On Monday, Tracy Morgan sat down for his first interview after his traumatic car crash last June.
Cane in hand, Tracy participated in an emotional interview on NBC’s The Today Show with anchor Matt Lauer. Morgan sat alongside attorney Benedict Morelli, who shared a few observations and well wishes on The Today Show as well.
June 2014, Tracy’s limo was hit by a Walmart truck on the New Jersey Turnpike, leaving the 30 Rock star and his two friends severely injured, and killing comedic writer James McNair. The accident left Tracy with a broken leg, broken ribs, and brain trauma inducing a coma that lasted for two weeks.
Matt Lauer starts the interview by calling Morgan “a sight for sore eyes,” which he later repeats with great sincerity. When asked “How do you feel?” by Lauer, Tracy responded, “I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe I’m in front of you. I can’t believe I’m here. Just seeing the tragedy happened, it’s touching.”
Morgan refers to “his lady,” fiance Megan Wollover throughout the interview, as well as his children, stressing the importance family during tough times. “I’ve been down. I had my family. I have my wife —we about to be married—and my daughter, my son, to keep my spirits up.” He gives a shout out to his 30 Rock co-star on her compassion.“Tina Fey and all the people calling me, just helping me get my spirits up” Morgan says.
Early on in the interview, when discussing the death of good friend James “Jimmy Mac” McNair, 46-year-old comedian breaks down in tears. He tells Lauer, “He was a close friend of mine, a comrade in comedy. He was a loving man and he was a warm man. He was a good man. It just hurt me to see that he’s gone.”
Morgan reveals that after his release from the hospital, he watched both the accident and McNair’s funeral on YouTube. He explains, “I had to know what happened to my friend, I had to pay my respects,” he said. “That was my way. Bones heal, but the loss of my friend will never heal,” Morgan says. “I’m happy that Walmart stepped up to the plate. They took full responsibility.”
The interview closes on a hopeful note. Tracy ends with: “My goal is just to heal and get better because I’m not 100 percent yet,” he says. “I’ll get back to making you laugh, I promise you.”
Image via Today
