Is Chris Rock off the market? Is he now considered a bachelor? It depends. Chris Rock, 51, and Malaak Compton said their I dos in 1996 and separated in 2014. On Monday, August 22, 2016, the pair reportedly appeared before a judge in a New Jersey courthouse to finalize their divorce. The couple has two daughters: Lola Simone, 14 and Zahra Savanna, 12. Eight-year-old Ntombi, who is of South African descent, has been living with the couple since she was six months old.
During this year’s awards season, Rock wore some arm candy by the name of Megalyn Echikunwoke to a few high-profile events. Then, reports were buzzing she was his new girlfriend.
The rumors of a romance between the actors started when they showed up together at Clive Davis’ coveted 40th annual pre-Grammy Awards gala and the Vanity Fair Oscar party. Then they showed up hand-in-hand at the Oscars, where Rock hosted the awards ceremony amidst the infamous #OscarsSoWhite controversy. And what also added fuel to the dating rumors was the fact that Rock had his mother and Echikunwoke at his side on the red carpet.
Echikunwoke, 33, has had recurring roles on “24”, “ER”, “CSI Miami” (playing Tara Price), “The 4400” (Isabelle Tyler), “90210” (Holly Strickler) and in “Damien” (Simone Baptiste) she was most recently featured as the animal-powered Mari McCabe/Vixen in the TV series “Arrow.”
Echikunwoke, who is a younger version of Rock’s ex-wife, was born in Spokane, Washington, but grew up on a Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona. Her father is of Nigerian descent and her mother is of European descent.
Her Nigerian last name, Echikunwoke, is pronounced Eh-chee-koon-walk-eh and it means “leader of men.” She’s the granddaughter of a Nigerian tribal leader, which technically makes her African royalty.
Backstage at the Oscars, she denied she was dating Rock saying, “My name is Megalyn E.K. and I’m too busy for romance. Yeah I have work to do.”
