Here's How Much Tracy Morgan (Allegedly) Received From Walmart

On June 7, 2014, Tracy Morgan was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike in a Mercedes passenger van on his way home from a comedy gig in Delaware. Seven people were in the van, including two employees of the limo company, three comedians, and Tracy's assistant.

At roughly 1 a.m., the van was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer operated by Wal-Mart. The crash killed Tracy's longtime friend and collaborator James McNair and seriously injured several of the other passengers.

Tracy was airlifted to a hospital, where he was treated for a broken nose, broken femur, and several broken ribs. He remained in a coma for nearly two weeks and eventually spent more than a month at a rehabilitation facility.

More than a year later, Tracy is still walking with the assistance of a cane and undergoing speech, cognitive, and physical therapy as he continues recovering from what doctors described as a traumatic brain injury.

One month after the accident, Tracy sued Wal-Mart for negligence. The lawsuit alleged that the truck's driver, Kevin Roper, had been awake for more than 24 hours before the crash. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board later examined the driver's schedule and the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Regardless of the legal details, the accident was undeniably tragic. In January 2015, Wal-Mart reached an undisclosed settlement with the family of James McNair. Four months later, Wal-Mart also settled Tracy Morgan's lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

And that's where things get interesting.

Two weeks ago, Tracy married his longtime girlfriend Megan Wollover. Just a few days ago, it was revealed that Tracy and Megan had purchased a $14 million mansion in New Jersey.

Then, on Friday, fellow comedian Damon Wayans made a rather eye-opening comment during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club." While discussing how difficult it can be for successful comedians to remain relatable after making a lot of money, Damon used Tracy as an example and casually dropped a very specific number. According to Damon, Tracy received a $90 million settlement from Wal-Mart.

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$90 million

That's obviously a massive number. But is it possible?

Here's exactly what Damon said on "The Breakfast Club":

"In comedy, you have to be every man. It's like, Tracy Morgan got $90 million. So when he gets on stage, people got 90 million things on their mind besides his comedy. So it becomes hard when people put money before you because you're supposed to be representing them… You're no longer the voice of the people so it makes you resentful and a little crazy."

Damon went on to talk about how audiences can become resentful of a comedian's wealth, including his own. Damon has a net worth of $35 million, and his larger point was that it can become harder for a comedian to play the role of "everyman" once everyone in the audience knows that person is extremely rich.

He also joked that, for $90 million, he wouldn't mind getting hit by a Wal-Mart truck himself.

Soon after the interview began attracting attention, Tracy's representatives issued a statement denying Damon's claim. They also pointed out that Tracy had not seen or spoken with Damon since before the accident.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily tell us what the actual settlement figure was.

The terms of Tracy's agreement with Wal-Mart have never been made public, and a settlement of this magnitude would almost certainly involve strict confidentiality provisions. So unless Tracy, Wal-Mart, or someone directly involved in the case confirms the number, the true amount may remain a mystery.

But Damon didn't say Tracy received "a lot of money" or "tens of millions." He volunteered a very specific figure: $90 million.

Maybe he was simply repeating a rumor. Maybe he heard the number from someone who heard it from someone else. Or maybe, despite the denial from Tracy's camp, Damon accidentally blurted out a figure that was supposed to remain private.

For now, all we know for certain is that Tracy Morgan reached an undisclosed settlement with Wal-Mart after suffering catastrophic injuries in a horrific accident, and Damon Wayans claims that settlement was worth $90 million.

If the number is accurate, it would certainly help explain how Tracy was able to turn around and purchase a $14 million mansion just a few months later.

The bigger question Damon raised is an interesting one for comedians in general: Does becoming enormously wealthy make it harder to remain relatable to an audience?

We may get our first real indication on October 17, when Tracy makes his highly anticipated return to television by hosting "Saturday Night Live."