All About Laughs
We are in a constant state of learning, especially when it comes to ourselves. Our relationship with ourselves is the most important and crucial, and everyday we should strive to do the work required to better understand who we are and why we do the things we do. For comedian Chris Rock, this kind of self work too place during the thick of last years pandemic and quarantine. The Hollywood legend, who famously made a film about cheating on his wife, was recently diagnosed with something that’s helped him better identify some of the issues he’s had in the past.
One of the topics that he discusses was the end of his marriage to his now ex-wife Malaak Compton Rock. “Would I ever get married again?” he questions himself during the show before responding, “Not if it would cure AIDS.” He did go on to admit that he wasn’t a good husband to Malaak.
“I was [messed] up. I was addicted to [adult films],” Rock says. “I know, billion-dollar industry, just me, right? I was addicted and, you know, I was 15 minutes late everywhere.” He even confessed to cheating on her. I’d go on the road, end up sleeping with three different women. It’s, like, [messed] up. When guys cheat, we want something new. But then your woman finds out, and now she’s new. She’s never the same again. So, now you got new, but you got bad new. You got bad f*****n’ new, man.”
While speaking with Extra recently, Rock confessed that he has struggled with his relationship with women for years. After expressing to a friend some of his frustrations, the friend suggested to Rock that he maybe have Asperger’s.
“A friend of mine told me I may have Asperger’s…so I got it checked. It turned out I had something that was a lot like Asperger’s. I have a hard time with…nonverbal cues…My relationships-even with my family, women I dated—it was always something a little off.”
He expressed how much easier life is since being diagnosed. “Being diagnosed with it has put me in a position [where] I have doctors, I got certain medicines and stuff that help me deal with it…Everything is easier once you’re diagnosed.”
He went on to advocate for therapy as well.
“We live in this world where everybody wants to be so self-made. And I did this by myself. And what happens is we shut ourselves off to people, we don’t ask for help for a lot of things we need help for… I do two therapists and I do a group… telling people my problems but also hearing other people’s problems and realizing you’re not alone… And if you can talk to people… everything will be better.”
