Morgan apologizes for anti-gay comment

Tracy Morgan said he was sorry for telling an audience in Nashville, Tenn., that if his son were gay, he would "pull out a knife and stab" him, The Associated Press reports.

The comedian and "30 Rock" actor apologized to his fans and the gay and lesbian community for what he called "my choice of words" during his June 3 appearance at the Ryman Auditorium.

A Facebook account posted by an audience member said Morgan's stand-up performance was full of homophobic references. The Ryman issued its own apology afterward for Morgan's behavior.

Morgan's outbursts triggered heated comment on Twitter, making him a "trending" topic Thursday and Friday.

Comedian Chris Rock took to Twitter on Friday to defend Morgan, saying, "I dont know about you, but I dont want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say foul inappropriate ----."

But after a few hours, Rock returned to Twitter to backtrack, explaining to his fans that he had not initially heard everything Morgan had said. "wow i get it that ---- wasn't called for and i don't support it at all. now can i please go to the tony awards without getting my ---- kicked."

Meanwhile, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called on Morgan to remove anti-gay remarks from his show "and send a strong message that anti-gay violence is not something to joke about." The Human Rights Campaign said apologizing wasn't enough. The gay civil rights organization said Morgan "now has a responsibility to make amends for his horribly hurtful and dangerous 'comedy' routine."

In his statement, Morgan, who has three sons, denied being a hateful person and acknowledged that "even in a comedy club" what he said went too far "and was not funny in any context."