Actor Terry Crews has apologized for saying that children of same-sex parents grow up “severely malnourished.”

The 50-year-old Crews is best known for playing NYPD Sergeant Terry Jeffords in the NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

After commenting on a New York Times' op-ed titled Why Does Obama Scold Black Boys?, Crews shifted his attention to single and same-sex parents.

“I’ve reiterated many times that same sex couples and single parents can successfully raise a child. But I believe paternal AND maternal love are like vitamins and minerals to humanity. No matter where you get that paternal and maternal love. MY purpose is to give paternal love,” Crews said in a tweet.

“Love is not gendered,” a user responded. “A child will not starve with only one gender loving them.”

“But they will be severely malnourished,” Crews replied.

Crews deleted the tweet on Friday and apologized.

“I apologize to anyone who was hurt by my “severely malnourished” tweet. It was in response to someone who said kids wouldn’t ‘starve,'” Crews wrote. “It was poorly worded so I deleted it.”

But in subsequent tweets, Crews reiterated his sentiment, saying to one user that “you need both” a mother and father to successfully raise a child.