Chris Rock is opening up about his divorce, both on and off the stage.
Currently in the middle of his first nationwide tour in years, Rock sat down with Rolling Stone and shared candid details about his divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock, his wife of 19 years. The pair announced their separation in February 2014 and finalized their divorce, which included a custody battle, in August 2016.
Rock jokingly says he's on the "alimony tour," Rolling Stone's Stephen Rodrick writes.
In his article, Rodrick describes how the comedian brought up his divorce during a show in Denver and described his infidelities:
"'I was a piece of shit,' says Rock as the crowd goes quiet. He segues into his infidelities and gets disarmingly specific, describing three women: one famous, one semifamous, and one a member of the retail class.
Later, Rodrick writes:
"Rock mentions in his act that he thought he could get away with bad behavior in his marriage because he was the famous breadwinner. He now knows the opposite is true. 'That's bullshit,' he says, rolling his eyes. 'That actually goes the other way. My faults are magnified. Your significant other, if they really love you, has a high opinion of you. And you let them down.'
Rock also told Rodrick that while he talks about his divorce during his act, he's toned it down ― because it's unfair that he has a microphone and his former wife does not.
"I asked myself, 'Do I want to be angry for a year?' It's not a cool place to be. It's not healthy," Rock said.
You won't find any online videos of Rock's candid comments, because his "Total Blackout" tour asks audience members to store their phones and other devices in secure pouches that are only unlocked at the end of the show. But the star recently inked a two-special deal with Netflix and plans to tape one of those specials in December.
Rock has been known for his searing commentary on married life, famously saying, "Marriage is so tough, Nelson Mandela got divorced — he got out of jail after 27 years of torture, spent six months with his wife and said, 'I can't take this shit no more.'"