Comedian Chris Rock became a dad for the first time in 2002 when he welcomed his eldest daughter, Lola Simone Rock, with his ex-wife, Malaak Compton-Rock. The couple became parents once more when their youngest daughter, Zahra Savannah Rock, arrived in 2004. Over the years, the family has stepped out for a few rare outings together.
Before becoming a dad, Chris already established himself as a top-billed standup comedian, with a three-year run as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He and Malaak were married in 1996. Their nuptials took place one year before his late-night talk show, The Chris Rock Show, aired on HBO. The show ended its run in 2000, and Chris began snagging roles in comedy films and on television.
After starting a family, the South Carolina native continued to hit big career milestones like hosting the Oscars for the first time in 2005. He went on to host the ceremony for the second time 11 years later. His two daughters became his biggest supporters and accompanied him to several red carpet events over the years. The Emmy Award winner reflected on being a dad of two in a November 2010 interview with Chicago Parent.
“Every day I’m proud to be a dad. Every morning. Every evening. You know, I just live in the moment,” he said. “My daughter’s off from camp this week. And when I get back, we’re gonna go to the car wash. And, you know, whatever. That’s the thing when you have kids. There’s no such thing as quality time when you’re a parent.”
In an August 2012 interview with Redbook, Chris reflected on what it was like to watch his two daughters grow up after attending the Madagascar 3 premiere with them.
“I’m looking forward to all of that, them turning into teenagers, though I’m not looking forward to losing them,” he said at the time. “It’s going to hurt me; I’m prepared for it. It’s going to hurt me like I’ve never been hurt before. And then four years later, they’ll come around.”
The Grown Ups actor and the humanitarian were officially divorced in 2016. However, they reunited several times to celebrate their daughters’ achievements over the years such as graduating high school and celebrating their birthdays.
Keep scrolling to see Chris’ rare outings with Lola and Zahra over the years.
Closer
