Cheyenne Jackson "disgusted and appalled" by Tracy Morgan

The actor and singer Cheyenne Jackson has strongly criticized his 30 Rock costar, Tracy Morgan, for the offensive comments he made about gays during a comedy routine last week. "I am disgusted and appalled by Tracy Morgan's homophobic rant," said Jackson in a statement he provided to Out on Saturday morning. "The devastating repercussions of hate-filled language manifest in very real ways for today's LGBTQ youth. I've known Tracy for two years, spent many long hours with him on set, and I want to believe that this behavior is not at the core of who he is. I'm incredibly disappointed by his actions, and hope that his apology is sincere."

Morgan who apologized on Thursday for going "too far" during a stand-up routine in Nashville, TN, in which he "joked" that he would stab his son to death if he said he was gay, is facing calls to stand down from the show, or be fired. Tina Fey, the shows creator and star, earlier distanced herself from Morgan, saying that his rant was "disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT community." She went on to say that Morgan's diatribe did not "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."

To read our November 2010 cover story on Cheyenne Jackson, which includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes video and video interview, click here.

Previously > Disappointing: Tracy Morgan's Anti-Gay Rant