NBC and 30 Rock creator/star Tina Fey have issued apologies for Tracy Morgan‘s homophobic one-liner at a Nashville show earlier this month.
Network entertainment chief Robert Greenblatt said, “We will always recognize an artist’s freedom to express him or herself, but not when reckless things are said no matter what the context. Unfortunately, Tracy’s comments reflect negatively on both 30 Rock and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.
STORY: Tracy Morgan Goes on Anti-Gay Tirade at Nashville Show
“I speak for NBC and myself personally when I say we do not condone hate or violence of any kind and I am pleased to see Tracy Morgan apologizing for recent homophobic remarks in his standup appearance.”
Fey also said she was happy that the comedian apologized, adding, “Stand-up comics may have the right to ‘work out’ their material in its ugliest and rawest form in front of an audience, but the violent imagery of Tracy’s rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community.
“It also doesn’t line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person.
“I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers 30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket.
STORY: Tracy Morgan’s 5 Most Outrageous Statements
“The other producers and I pride ourselves on 30 Rock being a diverse, safe, and fair workplace.”
Earlier Friday, Morgan apologized for saying he’d “pull out a knife and stab” his son if he were gay.
“I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement.
“I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others. While 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,” added Morgan.
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