By Tolulope Oke
American comedian Chris Rock has opened up on the devastating financial blow of his 2016 divorce, confessing that a staggering $40 million settlement paid to his ex-wife completely wiped out his biggest Hollywood earnings.
Speaking in a recent interview with Variety, the 61-year-old superstar practically begged movie executives to reboot the hit animated franchise Madagascar, admitting that his bank account had bled heavily and he urgently needs a massive payday to recover.
“I got divorced. I don’t have Madagascar money anymore,” Rock lamented, referencing the blockbuster children’s comedy franchise that grossed over $2.2 billion globally.
Appealing for a fourth instalment of the movie, 14 years after the last release, the veteran actor did not hide his financial reality.
“It’s probably the biggest movie I’ve ever been in. We did three of them; I pray to God we do one more,” Rock said. “In a world where they’re rebooting everything, let’s do Madagascar… I need another Madagascar. It’s time.”
The massive crater in Rock’s fortune stems from his split from Malaak Compton-Rock. The couple separated in 2014 after 19 years of marriage and two daughters, with Malaak walking away with a jaw-dropping $40 million in their final 2016 settlement.
Chris Rock has never shied away from the trauma of the financial wipeout. During his 2017 stand-up run—which he famously dubbed the “alimony tour”—he warned men about the brutal reality of marital dissolution.
“You don’t want to get divorced, I tell you right now. If you’ve got somebody you love, hold tight,” Rock joked at the time. “I had to pay for a lawyer to divorce me. That’s like hiring a hitman to kill you.”
The comedian’s fresh admission about losing his Madagascar millions immediately sparked wild reactions across social media, with fans expressing shock at the sheer scale of the financial ruin.
“She took the Madagascar money?!” one fan asked in disbelief, while another added, “I swear divorces are bleeding dudes dry!!”
Despite the heavy financial haemorrhage that slashed his fortune in half, Rock has refused to fold. Celebrity wealth trackers estimate his current net worth stands at a resilient $60 million, buoyed by a lucrative $40 million Netflix deal and non-stop global comedy tours as the 61-year-old hustles to rebuild his empire.
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