Chris Rock Hard Launches New Relationship with a Kiss While on a Stroll

NEED TO KNOW

• Chris Rock appears to be romantically involved with a new woman

• The actor and comedian was photographed kissing creative producer Simone Henault in New York City

• He was married to Malaak Compton-Rock from 1996 until 2016, and previously linked to actress Lake Bell

It looks like Chris Rock has a new woman in his life.

On Tuesday, March 31, the 61-year-old comedian and actor was photographed on a PDA-filled outing in a public park in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood with a woman identified as Simone Henault.

In the photos, the pair walked side by side for a daytime stroll, even stopping to share a kiss while sitting at a park bench.

A rep for Rock did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Henault is a DJ, creative producer and content strategist, per her Instagram bio. A 2021 online portfolio described Henault as a wardrobe stylist and producer at Google.

She and the Spiral star were also seen together leaving the upscale Santa Monica, Calif., restaurant Giorgio Baldi and getting into a car together last month.

Rock was previously married to Malaak Compton-Rock from 1996 to 2016, and the exes share two daughters, Lola Simone Rock, 23, and Zahra Savannah Rock, 21.

Prior to Henault, Rock was romantically linked to actress and screenwriter Lake Bell.

Rock previously joked about being lonely in his 50s during an episode of Kevin Hart‘s Peacock series Hart to Heart, which aired in July 2022.

“You’re a 56-year-old bachelor now,” Hart, now 46, jokingly told the Grown Ups 2 actor at the time.

“Let’s not go there,” Rock replied, laughing. “I’m by myself. I’m a lonely man!”

Hart asked his guest if he would ever reconsider marriage, to which Rock responded, “I think I’m good. At some point I’ll have a woman and whatever, and hopefully she’ll be with me for a while, and one day I won’t be able to make it up the steps and I’ll put her in my will. ‘I can’t get up the stairs — somebody get me my will! I gotta put Angie in my will.'”

He also mentioned being an empty nester since both Lola and Zahra had gone off to college.

That same year, Rock was photographed multiple times in Santa Monica with Bell, including for a dinner outing at Giorgio Baldi during Fourth of July weekend.

Rock and the No Escape actress, 47, were also seen dining at the area’s Coast restaurant around that time, as seen in a photo obtained by TMZ. The outlet also reported that the pair were previously spotted together at a St. Louis Cardinals game.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A source told PEOPLE Rock and Bell had “been seeing each other for a few weeks.“

“It’s a pretty new relationship,” the source said. “They are getting to know each other and seem to have fun.”

Rock has also been linked to actresses Megalyn Echikunwoke and Carmen Ejogo.

Read the original article on People