Apparently, it’s the season for major marriage-based announcements. In the wake of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter calling off their 13-year partnership and Ludacris dropping rings like Funyons over Christmas, we’ve got the news that Chris Rock is separating from his long-time wife and the mother of his three children, Malaak Compton-Rock.
The two were married on November 23, 1996, meaning they celebrated their eighteen-year anniversary just before Thanksgiving.
A rep for Rock told E! that “This is a personal matter and Chris requests privacy as he and Malaak work through this process and focus on their family.”
And Malaak, in a much longer statement to People, had this to say:
After much contemplation and 19 years of marriage, Chris and I have decided to go our separate ways. Being fortunate enough to lead a life of service by working with those most vulnerable makes me well aware of life’s blessings, even when faced with difficulties….While recognizing that this is a significant change, my children remain at the center of my life and their well-being is my top priority. It is in this spirit that I sincerely ask that their privacy and the privacy of our family be respected during this transition in our lives.
At least one person close to the former couple said they had been “living separate lives” for some time. And tabloids have reported that their marriage was on the rocks at least twice before–in 1998, just two years after marrying; and again in 2010. The couple parried that thrust with a vigorous denial in People magazine.
Of course, the split will probably not come as a total surprise to anyone familiar with Chris Rock’s stand-up endeavors.
(Photo credit: WENN)
