EXCLUSIVE: Tracy Morgan was genuinely devastated when he learned that he had hurt people with the anti-gay jokes in his comedy routine in Nashville, Russell Simmons tells PopEater. The hip-hop mogul and equal rights activist was one of the first people the comedian opened up to following the fall-out from his offensive standup. Simmons had immediately called Morgan to tell him how upset he was and what he thought Tracy should do about making amends.

"He was so happy to hear my voice. He had been crying. He was really devastated," Simmons tells us. "He spilled his guts to me."

When he heard about Tracy's joke saying that if his son was gay he'd "stab him", Simmons felt it was his job as a pro-gay marriage supporter to set him straight (no pun intended).

"The sad truth is that sometimes artists and rappers say what people in their community are thinking. I knew that Tracy was a person who wants to make people laugh and that he said what he said because in the communities he plays to there is homophobia. It is prevalent," Simmons said.