Chris Rock says only way he'll talk about Will Smith punch is if he gets paid big bucks

Chris Rock has opened up about Will Smith's notorious Oscars slap. Well, kind of.

During a show in California on Friday for his Ego Death World Tour, the comedian told the audience he's "OK" but won't be speaking about the altercation "until he gets paid".

That suggests he's looking to arrange a big-money TV special to reveal all about this thoughts and reaction to the slap heard around the world.

"Life is good," the 57-year-old said, joking that he "got [his] hearing back."

This isn't the first time Rock has commented on the incident. Days after it took place, he reportedly told fans at his Boston show that he was still "processing what happened."

"I don't have a bunch of shit to say about that," he said.

"I had written a whole show before this weekend.

"I'm still processing what happened, so at some point, I'll talk about that shit. It'll be serious. It'll be funny, but right now, I'm going to tell some jokes."

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Smith apologised to Rock in a public Instagram statement, saying his behaviour was "unacceptable and inexcusable."

He has since been banned from attending the Oscars and other academy events for the next ten years – making him 63 the next time he's allowed to attend a ceremony. The news comes after the King Richard actor resigned from the academy and said he would accept any punishment they handed him.

The academy apologised for its role in the situation, saying it missed the opportunity to "set an example" for those in attendance and viewers watching across the world.

They said: "During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry,

"This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented."

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