Malaak Compton and Chris Rock
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
December 22, 2023 ·  4 min read

Meet Chris Rock’s Former Wife-Of-19-Years and Mom of His Kids Who He Cheated On with 3 Women

Comedian and actor Chris Rock, 57, is known for his award-winning HBO specials and comedy albums, and his popular sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. He has also hosted the Academy Awards, in 2005 and in 2015. [1] But it’s his presenting at the 2022’s Oscars that has made recent headlines for all the wrong reasons. Namely, for being slapped by Will Smith after making a joke at Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense. This has turned a lot of attention on the trio. For Chris Rock, many have praised his calm reaction and encouraged others to learn more about the comedian.

Chris Rock’s History

Chris Rock was born in 1966 and grew up in an impoverished area of Brooklyn, New York. He attended an almost all-white public school where he was the subject of discrimination. These racist experiences greatly influenced his comedic material moving on. He dropped out of high school to pursue comedy and at age 18, he was discovered by Eddie Murphy at New York’s Comedy Strip.

In his personal life, Chris Rock married philanthropist Malaak Compton in November 1996. They welcomed their first daughter, Lola Simone, in 2002, and their second, Zahra Savannah, in 2004. Later on, they adopted a child from South Africa. However, in 2014, Rock filed for a divorce and confessed to cheating on his wife and having a porn addiction. Their divorce became official in August 2016.

Chris Rock & family at Nickelodeon's 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards at the Galen Centre, Los Angeles
Chris Rock & family at Nickelodeon’s 27th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards at the Galen Centre, Los Angeles

Who is Malaak Compton?

In 2014, Compton confirmed their separation in a statement. “After much contemplation and 19 years of marriage, Chris and I have decided to go our separate ways. Being fortunate enough to lead a life of service by working with those most vulnerable makes me well aware of life’s blessings, even when faced with difficulties.” Compton is the founder of the nonprofit Style Works, which gives free beauty services to women finding jobs after leaving welfare. 

While recognizing that this is a significant change, my children remain at the center of my life and their well-being is my top priority. It is in this spirit that I sincerely ask that their privacy and the privacy of our family be respected during this transition in our lives.” [2]

Compton is also an author of If It Takes a Village, Build One: How I Found Meaning Through a Life of Service 100+ Ways That You Can Too! On her Instagram, she wrote, “The book is comprised of personal stories about how service has transformed my life and allowed me to meet the most extraordinary people around the world. It is also filled with advice and suggestions about the plethora of ways that we can all tap into our personal philanthropic platform and give back in ways that fulfill and inspire us.[3]

Read: Willow Smith’s “‘Letter to Tupac” asking him to make Jada happy goes viral

Chris Rock Opens Up About His Cheating

In 2017, Chris Rock talked about his divorce and infidelity in a comedy show during what he referred to as his alimony tour. “I was a piece of s—,” he said. He went on to describe three women he cheated with, one was famous, one was semi-famous, and one “a member of the retail class” according to Rolling Stone.

He told the magazine he thought he could get away with such behavior because of his wealth and fame. “That actually goes the other way,” he added. “My faults are magnified. Your significant other, if they really love you, has a high opinion of you. And you let them down.[4]

Malaak Compton and Chris Rock at the premiere of "I Think I Love My Wife". ArcLight Theatre, Hollywood

In 2018, Chris Rock opened up in his stand-up special Chris Rock: Tamborine about how he had cheated on Compton with three women while on tour. “The last few years have been crazy for me,” he said to his audience. “Don’t clap for that s–t unless you’re a lawyer! You don’t wanna get divorced. You got somebody you love? Hold tight, commit.”

He continued, “It’s my fault because I’m a f–king a–hole. I didn’t listen, I wasn’t kind, I had an attitude. I thought, ‘I pay for everything, I can do what I want’. That s–t don’t f–king work. I just thought I was the s–t. I didn’t play the tambourine.”

I’m a lot better now”

Chris Rock described that when guys cheat, they’re looking for “something new” but when their partner finds out “now she’s new. She is never the same again”. He called it a bad new. “Some of these lessons you’ve just got to learn. Like, I brought this s–t on myself. Nobody told me to go ho up. I brought this s–t on myself, and you’ve got to learn some lessons, some man lessons.”

Rock also spoke about his porn addiction. “When you start watching porn, any porn will do,” he said. “Then, later on, you’re all f–ked up and you need a perfect porn cocktail to get you off. I was so f–ked up. … I’m a lot better now.” [5]

Keep Reading: Bruce Willis’ ‘Big Gang of Women’ Stands by Him amid His Aphasia Diagnosis – Inside His Blended Family

Sources

  1. “Chris Rock Biography.Biography. May 6, 2021
  2. “Chris Rock files for divorce from wife Malaak Compton-Rock.” The Guardian. Lauren Gambino. December 29, 2014
  3. “ROCKY RELATIONSHIP Who is Chris Rock’s ex-wife?The Sun. March 28, 2022
  4. “Chris Rock in a Hard Place: On Infidelity, His New Tour and Starting Over.” Rolling Stone. Stephen Rodrick. May 3, 2017
  5. “Chris Rock Admits He Cheated on His Wife With Three Women: ‘I’m a F–king A–hole’.US Magazine. Nicholas Hautman. February 14, 2018