Yesterday, Shockya reported that comedian Gilbert Gottfried had been fired by Aflac Insurance over some terribly unfunny tweets about the tragedy in Japan. The next development in this situation, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is that Gottfried has offered his apologies.

“I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan”, he told The Hollywood Reporter. He went on to say that he meant no disrespect and his thoughts are with the families suffering from the tragedy.

Aflac has its roots in Japan, according to the article, the company started out selling cancer expense policies in Japan in the 1970s. Aflac still gets most of its revenue from the island country.

Gottfried had been the voice of the Aflac Duck in the United States since 2000; according to Headline News, the comedian did not provide the voice for the duck in Japan. A nationwide search is now underway to find the next U.S. voice of the Aflac Duck.

According to the official Aflac press release, the company has announced that it will donate 100 million yen to the International Red Cross to help with the tsunami and earthquake relief, in keeping with their recognition by “Ethisphere” magazine as one of the world’s most ethical companies.

Gilbert Gottfried