Tracy Morgan Says He Was "Contemplating Suicide" After Surviving Traffic Collision

Morgan is currently in the middle of his first stand-up tour since the accident.

Image via Alex Erde

Tracy Morgan has revealed he considered ending his own life in the wake of the tragic 2014 traffic collision that left him in a coma for eight days. Morgan, in a revealing new interview with Rolling Stone, details the emotional struggle of accepting the death of his friend and fellow comedian James "Jimmy Mack" McNair while embarking on his path to recovery.

"Emotionally, it’s hard for me to deal with," Morgan said of the traffic collision that almost ended his career. "I asked everybody to be there that night. I have to live with that. But I had to forgive myself. I know Jimmy would want it like that." However, before making peace with Jimmy's passing, Morgan had to make peace with himself. "I was in a very dark place," Morgan recalled. "I was sitting right here, contemplating suicide." According to Morgan, who is currently in the middle of his first stand-up tour since his recovery, the accident left him with a renewed vigor for his work.

"Maybe when I was in heaven, Richard Pryor said something to me," Morgan pondered. "I feel funnier than I ever felt." Jimmy Kimmel, a close friend of Morgan's, tellsRolling Stone he's certain a "great hour of comedy" with the ability to move its audience could easily come from Morgan's experience. In fact, that's exactly what Morgan is planning—only maybe "moving" isn't exactly the word he would use to describe it. As noted in the interview, the Saturday Night Live icon is currently working on what sounds like a reboot of his classic pregnancy line that now includes Caitlyn Jenner and a separate bit about E.T. becoming a sex worker.

"I look forward to my wife getting pregnant again," Morgan told Rolling Stone. "I look forward to my daughter going to nursery school. I'm here. I get to see all of that." In addition to a very full stand-up schedule, Morgan is slated to portray Redd Foxx in a forthcoming Richard Pryor biopic directed by Lee Daniels. "Mr. Foxx, I hope I do you justice," Morgan said in a statement to Variety in November when announcing the role. "It will be an honor to portray an icon."

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