All the Women Chris Rock Has Dated Over the Years

Rock and Compton-Rock were married for nearly 19 years before they split. According to People, the comedian and former publicist dated for two years before tying the knot on Nov. 23, 1996. Back in 1997, Rock told Ebony Magazine (via People) of his then-wife, “She’s changed me. She’s really calmed me down and centered my life.”

After a few years of marriage, the former couple welcomed their first child, daughter Lola, on June 28, 2002. Their second daughter, Zahra, was born almost two years later on May 22, 2004. In the past, Rock has poked fun at his and Compton-Rock’s girls in his stand-up specials and has even said that he believes they made him a better comedian. “I think I’m a better artist. Everything I’ve done since I’ve had kids is better than the stuff I did before I had kids,” he said back in 2007, per People.

Rock and his ex-wife’s marriage wasn’t without its challenges. According to People, in 2004, the comedian discussed with Howard Stern a sexual encounter that occurred outside of his relationship in 1998. He said he and Compton-Rock were separated at the time. But then came a paternity suit, DNA tests, and a sexual assault allegation, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2009.

Before that, divorce speculation surrounding Rock and his ex-wife surfaced in 2006, with TMZ reporting that the former started formal proceedings. However, the pair then shared a statement with People that said, “We remain, as always, very happy and committed to our marriage and the beautiful family that we have built.”

The following year, Rock fought paternity claims again when a Georgia woman accused the comedian of fathering her teenage son, though Today reported that a DNA test proved the claim to be false. “Though we prefer to keep our private life out of the media, we feel that it is necessary to respond to the many grossly inaccurate media reports that were sold to the tabloids by Kali Bowyer who falsely claimed that Chris Rock fathered her 13-year-old son,” Rock and Compton-Rock said in a joint statement.

The pair called it quits in December 2014, with Compton-Rock sharing a statement, per People, that read: “After much contemplation and 19 years of marriage, Chris and I have decided to go our separate ways.”

Rock issued his own statement via his attorney, saying, “Chris Rock has filed for divorce from his wife, Malaak. This is a personal matter and Chris requests privacy as he and Malaak work through this process and focus on their family.” At the time, a source told People, “This was a long time coming. 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.”

Following their divorce, which was finalized in 2016, Rock was quite candid about his faults in his marriage. A 2017 Rolling Stone profile revealed that Rock said to a comedy-show crowd frankly, “I was a piece of sh*t,” while reflecting on the relationship.

Then in his 2018 Netflix “Tambourine” special, he admitted that he cheated on his wife with three women on tour. “It’s my fault because I’m a f*cking assh*le,” he said, per Us Weekly. “I didn’t listen. I wasn’t kind. I had an attitude. I thought, ‘I pay for everything, I can do what I want.’ That sh*t don’t f*cking work. I just thought I was the sh*t.”

Rock’s first serious relationship after his divorce was with Megalyn Echikunwoke. The two were first seen together at Clive Davis’s 40th Annual pre-Grammy Awards Gala back in mid-February 2016, where they were also photographed, per People. The following day, the “Step Sisters” actor shared a selfie on Instagram captioned, “My Valentine got me wasted on them goooood roses last night. So hungover. Hope you had a happy V Day,” leading many to believe they were dating.

Later that month, the pair fueled dating speculation again when they posed for photos together at Vanity Fair’s Oscars afterparty with Rock’s mom. At the time, they didn’t comment on rumors. It’s unclear when the two made their romance official but it didn’t take long for them to spark engagement rumors, though Echikunwoke quickly debunked them before they could take off.

The actor was seen wearing a ring on that finger at Showtime’s Emmy Eve Party in September 2016, but she told People that it was “definitely not” a sign of a marriage proposal from Rock. “Why would anyone think that? I’ve never worn an engagement ring,” she said. “This right here is my alleged engagement ring, which is obviously not an engagement ring so just an FYI. It’s a pearl. It’s not even a diamond.”

During the interview, Echikunwoke played coy about her relationship with Rock, though she eventually said, “What can I say? I have a boyfriend. He’s a comedian. He’s funny. He’s really wonderful. He’s a very dreamy guy, and I’m a lucky girl.”

After that, Rock and Echikunwoke were spotted together frequently, whether they were posting photos of each other on Instagram or out at high-profile events, like the 2016 Emmy Awards (pictured above). They were even each other’s dates at the 2019 Met Gala. However, Page Six reported in March 2020, via sources, that the couple split a few months prior, with one insider saying Rock wasn’t ready to settle down again following the end of his first marriage.

A romance between Rock and Ejogo was never officially confirmed, but that didn’t stop the rumor mill from turning. Per photos published by the Daily Mail in September 2020, the “Saturday Night Live” alum and “I’m a Virgo” actor were seen having an intimate dinner in New York City’s West Village that month. Some snaps caught the two holding hands at one point.

The following month, the pair were seen heading to lunch in Malibu, CA, per photos obtained by People. It seems nothing else was ever reported about the two dating, so it’s unclear if they were in a relationship or even broke up.

Dating rumors about Rock and Lake Bell first started on July 4, 2022, when the two actors were photographed on a casual dinner date in Santa Monica. Before that, they were spotted out having brunch in the same neighborhood, per TMZ, which also reported that the pair were at a Cardinals game in St. Louis the month prior.

Shortly thereafter, a source told People Rock and Bell were “getting to know each other.” “It’s a pretty new relationship,” the insider said at the time. “They are getting to know each other and seem to have fun.”

Things seemed to be going steady between the two, as they were photographed together in NYC on July 24, 2022, following a vacation to Croatia, per People. Although neither ever confirmed nor denied dating speculation, Rock seemingly hinted at a split when he confirmed that he was single during his live Netflix comedy special in March. It’s unclear when exactly the two broke up.