Chris Rock says he’s remaining silent about Will Smith slapping him at the 94th Academy Awards until he’s compensated for his troubles.
At a Friday comedy show in Indio, California, for his “Ego Death World Tour,” Rock addressed the people in the crowd who were anxious to hear more about the assault.
“I’m OK, I have a whole show and I’m not talking about that until I get paid,” Rock said, according to the newspaper The Desert Sun. “Life is good. I got my hearing back.”
Smith’s assault of Rock, which occurred on live television, became the most talked-about Oscars moment in years. Rock has so far declined to discuss the incident in depth, saying he’s still working through what happened and hinting that he may address it in a future comedy routine.
“I don’t have a bunch of shit to say about that,” Rock reportedly told attendees at a Boston show in late March, days after the incident.
“I had written a whole show before this weekend,” he said at the Boston show. “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.”
At the Oscars, Smith stormed on stage and slapped Rock after the comedian joked that his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, could star in “G.I. Jane 2,” a reference to her shaved head.
Pinkett-Smith has an autoimmune condition known as alopecia, which results in hair loss. She has spoken about her struggles with the condition on social media and on her “Red Table Talk” show.
Since the incident, Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years. He has also resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A number of comedians, including Jim Carrey and Oscars co-host Amy Schumer, have denounced Smith’s actions.