After 19 years of marriage , Chris Rock has filed for divorce . But unlike his trenchant standup routines , where he often poked fun at marriage , the comedian is being tight-lipped about the reason . `` This is a personal matter and Chris requests privacy as he and Malaak work through this process and focus on their family , '' his representative said in a statement Sunday . Malaak is Malaak Compton-Rock , the mother of Rock 's two girls , 12-year-old Lola Simone and 10 year-old Zahra Savannah . `` After much contemplation and 19 years of marriage , Chris and I have decided to go our separate ways , '' Compton-Rock said in a statement , People reported . `` 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 . '' In his comedy acts , Rock has been brutally incisive about marriage -- as he is about all other issues . But Rock 's divorce might not come as a surprise to his fans . `` Marriage is so tough , man , '' he once said . `` Nelson Mandela got divorced . He got out of jail after 27 years of torture , spent six months with his wife and said , ' I ca n't take this [ expletive ] no more . ' ''
Chris Rock and Malaak Compton-Rock have two daughters together . Rock often poked fun at marriage in his comedy routines .