Tracy Morgan apologized today after making a shocking homophobic rant during a recent stand-up routine. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
30 Rock star Tracy Morgan apologized today for unleashing several homophobic slurs during a stand-up routine in Nashville.
"Gays need to quit beings ------s and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying," Morgan said.
Morgan, a father of three boys, shocked the audience with a follow-up comment: "My son better talk to me like a man and not in a gay voice, or I'll pull out a knife and stab that little ------ to death."
The jaw-dropping crack drew boos from the crowd, and some even left the performance.
Big name stars have are now reacting to the controversy. Morgan's 30 Rock co-star Alec Baldwin tweeted: "Oh that Tracy."
There is no immediate reaction from 30 Rock's Tina Fey, but INSIDE EDITION did speak with Star Trek's George Takei, a gay rights advocate.
"He should be ashamed," Takei said. "It was not funny at all, throughout the thing. It was a rant and he was spewing bigotry and homophobia."
Morgan has been doing some serious damage control.
"I want to apologize to my fans and the gay and lesbian community," he said in a statement, "I'm not a hateful person, and don't condone any kind of violence against others."
Morgan is not the first TV star to get into a jam during a stand up routine. Seinfeld's Michael Richards notoriously went off on a racist rant in 2006.
Although Richards apologized profusely, his career never bounced back.
Now, it's Tracy Morgan's turn to ask for forgiveness for crossing the line.
"I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context," Morgan said.
