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Chris Rock has shed a smidge of light on how he feels about Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars -- but says he won't reveal more until he receives one thing ... cold, hard cash.

The comedian told a live audience Friday that he would not be talking about the Oscars until he was compensated, presumably meaning somebody ponying up for his exclusive account ... this according to a report from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, which detailed his set in Indio, CA and the material referenced as Chris continues his national comedy tour.

Here's what Chris reportedly said in full ... "I'm OK, I have a whole show, and I'm not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back."

The strange thing ... if Chris means he's waiting on a network of some sort to pay him for a sit-down, ya gotta imagine he and his team have already been approached by every broadcast company in the game at this point. Maybe they just haven't offered enough???

Of course, another, slightly more sinister way to interpret his remarks ... perhaps he's talking about a civil lawsuit against Will himself, where he could potentially get paid that way too.

Or, he might just be joshing altogether ... it's unclear how serious this comment is, but considering the context -- Chris seems to be in good spirits and carrying on well. In any case, the Desert Sun has more deets about what's in Chris' set -- and it's interesting.

They say he took a lot of shots at celebs and politicians, including Hillary Clinton, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and others. He also reportedly made fun of corporations and their diversity initiatives -- while also invoking his family life, being single and cancel culture ... as it relates to offending people these days. The DS says he got a standing O in the end.

It does seem Chris is opening up more and more as his tour rolls on -- remember, in his initial shows out in the East Coast ... all he said was he's still processing the smack.

Now, it appears he's finding some humor in the whole thing -- that, or just masking how he really feels with his comedy chops. Time will tell if/when Chris speaks on this officially.

Former President Barack Obama is back in the White House with President Biden ... at least for now, delivering remarks with his former running mate.

Biden and VP Harris welcomed back the former Prez, Tuesday, to talk about healthcare ... but they also had a few laughs, happy to be back under the same roof but in a different capacity.

44 was greeted with a standing O from those in attendance as he approached the podium.

During his speech, Obama joked around, calling the current Prez "Vice President Biden" ... a clear reference to his own administration. He later said, Biden was a friend and partner who "stuck by his side for 8 years".

President Biden added, "it feels like the good ol' days" and being with Barack brings back so many good memories.

Farrah Abraham is happy to be out of the treatment center where she recently worked on her past trauma, and she's ready to take the next step in her career ... by becoming a stand-up comedian!

We talked to Farrah, who was with her 13-year-old daughter, Sophia, and "Mob Wives" star Renee Graziano, leaving the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills Monday ... she says she's proud of herself for getting the confidence to perform, fighting her fears of getting on stage. She wants to have fun with everyone at the end of the day, saying, "comedic relief is everything that we need."

She says her time in the treatment center helped her get to the bottom of her trauma, and thinks her experience was life-changing. Farrah says she's learned how to move past points in her life that caused her pain, and focus on the good things in life.

She also gave an update on her legal battle with Grandmaster Records in Hollywood, saying she isn't suing the security guard that got her face-down in the dirt outside the building ... instead, taking action against the company that hired them.

She says she doesn't worry about "toxic" people -- referring to the female guard -- adding, "that is on her and she can die with that."

Tyron Woodley, Nate Robinson and the Houston Rockets mascot all now have something in common -- each has been knocked out by Jake Paul!!

The Problem Child added "Clutch" to his KO victim list in a hilarious scene at the Rockets vs. Timberwolves game in Houston on Sunday -- moments after the furry mascot challenged Paul to a "fight" near his seat.

In video of the "altercation" posted to his social media page Monday, you can see the Houston mascot came over to Jake with some comically large gloves on and challenged him to a boxing match.

At one point, the mascot appeared to tag Jake in the arm -- which got the YouTuber out of his chair.

Jake then quickly put Clutch into his place, hitting the bear to the floor with a big right hand.

Paul talked a little smack and went back to his seat -- and fans found the interaction hilarious.

Of course, the punch was all scripted and the mascot is OK ... but Jake still had fun with it all on his Instagram page -- writing in the video's caption, "Will Smith'd em."

'SNL' showed a different angle of that slap, and it's hilarious!!!

Chris Redd played Will Smith flawlessly, as he jawboned with a fan just before hearing the "G.I. Jane" joke. It's manic, even somewhat believable, but undeniably funny.

We won't give you the blow-by-blow ... watch the video -- it's worth the time.

'SNL' doing the slap was as predictable as the sunrise, and the show delivered several times during the program.

Thing is ... the skit plays off real-life -- Will laughing at Chris Rock's joke, then becoming enraged and later tearfully taking the stage. Manic seems like the proper label.

And, speaking of tearful ... the one thing that got the waterworks going was when "Will" makes a comment about "Red Table Talk."

Smith subsequently addressed the altercation in his Best Actor acceptance speech, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock. Smith followed up with a written apology to Rock on Instagram on Monday. Smith has since resigned from the Academy as he was facing a suspension or expulsion.

Gunna served as the musical guest, performing his hit song "pushin P," while Jerrod Carmichael hosted the episode and had a hilarious monologue where he shared his own jokes on the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap.

On "Weekend Update" Michael Che and Colin Jost got in on the action, saying, "Intelligence officials are saying that Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisors about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine, which is kind of like Will Smith's agent telling him, 'You crushed it at the Oscars!'"

Jost wasn't done, saying Will's actions were "disgraceful" ... because it sets "a terrible precedent for having to defend your wife at awards shows."

Che noted that during his acceptance speech after landing the award for Best Actor, the "King Richard" star said, "Love will make you do crazy things."

And, then there's this ... Smith could join others who have been booted by the Academy -- Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein -- Or as Colin puts it, "Bad Boys For Life."

Donald Trump is still very plugged into the daily news, it seems, because he commented on reports that Jen Psaki is leaving her White House job to join a news outlet ... but with jokes.

The ex-Prez was holding a rally down in Michigan Saturday, and at one point ... he invoked President Biden's Press Secretary -- who's rumored to be leaving soon to team up with MSNBC, something she didn't outright deny at Friday's briefing with reporters.

Instead, Psaki said she was staying put for right now (typical nondenial answer) and that if and when the time came for her to step down ... it'd be by the books and totally ethical.

Welp ... DT has some thoughts about her would-be exit, and as you might imagine -- they're not totally nice. Check it out ... the guy made some cracks at Psaki's expense, and MSNBC too for that matter.

He invoked her hair, saying the network was in need of a redhead ... and got some laughs from his MAGA crowd. But, that might not even be the main takeaway of the night, frankly.

Somebody got you good on April Fools? There's no way it was worse than what Johnny Knoxville's prank did to WWE superstar Sami Zayn, who tells TMZ Sports the jokester's stunt last month caused his phone to ring nonstop!!!

The wrestler says that after Knoxville put his phone number on a plane for all of Los Angeles to read on March 11 -- he got nearly 300,000 text messages and more than 250,000 calls!!!

"I'm not making these numbers up," Zayn said. "That's insane. That's insane!"

Zayn tells us the phone number prank "ruined my life" -- and now, despite having big beef with Knoxville for a while, he's ready for the shenanigans to end.

Zayn -- who initially started a feud with Johnny when the comedian made an appearance in the WWE several months ago -- said he's going to beat Knoxville to a pulp when the two throw hands in an "anything goes" match at WrestleMania 38 at AT&T Stadium today.

"If you've enjoyed Jackass over the years," Zayn said, "and you've enjoyed watching Johnny Knoxville getting hurt, boy have I got something for you."

For Knoxville's part, he's insisted he's going to beat up Zayn so badly -- the wrestler is going to have to retire after the match.

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after slapping Chris Rock ... TMZ has confirmed.

Will wrote the following to the Academy's disciplinary committee ... "I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable."

He goes on ... "The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken."

And, there's more ... “I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the board deems appropriate."

He concludes by saying ... “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

The Academy is expected to hand down its disciplinary decision in a few weeks.

Rapper Stallionaires Pooch tells us he and Tiffany Haddish are an item after they did dinner together this week ... but Tiffany doesn't exactly see it the same way.

We talked to Pooch outside The Henry restaurant Thursday in WeHo ... and he was pretty confident he's got a new lady. He says he knew his charm was what hooked Tiffany, adding he's a respectful dude and knows how to treat a woman right.

Tiffany, however, doesn't appear to be taking their connection as far as Pooch is ... she tells us, "Well, I don’t think one dinner counts as dating. Does it?"

Well, to her point ... Pooch did get a little dodgy when we asked how long they'd been in a relationship. Watch the video -- he also wouldn't say if he's the man Tiffany's been praying for -- something she talked about on "The Tonight Show" back in January while discussing her recent DUI arrest in Atlanta.

While Tiffany and Pooch aren't on the same page about their relationship status ... we gotta give him some props for getting the first date with her. As for a second date? Well, Tiffany will ultimately decide just how charming he is or isn't.

Chris Rock might have a lot going on right now, but that hasn't stopped him from takin' a trip to the movies to watch a flick.

Chris showed up by himself Thursday at the AMC Boston Common in MA -- the day after his first standup show since the Oscars. Chris got some popcorn, a hotdog and a water bottle to fortify him as he watched a film ... sorry, we don't know which one, though we're guessing it wasn't "King Richard."

The other dude in the pic -- Gerard Cole -- asked Chris for the photo, and Chris happily obliged.

As we reported, Thursday night was Chris' 2nd show at the Wilbur Theater in Boston ... fans were more rowdy than usual, with several getting kicked out. Some even shouted "F*** Will Smith," which Chris shut down right away.

Charles Barkley better keep his head on a swivel -- Shaquille O'Neal says he'll follow Will Smith's lead and slap the hell outta his TNT co-host ... dropping the playful threat in a hilarious freestyle rap.

The Big Aristotle made the comment at his surprise belated birthday party at Steak Market in Atlanta on Wednesday ... when the crowd of about 250 people asked him to get up to the DJ booth and give them a set.

The NBA legend ended up grabbing the mic and spitting off the dome for about 10 minutes instead ... name-dropping his "Inside the NBA" friends and referencing the infamous Oscars moment in the process.

"Tomorrow I'm on TNT, with f***ing Kenny, with f***ing Chuck, I might Will Smith his ass I don't give a f***," Shaq raps.

Unlike the real interaction, everyone loved the reference ... cheering and laughing after Shaq dropped the line.

Now, Shaq and Chuck have had a playful rivalry for years ... with both Hall of Famers going back and forth at every possible opportunity.

O'Neal was letting the insults fly on more than just Barkley, though -- he even brought up LeBron James while dissing a dude's hairline ... which was a crowd favorite as well.

The whole bash looked fun as hell -- it was sponsored by D'usse, so you know the adult beverages were flowing.

Celebs like Bobby Valentino and 2 Chainz were also in attendance ... as well as a tiger.

As for Shaq's birthday, it was March 6 ... but hey, better late than never!!

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul certainly know how to discuss sensitive topics ... injecting a little humor and a lot of salesmanship into the Will Smith/Chris Rock brouhaha.

We got the "Breaking Bad" stars Wednesday at Chateau Marmont in WeHo ... and they were quick to say lots of stuff can be settled over a bottle ... a bottle of Mezcal.

Yeah, and here's where the salesmanship comes in ... Mezcal is Aaron and Bryan's label. For the uninitiated, it's kind of like tequila, but as Aaron says, it's not tequila.

As for their feelings about the slap, the apology and the fallout, Aaron and Bryan trod lightly, which is what some other celebs are doing as well ... however a number of celebs have come out swinging, railing at Will for ruining the Oscars.

Chris Rock is locked and loaded for the kickoff of his comedy tour, arriving at the venue in Boston and looking like he's ready for funny business.

We got photos of Chris arriving at the Wilbur Theater in Beantown, looking pretty stoic and clearly knowing ... millions and millions of folks are waiting for him to take the mic and say SOMETHING about that slap.

Chris' "Ego Death Tour" is all the rage ... all 5 nights at the Wilbur are not only sold out ... tickets are being scalped at a king's ransom -- some going for over $1,000.

Chris has not said anything publicly about the incident and has not publicly accepted Will Smith's apology. We know as of Tuesday night the 2 had not spoken, so it doesn't appear Will picked up the phone to privately apologize.

As for whether Chris accepts Will's Instagram mea culpa ... don't count on it. His brother, Tony Rock, has scoffed at Will's apology, and based on everything we know the 2 brothers are in lockstep.

As we reported, there's a lot of smoke that Will's tirade goes way beyond a hair joke. Back in 2016, when the Smith's called for a boycott of the Oscars because of a lack of inclusiveness, they asked Chris to join the boycott, but he declined ... and ever since there's been beef between them. Chris' jokes about Will and Jada at that ceremony further cemented their divide.

Chris Rock has his feet firmly planted on Boston soil, as he prepares to kick off his "Ego Death Tour" ... and you better believe there won't be an empty seat in the house.

A photog asked Chris as he was leaving the airport if he could ask a few questions, but the comic was mum.

Chris is one of the biggest comedians in the biz, but after the slap, everything's gone up several levels. All of his 5 shows in Beantown are sold out, and tickets are being scalped for a king's ransom ... and we're not talkin' "King Richard."

Tony Rock, Chris' brother, made it clear, he thinks Will's apology to Chris was BS, says he did NOT approve of it.

It seems from everything we know Chris doesn't approve either, because he hasn't said a word about it since Will posted his regrets. As for why ... well, for starters, you'd think when someone assaults someone else, the aggressor might pick up the phone and deliver a personal apology rather than telling it to the world.

Diddy had said Chris and Will spoke and buried the hatchet, but multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that's just not true. They have not spoken.

What everyone wants to know ... will Chris address the attack Wednesday night at his show.  We'll let you know as soon as it goes down.

Julian Edelman got in on the jokes after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars ... by using the viral moment to reference Tom Brady's fight with retirement -- and it's pretty good.

Edelman posted the hilarious meme on his Twitter page ... poking fun at the fact his good friend, Brady, was retired for just 40 days before deciding to rejoin the Buccaneers.

You can probably guess by now, but in the meme, Tom Brady's name is edited onto Smith ... and the word "retirement" is on Rock -- in other words, TB12 is slapping retirement in the face.

Brady, who played 22 seasons in the NFL, announced his retirement in early February but did a 180 nearly a month and a half later ... telling the world he was returning to play.

While Jules' joke is far from controversial, Rock's quip about Jada's hair has sparked debate on whether he was in the wrong.

As we reported, Rock claims to have not known about Jada's battle with alopecia ... and Smith has apologized for the slap.

The situation between Smith and Rock is far more complex, but Tom and Julian's relationship appears to be going strong as ever, despite the two no longer being teammates.

Late-night talk hosts are sinking their teeth into Will Smith's slap heard-round-the-world, with some going harder than others ... and at least one didn't really bite at all.

Jimmy Fallon opted to tread very lightly, but Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel took much more direct approaches -- so, we'll start with them.

JK recapped the entire saga well... sprinkling in light jabs toward Will, like joking that while he hoped to be invited back, he also might be waiting for the Academy in the parking lot if he doesn't get the call.

Colbert was even harsher... taking a bunch of shots at Will and his movies (calling those flicks the worst thing he's ever done aside from this), and also criticizing Oscars producers for letting Will give a long acceptance speech without much consequence at all.

Seth Meyers didn't hit the subject himself, but instead, let one of his writers, comedian Amber Ruffin, do a bit in which she recounted the horror of watching it go down with flowery prose and poetic language.

Not nearly as funny as the first 2 guys, but an interesting way to dissect it.

James Corden, meanwhile, found a very creative way to analyze the whole thing ... invoking 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' -- the smash-hit Disney song from "Encanto" -- but applied it to Will/Jada.

It was pretty funny, and made for quite the musical number ... which is right in James' wheelhouse. Dude loves to sing and dance -- and he didn't miss the opportunity here.

Finally, there was Fallon ... who clearly did not want to get into it very much at all -- not even saying Will Smith or Chris Rock's name, but glossing over the moment almost entirely and pivoting to Russia news.

That might have to do with the fact that Jimmy is known to have a close relationship with Rock -- dating back to his 'SNL' days -- but as a late-night host, also wants to have Will on as a guest ... so it's possible he's opting to stay on the sidelines.

Most of the hosts said the obvious ... that violence is unacceptable, and considering the serious nature of the situation -- it's cool they found a way to break it down with some humor, which is what they're paid to do.

Will, meanwhile, has since apologized to Chris ... but CR himself has been mum following the whole thing.

The Academy is investigating -- although it's fairly clear what happened here -- and it remains to be seen what, if any, consequences Will may face.