddie, calling him a "Hollywood slave" and a "step and fetch it" after Eddie cracked a joke about the irony ... that Eddie's now America's dad with 10 kids and Cosby's in prison.