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Topics: Celebrity, New York, Basketball
William Morgan
30 Rock star Tracy Morgan's unusual interaction with a homeless man begging him for help has gone viral and spawned a debate after he bluntly shut the man down.
The 57-year-old comedian was being recorded in a New York City restaurant when a man stepped into the shot and asked Morgan to buy him something to eat, but the Emmy-winning actor did not want to hear it.
Dressed in the same New York Knicks gear that Complex reported him wearing to a January 21 game, in which his side crushed the Brooklyn Nets in a historic 120-66 victory, Morgan was signing autographs for fans when the verbal altercation started
In a video of the incident shared on TikTok, the Saturday Night Live alum clearly recognizes the individual asking for help. “I remember you," Morgan can be heard saying as his tone shifts and he starts pointing at the homeless man.
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"Don’t talk to me like I owe you something,” Morgan says forcefully to a man in a baseball cap with his hood up. The man then replies pleadingly: "Can I get something, please?"
But, despite being a multi-millionaire, the man's pleas do nothing to change Morgan's mind who just replies: "No!"
Quieter, he then explains: “You used to talk all that s**t to me when we were younger.
"You think I forgot?"
The man can be heard acknowledging what Tracy said about their past relationship, while still asking for help, responding: "Yeah but... I'm homeless, boy."
But Morgan was not full of forgiveness that night, cutting off the conversation by telling the man: "So what's that got to do with me? I ain't do that."
While this response to a man in need sparked an online debate about forgiveness, it is not the first time Morgan has mentioned his difficult childhood.
In 2011, the comedian shared with Entertainment Weekly that 'I know how bad bullying can hurt. I was bullied when I was a kid,' before explaining that children had been cruel to him as his father lay dying with AIDS.
This hardheadedness towards a homeless man asking for food has split viewers watching the clip, with many pointing out that the alleged childhood bully did not attempt to apologize for his past actions, but demanded help.
But many argued that the actor had reacted poorly to the situation, with an X user saying: "This was a missed opportunity to close the wound. Forgiveness is for yourself not the offender."
Another user added: "I could never do this to another person, no matter the circumstances."
But the majority backed Morgan's forceful response to his unpleasant reminder of the past, with some calling it a 'chef's kiss for anyone who ever had a bully'.