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Chris Rockwas married to Malaak Compton-Rock for 18 years beforesplittingin 2014 andfinalizing their divorcein 2016.
Compton-Rock largely stayed out of the spotlight during her marriage to the comedian, maintaining a low profile as she raised their two daughters out of the public eye. After their divorce, Compton-Rockjoined Instagram, where she documents her philanthropy work and life with her daughters — and her new beau.
So who is Chris Rock’s ex-wife? Here’s everything to know about mother, activist and author Malaak Compton-Rock.
She is a former publicist
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In 1994, Rock crashed theEssencemagazine awards, where he met Compton-Rock, who was working as a Hollywood publicist at the time, according to a1997Rolling Stoneprofile.
The public relations professional later found her “true calling” when she began working for UNICEF, where she oversaw the Special Events and Celebrity Relations Department.
Compton-Rock holds a B.A. in arts and production management from Howard University and an M.A. in global development and social Justice from St. John’s University. She has also received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Fairleigh Dickenson University, Salve Regina University and Utica College of Syracuse University.
She married Rock in 1996
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Two years after they began dating, Rock and Compton-Rock tied the knot on Nov. 23, 1996. In 1997, Rock toldEbonymagazine,“She’s changed me. She’s really calmed me down and centered my life.”
At the 2007 premiere of his filmI Think I Love My Wife, the typically private Rock spoke about his marriage. “The best part is just having a partner,” he told reporters at the premiere. “There is no real worst part. I’m not going to say there’s a worst part. I mean, I’m a comedian — comedians like to work alone. So maybe I’m not the ideal guy to be married to, in that sense.”
She and Rock share two daughters
He and Compton-Rock then welcomed their first child together, daughterLola Simon, on June 28, 2002. A few years later, their family grew with the birth of their second daughter, Zahra Savannah, on May 22, 2004.
Lola and Zahra are now all grown up and attending college. On Jan. 17, 2023, the proud mom penned anemotional messageabout the girls returning to their schools after the holiday break. “My two big girls, Lola and Zahra, are back at university,” she wrote alongside a photo of Lola and Zahra posing together. “Oh how I loved the month that they were home for the holidays! I think I was doing pretty good with both of them being away, but I am now feeling their absence something terrible. Mommy misses her babies!”
She added, “As it comes to parenting, nothing prepares you for when your cubs leave home and how fast it all goes. My Lola Bean and Zaza were literally just born! Like yesterday.”
Compton-Rock has another daughter,Ntombi, whom she adopted from South Africa.
She is a humanitarian
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Compton-Rock is very passionate about humanitarian work and advocacy. Aside from her prior work for UNICEF, Compton-Rock founded theAngelrock Project Foundationin 2008. The non-profit organization “supports global programs for women and underserved youth from low socio-economic backgrounds in the U.S. and abroad, with a particular focus in South Africa.”
The foundation also sponsors Journey for Change: Empowering Youth Through Global Service, a program that provides children from low socioeconomic backgrounds in N.Y.C. with volunteer opportunities abroad.
Additionally, Compton-Rock serves on the board of theChildren’s Defense Fund New Yorkand she is the author of the book:If It Takes a Village, Build One: How I Found Meaning Through a Life of Service and 100+ Ways You Can Too.
In April 2023, Compton-Rockshared photoson Instagram from a recent visit to Johannesburg, South Africa. “I enjoyed visiting the homes of some of my Journey for Change Scholars for Girls plus meeting new community members,” she wrote in the caption. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to be able to uplift vulnerable youth who live in this community through @arprojectsa. I always say, ‘I need South Africa more than South Africa needs me!’ "
She and Rock separated in 2014
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After nearly 20 years of marriage, Rock and Compton-Rockannounced their splitin December 2014.
A source told PEOPLE that the divorce was a “long time coming,” explaining, “Chris has known it wasn’t salvageable for a while. He was the one to file because he knew it was time to just move forward already.”
Their divorce was finalized in 2016
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Much of Rock and Compton-Rock’s contentious divorce proceedings centered around whether theGrown Upsstar shouldpay child support for Ntombi, the daughter they were reportedly in the process of adopting just before their split.
While Rock stated in his divorce filing that he had just two daughters, Compton-Rock claimed that the couple had a third child, “who has resided with the parties since before her first birthday.”
The couple disagreed over child support in general, as Rock claimed that Compton-Rock had “the ability to work and contribute to her own support, as well as the support and other financial needs of the children.”
Compton-Rock requested child support to provide their daughters with the same standard of living they had during their parents' marriage.
The former couple’sdivorce was finalizedin August 2016, and Compton-Rock continued with Ntombi’s adoption process independently.
Rock was unfaithful during their marriage
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In the years since their divorce, Rock has been candid about his infidelity.
During his 2017Total Blackout Tour, the comedianadmitted to cheatingon Compton-Rock with at least three women. “I was a piece of s—,” he said on stage, perRolling Stone.
“My faults are magnified,” he told the outlet of how his fame played into their split. “Your significant other, if they really love you, has a high opinion of you. And you let them down.”
Rock spoke about his infidelity again during his 2018 Netflix special,Chris Rock: Tamborine. “I cheated. Yeah. I’m serious. I’m not bragging. I cheated,” he said, perVulture. “When guys cheat … it’s like, we want something new. We want something new, right? But, then, you know what happens? Your woman finds out. And now she’s new. She’s never the same again.”
Rock won’t talk about her in his stand up comedy routines
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One year after the couple’s divorce, Rock headed on the road for his comedy tourTotal Blackout Tour. Speaking toRolling Stoneabout the tour, he shared that he would not be discussing his ex-wife or the divorce on stage.
“It’s not fair. I have a mic, she doesn’t,” he said. “God forbid people are bugging her in the supermarket. That’s not cool. I’m going to have to see her at weddings and graduations.”
That said, he’s not above making jokes at his own expense about their split. During an appearance onThe Tonight Show, Rockjoked about the cost of his divorce.
“The other night I saw [John] Mulaney. Mulaney’s working on new stuff,Mulaney’s getting divorced,” Rock recalled to hostJimmy Fallon. “This is how much money I lost in my divorce — I recommended my ex-wife’s divorce lawyer. I was like ‘You should get this guy, he’ll get you your money.’ "
He continued, “This guy is good, ‘cause I walked out with nothing. I couldn’t even afford the tickets tonight! You think I’m joking, but I really did.”
She is datingsomeone new
Malaak Compton-Rock Instagram
Compton-Rock is in a relationship with a man whose name she hasn’t publicly revealed. She’s shared several photos with him on her Instagram, including asweet birthday tributein January 2021.
“Happy birthday to my love. Sweet, kind, loving, romantic, adventurous, fun-loving, inquisitive, giving and spiritual,” she wrote alongside a carousel of photos of them. “A great man. A great friend. A great father. And a great partner. Been around the world and back in two and a half years. Looking forward to more wonderful adventures! And sweetheart 60 never looked so good! Love you!”
source: people.com
