Chris Rock Debuts New Relationship During PDA-Filled Stroll

Chris Rock seems to have a new leading lady in his life.

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson was seen on a very affectionate outing with an unidentified woman in SoHo, Manhattan, on March 31st. The pair were happy and relaxed, holding hands and taking selfies while enjoying the sunshine in a park.

I’ve been following Chris Rock for a while now, and it’s interesting to get a little peek into his personal life! It seems like he hasn’t been publicly linked to anyone since Lake Bell back in 2022, and honestly, he’s talked about enjoying being a bachelor. It makes sense – his daughters, Lola and Zahra, are grown up and off at college, and he’s really embraced this new chapter after being a dad to them with Malaak Compton-Rock for so many years.

“I’m by myself,” he told pal Kevin Hart on his Hart to Heart podcast in 2022. “I’m a lonely man!”

Chris also expressed that he doesn’t have much of an interest in getting married again.

He seemed content. He imagined a future with a partner, someone he hoped would stay with him for a long time. He pictured a day when he’d be unable to climb stairs and would urgently need to update his will, specifically to include her. He joked, ‘I can’t get up the stairs—somebody get me my will! I need to make sure Angie is taken care of in my will.’

While a wedding isn’t in his immediate future, Will Smith hasn’t ruled out returning to host the Oscars. Three years after being slapped onstage by Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards, the actor—known for movies like Grown Ups—shared whether he’d consider hosting again.

As Chris told TopMob News in March 2025, “You never know.”

He continued, saying that the unhappiest people are those who hold onto grudges. It’s not just about forgiving others, either—sometimes you need to forgive yourself. Ultimately, you just never know what will happen.

Keep reading for more about Chris Rock…

1. Christopher Julius Rock was born on Feb. 7, 1965, in Andrews, S.C.

Rosalie, a teacher and social worker, was John Rock’s mother. His father, Julius Rock, delivered newspapers and passed away in 1989. Rock often acknowledges that his strong work ethic came from both of his parents.

I’ve always known I had a knack for making people laugh. I remember being around six years old and realizing something was different – I’d be completely serious, and everyone else would be in stitches! That’s when it hit me: I had a gift, and I needed to figure out how to use it. By the time I was seven or eight, I wasn’t just aiming to be funny, I wanted to write funny. I’d watch the credits roll after a comedy show and tell myself, ‘That’s going to be me one day – I’m going to write for a show like that!’ It wasn’t just a dream; it felt like a calling.

He’s the oldest of seven kids. He has five brothers – Andre, Tony, Brian, Kenny, and Jordan – and one sister named Andi. He also had an older half-brother, Charles, who died in 2006.

The family relocated to New York City, and Rock spent his childhood in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn.

Rock was sent by bus from his mostly Black neighborhood to a school in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, which was all-white, and he was often bullied there.

As a lifestyle expert, I always appreciate seeing authentic stories brought to life, and Everybody Hates Chris is a perfect example! It starred the incredibly talented Tyler James Williams and was really special because Chris Rock co-created, executive produced, and narrated it himself. The show was inspired by his own childhood growing up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood – it’s a funny and relatable look back at his early life.

8. He dropped out of high school in 10th grade and earned his GED.

Rock spent a year studying broadcast journalism at a community college. He explained to Winfrey that he’d always been drawn to both comedy and traditional news anchoring, admiring figures like Bryant Gumbel and Dan Rather.

He held several jobs early in his career, including working as a hospital orderly and a busboy at Red Lobster. When he began earning money as a comedian, he explained to Oprah Winfrey that his first priority was simply being able to afford more food. He jokingly recalled being thrilled to be able to buy two slices of pizza, and that having enough money for a large soda instead of a medium was a huge improvement when you’ve grown up with very limited resources.

In 1985, while waiting in line to see Eddie Murphy perform at Radio City Music Hall, Chris Rock spotted an advertisement for an open-mic night at a comedy club called Catch a Rising Star. He tried out and landed his first comedy job.

In a 2014 interview with Vulture, Chris Rock explained that when he began performing comedy at Catch a Rising Star, he’d spend six hours each night – for about six years – simply observing other comedians. He said this experience was more about figuring out what not to do and what topics to avoid, than about defining his own comedic style.

Around 1986, while working at the Comic Strip in New York – helping set up chairs for a chance to perform late at night – Rock met his hero, Eddie Murphy. Although he wasn’t on the night’s schedule, Murphy asked the club manager to give him a spot. As Rock recalled in 2007 on Inside the Actors Studio, performing for Murphy felt like a dream come true. “I went on stage, did my routine, and the crowd was laughing,” he remembered. “Then I heard his signature laugh, and I knew I’d made it!”

In a 2006 appearance on Inside the Actor’s Studio, Eddie Murphy explained that as a comedian, he can quickly recognize talent in others. He used Chris Rock as an example, recalling meeting him in comedy clubs and immediately thinking, ‘That’s the one!’

Chris Rock made $600 for his first movie role, a memorable appearance as “Valet Parker” in the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II. In a scene where Eddie Murphy’s character, Axel Foley, arrives at the Playboy Mansion in a cement truck, Rock’s character asks, “Yo, yo, yo, what’s up? I get $10 for cars, $20 for limos—what is this?” He then requests, “My truck. Here’s $50, put it next to a limo.”

His memorable role as a customer obsessed with ribs in the movie I’m Gonna Git You Sucka brought him onto The Arsenio Hall Show for the first time. This appearance impressed Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live.

Chris Rock was on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993, but his time there wasn’t particularly memorable. He often jokes about it now, looking back.

In March 2019, Chris Rock appeared with his friend Adam Sandler, who was hosting the show that night, and they joked about both of them having been fired from their jobs. Rock playfully sang about being let go by NBC, then quickly finding work on In Living Color, which was canceled just three weeks later.

Chris Rock has hosted Saturday Night Live twice, in 1996 and 2014, and has made many brief appearances on the show. Notably, he appeared when Dave Chappelle hosted the episode immediately following the 2016 election, and again in December 2019 when Eddie Murphy returned to host for the first time since leaving the cast in 1984.

Chris Rock says the worst night of his career happened about a year after leaving Saturday Night Live. He was performing in Chicago and the opening act, a rising comedian named Martin Lawrence, completely overshadowed him. Rock told Judd Apatow in a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair that the audience’s reaction to Lawrence was overwhelming – they were roaring with laughter, shaking the building. He described it as a terrifying experience, comparing it to watching someone else take something precious from you. However, this humbling experience also motivated Rock to work harder and refine his comedy.

Chris Rock’s first HBO special, Big Ass Jokes, aired in 1994 as part of the HBO Comedy Half-Hour series. It won a CableACE Award in 1995 – an award that recognized excellence in original cable programming (the awards were discontinued in 1997).

22. He married Malaak Compton on Nov. 26, 1996.

Malaak, originally from Oakland, California, started the Brooklyn-based nonprofit Styleworks in 1999. She was working as a publicist for UNICEF when she met her husband. Styleworks helps women who are leaving public assistance get back on their feet by providing them with makeovers and support as they re-enter the workforce.

Chris Rock has two daughters: Lola Simone Rock, born June 28, 2002, and Zahra Savannah Rock, born May 22, 2004. Before Lola’s birth, Rock shared with Oprah Winfrey that he hoped for a daughter, explaining he worried he’d be too strict with a son.

He revealed to Oprah that he initially wanted to name his first daughter Holiday, after a song by Madonna, but his then-wife, Malaak, preferred classic names. Ultimately, they did choose a name inspired by a song title.

Chris Rock received his first Emmy nomination in 1997 for his writing work on Bill Maher’s late-night ABC talk show, Politically Incorrect.

Chris Rock won his first two Emmy Awards for his 1996 HBO comedy special, Bring the Pain. He received awards for both Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program.

I still remember when Chris Rock’s Never Scared special came out in 2004! It was so good it actually got nominated for two Emmys. And honestly, that bit about marriage? It’s a classic – everyone quotes “marriage ain’t for you!” to this day.

Throughout his career, Chris Rock has received 19 Emmy nominations and won four, including awards for his writing on his HBO show, The Chris Rock Show. This series, which aired from 1997 to 2000, combined comedy with insightful observations on politics, society, and culture. He also won an Emmy for his 2008 stand-up special, Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger.

In 1999, after winning his Emmy for The Chris Rock Show, he jokingly said, “Conan has the best show, honestly. I only do 13 shows a year, while he does 100… so, Conan, you deserved this award, but I’m taking it anyway!” Conan O’Brien, who was in the audience, likely thought he was right.

In a 2002 interview with Oprah, Chris Rock explained his performance style, saying he’s a blend of rapper and preacher. He noted his grandfather was a preacher, and he sees his own role with an audience as similar—offering them a fresh way to look at their lives.

In a 2017 interview with GQ, he revisited the comparison between comedians and preachers, saying comedians have a tougher job. He explained that if a preacher is boring, people might just wait until the end to leave, but there’s no equivalent resource for comedians – he wished there was a ‘book of comedy’ he could use for guidance.

Chris Rock has won three Grammy Awards for his comedy albums: Roll With the New and Bigger and Blacker both won Best Spoken Comedy Album in 1998 and 2000, and Never Scared won Best Comedy Album in 2006. While his 2019 special, Tambourine, was critically acclaimed, it lost to a special by his friend Dave Chappelle, Equanimity & The Bird Revelation.

He first directed a full-length film in 2003 with Head of State, where he also starred. The movie follows a straightforward Washington D.C. councilman who unexpectedly finds himself running for president after a tragic plane crash takes the lives of the leading candidates.

He created the 2009 documentary Good Hair after his daughter, whom he always told was beautiful, confessed she didn’t like her hair. The film explores the importance of hair in Black culture, the difficulties of styling it, and the stylists who create beautiful looks.

As a film buff, I was so excited to see this movie make its debut at Sundance – it was a huge step for the filmmaker! And the recognition didn’t stop there. That fall, it earned a nomination for Best Documentary at the Gotham Awards, which was fantastic, and then another nod for Documentary Screenplay at the Writers Guild Awards the following year. It really proved this film was something special.

Chris Rock and Adam Sandler first connected while performing at comedy clubs in the 1980s, years before they both became cast members on Saturday Night Live.

Adam Sandler recalled first meeting Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, joking that he initially thought he was the good-looking one. He quickly realized he’d have to adjust, saying, ‘Okay, I’ll be the funny guy,’ and let The Rock take the handsome role.

Chris Rock and Adam Sandler have appeared in seven films together, including the Grown Ups movies and several films in the Ocean’s series. These comedies often reunite former Saturday Night Live cast members like Rock, Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Kevin James.

Adam Sandler described Chris Rock as one of the funniest people he knows, explaining that Rock has a unique way of looking at things. Sandler told Collider in 2010 that Rock can perfectly capture a thought you’ve had but never voiced, making you realize something new. He praised Rock’s comedy as brilliant and insightful.

Chris Rock shared a story on The Howard Stern Show about a lavish gift from Adam Sandler. Rock said Sandler showed his gratitude to all the actors in their movie by giving each of them a car. Rock received a new Maserati and jokingly declared he was now at Sandler’s beck and call.

You know, after settling into a comfortable home in the suburbs of New Jersey – right next door to a doctor, which I always thought was a good sign of a normal neighborhood – I shared with Oprah back in 2002 that my biggest goal was always financial freedom. I wanted to consistently spend less than I earned, and have enough extra money that I could choose projects I wanted to do, not just ones I needed to do for the income.

He stayed true to his artistic vision, explaining to Esquire in 2015 that he could afford to be selective with his projects. He wasn’t driven by financial necessity, saying he could even make a documentary on a quirky topic if he wanted to. He pointed out that his modest lifestyle allowed him to create independent films like Top Five, something that would be harder if he had extravagant expenses.

Chris Rock is a highly productive writer and director who has made three films: Head of State, I Think I Love My Wife, and Top Five. Top Five premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received the most positive reviews of his movies.

He explained to the New Yorker that he was writing the screenplay while filming Grown Ups 2. He joked about his position on the cast list – Adam Sandler and Kevin James were listed before him, and he might have even been fourth. This meant he had a lot of free days on set.

In 2014, Rock initiated divorce proceedings. According to TopMob News, he and his wife, Malaak, had been separated for a while.

He later told Rolling Stone that he felt he had behaved terribly during the end of his 19-year relationship, admitting to infidelity with three other women.

After a difficult custody dispute, Chris Rock and his ex-wife reached a peaceful agreement and now successfully co-parent their children. He explained to Rolling Stone that people often assume men don’t process emotions, and were surprised to learn he bought a house near his daughters after the divorce, rather than moving far away.

In 2015, Judd Apatow received an Emmy nomination for directing Amy Schumer’s stand-up special, Live at the Apollo. It was the first time he had directed another comedian’s stand-up performance.

In 2016, Chris Rock hosted the Oscars following a public outcry over the lack of diversity among the nominees – a movement highlighted by the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. This led some stars, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee, to boycott the ceremony in protest.

Starting the show with a bold statement, he joked that the Academy Awards were really ‘the White People’s Choice Awards.’ He continued, saying that if the Academy nominated hosts, he wouldn’t have been chosen – everyone would be watching Neil Patrick Harris instead.

Chris Rock has been a longtime supporter of Barack Obama – they even met at the Apollo Theater in 2007. Because of his support, he was invited as a VIP guest to the Obamas’ farewell party at the White House in 2016, which was filled with celebrities.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in May 2017, Chris Rock joked, “It felt like I’d died and gone to heaven, but it was all white.” He added that the number of white people there has increased significantly since then.

Although he supported Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president, he wasn’t without reservations. In a 2014 interview with Vulture, he explained that while he’d like to see Clinton succeed, she sometimes reminded him of John McCain – someone who seemed to believe it was simply their turn to lead. He felt that simply believing ‘it’s my time’ wasn’t enough to win. However, he added that he was eager to see a woman president – and even a woman hosting a late-night talk show, wondering which milestone would happen first. Rock was known for offering thoughtful and complex perspectives on both Barack Obama’s presidency and racial issues in America.

As someone who’s been observing culture for a long time, I’ve noticed a real shift in how young people respond to comedy. Back in 2014, Chris Rock shared something I’ve definitely seen myself – he stopped performing at colleges because audiences had become overly sensitive. It wasn’t about political leanings, but more about a general unwillingness to risk causing offense. It’s like they were raised in an environment where everyone gets a trophy, and even talking about differences – like race – felt taboo. You couldn’t even make a simple observation, like ‘the Black kid,’ without someone getting upset. It felt like you couldn’t even try to be funny without worrying about accidentally offending someone.

49. Rock started dating actress Megalyn Echikunwoke in 2016.

In his 2018 Netflix special, Chris Rock: Tamborine – his first stand-up performance in a decade and his first ever for the streaming service – Rock openly discussed the consequences of his infidelity.

Let’s be real, infidelity is incredibly damaging. I’ve seen it time and time again – men often seek something ‘new’ outside of their relationship, but they don’t realize the consequences. The moment trust is broken, she becomes someone new – changed, and understandably so. So, you end up with exactly what you thought you wanted – something different – but it’s a painful, negative change, and it ultimately backfires.

2026-04-03 20:49

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