Chris Rock is not pointing fingers at anyone but himself when it comes to the collapse of his marriage. In a strikingly honest new interview, the comedian has admitted that his own behavior, including infidelity and what he describes as a long-running addiction, played a major part in the end of his 18-year marriage to Malaak Compton-Rock.

“I was not a great husband”

Rock, 61, opened up about his past for GQ’s “Men of the Year” profile, which was published on Tuesday, as reported by Page Six. The Everybody Hates Chris creator summed up his years as a married man bluntly, saying: “I was not a great husband.”

According to Page Six, Rock explained that the habit he struggled with is now firmly behind him, saying he has stayed away from it for roughly five or six years.

He also listed a series of other failings during his time with Compton-Rock, now 57. Rock acknowledged that he didn’t listen to his wife, wasn’t always kind to her, and was unfaithful with three women.

“It’s not anything I’m proud of, but it’s something I had to go through,” he told the magazine.

A superhero comparison

In typical Chris Rock fashion, the star found an unexpected way to explain his journey. He likened himself to a Marvel-style hero who starts out arrogant and has to “test his powers” before eventually learning to use them for good.

Rock described those characters racing trains and lifting ocean liners before crashing back to earth once they realize they’re not all-powerful. He said he went through his own version of that lesson and came out of it “severely humbled, as I should have been.”

The marriage and the split

Rock and Compton-Rock married in 1996 and share two daughters, Lola, now 24, and Zahra, now 22. The couple announced their separation in 2014.

At the time, Compton-Rock shared a statement saying that, “after much contemplation,” she and Rock had decided to go their separate ways. She added that her charity work with vulnerable people had made her deeply aware of life’s blessings, even in difficult moments. Their divorce was finalized in 2016.

Despite the painful end to their relationship, the former couple have remained connected through their children. Page Six notes that Rock and Compton-Rock came together again in May to celebrate Zahra’s graduation from the University of Southern California.

Rock’s love life since

Since the divorce, Rock has had several high-profile romances. He dated actress Megalyn Echikunwoke from 2016 to 2020, and was later linked to Carmen Ejogo in 2020 and Lake Bell in 2022.

He has been seeing his current girlfriend, Simone Henault, since March, according to Page Six.

Why it matters

Celebrities rarely take full responsibility for a failed marriage in public, which is why Rock’s comments are drawing so much attention. Instead of blaming fame, his workload or his ex, the comedian has chosen to own his mistakes and present them as part of a hard-earned personal reckoning.

For fans who have followed Rock’s career, from his stand-up specials to his acting and directing work, the interview offers a rare look at the man behind the jokes, and at a chapter of his life he clearly still thinks about.

Source: Page Six, citing Chris Rock’s GQ “Men of the Year” interview.