Chris Rock has spoken candidly about the personal struggles he believes contributed to the end of his marriage, acknowledging that a pornography addiction affected his relationship with Malaak Compton-Rock.
The 61-year-old comedian said he was not a good husband during the couple’s nearly two decades together. He also said he no longer watches pornography, adding that he has stayed away from it for five or six years.
“I was not a great husband. I watched a lot of porn. I don't watch porn anymore. I haven't watched porn in five, six years.”
Rock and Compton-Rock began dating before marrying in 1996. They separated in 2014, and their divorce was finalised in August 2016. The former couple share two daughters, Lola Simone, 24, and Zahra Savannah, 22.
A public reckoning
The comedian’s comments place his latest reflection in the wider context of material he has shared about the breakdown of his marriage. He previously addressed the impact of his pornography addiction and his conduct as a husband in his 2018 Netflix stand-up special, Tamborine.
That performance dealt with his divorce and included discussion of infidelity. Rock said he was not proud of the mistakes he made, but expressed the view that confronting those failures became part of his personal development.
His latest remarks do not present the end of the marriage as the result of one isolated incident. Instead, Rock described a period in which his behaviour, including pornography use and infidelity, contributed to serious damage within the relationship.
- Marriage: Rock and Compton-Rock married in 1996.
- Separation: The couple split in 2014.
- Divorce: Their marriage was legally ended in August 2016.
- Children: They have two daughters, Lola Simone and Zahra Savannah.
From fame to humility
Rock used a superhero comparison to describe the way he understands his past behaviour. He likened the experience to characters in Marvel films who receive extraordinary abilities, misuse them and eventually learn that they are not invincible. In his view, the analogy reflects how he tested his own influence and privileges before being brought back to earth by the consequences.
“I tested my powers. I definitely realized I wasn't God or anywhere near him, and I was severely humbled, as I should have been.”
The comments offer a more reflective side to a performer widely known for sharp observations about relationships, race, fame and social behaviour. Rather than presenting his past as a punchline, Rock framed it as a period of failure that forced him to examine the effect of his choices on people close to him.
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Rock and Malaak Compton-Rock marry |
| 2014 | The couple separate |
| 2016 | Their divorce is finalised |
| 2018 | Rock discusses the divorce in Tamborine |
Rock’s admission also comes with a clear statement about his current position: he said he no longer watches pornography. While he did not provide further detail about how he addressed the addiction, he connected his decision to stop with the lessons he believes he learnt from the collapse of his marriage.
For audiences familiar with his comedy, the disclosure is another example of Rock turning personal experience into material for examination. The tone, however, is notably self-critical. He accepted responsibility for failing as a husband and said the humility that followed was necessary.
Rock and Compton-Rock’s relationship ended a decade ago, but the comedian continues to revisit that chapter through interviews and performances. His latest account focuses less on the mechanics of the divorce and more on the behaviour he believes helped bring it about — and on the difficult process of recognising those mistakes after the fact.
