Chris Rock recently opened up about his past behavior during his marriage. He also admitted that he gave up pornography and made some other changes in his personal life.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleChris Rock recently reflected on his past mistakes during his marriage to ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock. He also shared some personal changes that he has made over the years. The comedian recently spoke about seeking therapy, getting a learning disorder diagnosis, and more plans for the future.
Chris Rock featured on the cover of GQ's 2026 Men of the Year issue, and during his interview he looked back at some of the most difficult phases of his life. The 61-year-old actor recalled his marriage to Malaak and admitted that he was not a good husband. He also revisited his past struggles with pornography and infidelity. In fact, Chris has opened up about the same in his 2018 Netflix special Tamborine. In his words:
"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."
The comedian acknowledged that he was not proud of his past behavior, but these experiences humbled him. Chris also shared that his divorce eventually affected his professional and financial life. He took a lot of time to process it, which led to the long gap between his 2014 directorial film Top Five and his upcoming A24 movie Misty Green. However, now Chris has returned to his regular pace of work. Sharing the experience, he said:
"Nobody has a successful divorce, so that takes time. Then once it's done, you're not sitting on the money you had before, so now you've got to really make some money. So you go on tour, or two tours. So there was a lot of stand-up. There was a lot of getting my life together."
For those who don't know, Chris and Malaak first met at the 1994 Essence Awards. They soon fell in love and eventually tied the knot on November 23, 1996. Malaak is a public relations executive and philanthropist who was married to Chris for nearly two decades. During that time, they welcomed two daughters, Lola Simone, born in 2002, and Zahra Savannah, born in 2004.
However, their marriage came to an end in 2014 when the actor filed for divorce. They cited irreconcilable differences as the cause behind their separation. It was followed by a lengthy legal process, and the divorce was eventually finalized in August 2016. According to reports, the former couple had disagreements over custody and finances.
Although Chris and Malaak had signed a prenuptial agreement, its sunset clause had expired by the time they separated. Later, news reports claimed that the divorce settlement was reported to be worth USD 40 million. After his divorce, Chris often spoke about his mistakes as a husband and how they led to the breakdown of his marriage. Gradually, he moved forward with his work, and Malaak has continued with her philanthropic work.
The 61-year-old actor also discussed the infamous incident that took place involving him and Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards. Chris was presenting the Best Documentary Feature award at the ceremony when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, referencing G.I. Jane.
The latter had publicly spoken about her alopecia diagnosis, so she wasn't impressed with the joke. Meanwhile, Will walked onto the stage and slapped Chris before going back to his seat. He also shouted, "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!"
Since the moment was broadcast live, it quickly became one of the most-talked-about incidents in the history of the Oscars. Later, Will issued an apology to Chris. He was also banned from attending the Academy events for 10 years.
Eventually, the 61-year-old addressed the incident in his 2023 Netflix special Selective Outrage. But now, Chris wants people to focus on his creative work rather than the controversy. Sharing his thoughts, the actor said:
"Something happened. It wasn't cool. And I would like to move on. I know there's a part of that that's going to follow me the rest of my life."
What do you think about Chris Rock's honest admissions?
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