diff --git a/src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php b/src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
index a0b68759f9942..41eefb96484c8 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
@@ -1680,8 +1680,8 @@ public function get_collection_params() {
 		$query_params['status'] = array(
 			'default'           => 'approve',
 			'description'       => __( 'Limit result set to comments assigned a specific status. Requires authorization.' ),
-			'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_key',
-			'type'              => 'string',
+			'sanitize_callback' => array( $this, 'sanitize_comment_statuses' ),
+			'type'              => 'array',
 			'validate_callback' => 'rest_validate_request_arg',
 		);
 
@@ -1928,4 +1928,17 @@ protected function check_is_comment_content_allowed( $prepared_comment ) {
 		 */
 		return '' !== $check['comment_content'];
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sanitize a single comment status or a list of comment statuses with `sanitize_key`.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param string|array $statuses Comment status or array of comment statuses.
+	 * @return array Sanitized array of comment statuses.
+	 */
+	public function sanitize_comment_statuses( $statuses ) {
+		$statuses = wp_parse_list( $statuses );
+		return array_unique( array_map( 'sanitize_key', $statuses ) );
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-comments-controller.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-comments-controller.php
index 0bfe4e778d870..9572327c34fbd 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-comments-controller.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-comments-controller.php
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ public static function wpSetUpBeforeClass( WP_UnitTest_Factory $factory ) {
 				array(
 					'comment_content' => "Comment {$i}",
 					'comment_post_ID' => self::$post_id,
+					'status'          => ( 0 === $i % 2 ) ? 'approve' : 'hold',
 				)
 			);
 		}
@@ -224,6 +225,151 @@ public function test_get_items() {
 		$this->assertCount( self::$total_comments, $comments );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Test getting items of a specific status.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 63982
+	 */
+	public function test_get_items_by_status() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2/comments' );
+		$request->set_param( 'status', 'approve' );
+		$request->set_param( 'per_page', self::$per_page );
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertSame( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$q     = new WP_Comment_Query();
+		$found = $q->query(
+			array(
+				'status' => 'approve',
+				'count'  => true,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$comments = $response->get_data();
+
+		$this->assertCount( $found, $comments );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test getting comments of all statuses.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 63982
+	 */
+	public function test_get_items_by_all_status() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2/comments' );
+		$request->set_param( 'status', 'all' );
+		$request->set_param( 'per_page', self::$per_page );
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertSame( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$q     = new WP_Comment_Query();
+		$found = $q->query(
+			array(
+				'status' => 'all',
+				'count'  => true,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$comments = $response->get_data();
+		$this->assertCount( $found, $comments );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test getting items of multiple statuses.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 63982
+	 */
+	public function test_get_items_by_multiple_status() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2/comments' );
+		$request->set_param( 'status', array( 'approve', 'hold' ) );
+		$request->set_param( 'per_page', self::$per_page );
+
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+		$this->assertSame( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$q     = new WP_Comment_Query();
+		$found = $q->query(
+			array(
+				'status' => array( 'approve', 'hold' ),
+				'count'  => true,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$comments = $response->get_data();
+		$this->assertCount( $found, $comments );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test sanization of the status parameter.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 63982
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider data_get_items_by_status_sanitize
+	 */
+	public function test_get_items_by_status_sanitize( $key, $expected ) {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		// Create a post with the test status.
+		$params = array(
+			'post'         => self::$post_id,
+			'author_name'  => 'Comic Book Guy',
+			'author_email' => 'cbg@androidsdungeon.com',
+			'author_url'   => 'http://androidsdungeon.com',
+			'content'      => 'Worst Comment Ever!',
+			'status'       => $key,
+		);
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/comments' );
+		$request->add_header( 'Content-Type', 'application/json' );
+		$request->set_body( wp_json_encode( $params ) );
+
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+		$this->assertSame( 201, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$comment = $response->get_data();
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $comment['status'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Data provider.
+	 *
+	 * @return array
+	 */
+	public function data_get_items_by_status_sanitize() {
+		return array(
+			'an empty string key'            => array(
+				'key'      => '',
+				'expected' => 'hold',
+			),
+			'a lowercase key with commas'    => array(
+				'key'      => 'howdy,admin',
+				'expected' => 'hold',
+			),
+			'a lowercase key with commas'    => array(
+				'key'      => 'HOWDY,ADMIN',
+				'expected' => 'hold',
+			),
+			'a mixed case key with commas'   => array(
+				'key'      => 'HoWdY,aDmIn',
+				'expected' => 'hold',
+			),
+			'a string with unicode'   => array(
+				'key'      => array( 'howdy admin', 'another-value' ),
+				'expected' => 'hold',
+			),
+		);
+	}
+
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 38692
 	 */
diff --git a/tests/qunit/fixtures/wp-api-generated.js b/tests/qunit/fixtures/wp-api-generated.js
index 6626758a8a9dc..bc5048a232504 100644
--- a/tests/qunit/fixtures/wp-api-generated.js
+++ b/tests/qunit/fixtures/wp-api-generated.js
@@ -10335,7 +10335,10 @@ mockedApiResponse.Schema = {
                         "status": {
                             "default": "approve",
                             "description": "Limit result set to comments assigned a specific status. Requires authorization.",
-                            "type": "string",
+                            "type": [
+                                "string",
+                                "array"
+                            ],
                             "required": false
                         },
                         "type": {