Chris Rock reveals unexpected financial state after $40 million divorce

Chris Rock stunned fans with an admission about his finances on Tuesday, revealing that his $40 million divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock had hit his bank account hard.

The 61-year-old spoke with Variety about his famous film roles, and declared his interest in doing another Madagascar movie 14 years after the third instalment was released.

“It’s probably the biggest movie I’ve ever been in,” he said of the hit 2005 kids comedy. “We did three of them; I pray to god we do one more. In a world where they’re rebooting everything, let’s do Madagascar.”

“I got divorced,” Chris continued. “I don’t have Madagascar money anymore. We only did three. There’s five Ice Ages…I need another Madagascar. It’s time.”

Fans of the legendary comedian took to the comment section of the video to lament Chris’ situation, with one writing: “She took the Madagascar money?!” while another added: “I swear divorces are bleeding dudes dry!!” and a third chimed in: “This economy…affecting everyone!”

Chris’ money moves revealed

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Chris starred alongside Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer in the Madagascar movies, which grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide. 

He also earned a pretty penny from roles in Saturday Night Live, Everybody Hates Chris and Fargo, and made the bulk of his fortune thanks to his wildly successful comedy specials over the years.

As per Forbes, Chris earned $57 million between 2016 and 2017 thanks mostly to a $40 million deal with Netflix, which led to his specials Tamborine and Selective Outrage.

The father of two’s comedy tours also made him millions, yet he called his 2017 Total Blackout Tour “the alimony tour” as it came after his divorce from Malaak.

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“You don’t want to get divorced, I tell you right now,” he later joked in Tamborine. “If you’ve got somebody you love, hold tight. I had to pay for a lawyer to divorce me. That’s like hiring a hitman to kill you.”

Breaking the bank

Chris and Malaak split in 2014 and spent two years hashing out their divorce settlement.

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“After much contemplation and 19 years of marriage, Chris and I have decided to go our separate ways,” Malaak shared in a statement at the time.

“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.”

© Kevin Mazur

“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,” she concluded.

Malaak, who shares her daughters Lola and Zahra with Chris, was awarded an estimated $40 million in the 2016 divorce settlement. Despite the major blow to his wallet, Chris is worth $60 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, thanks to his film roles, comedy tours and specials.