Comedian Chris Rock and his wife of almost 20 years, Malaak Compton-Rock, announced that they are divorcing.

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"Chris Rock has filed for divorce from his wife, Malaak," his attorney, Robert S. Cohen, said in a statement. "This is a personal matter and Chris requests privacy as he and Malaak work through this process and focus on their family."

The couple, who wed in 1996 and lives in New Jersey, has two daughters together - Lola Simone, 12, and Zahra Savannah, 10.

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Rock's wife, the founder of the nonprofit StyleWorks, also released a statement over the weekend saying that her children are her main focus.

"While recognizing that this is a significant change, my children remain at the center of my life and their well-being is my top priority," the 45-year-old said. "It is in this spirit that I sincerely ask that their privacy and the privacy of our family be respected during this transition in our lives."

In 2007, Rock, 49, opened up about his marriage with People magazine and revealed his favorite thing about being committed to one person.

"The best part is just having a partner," the Top Five actor said. "There is no real worst part. I'm not going to say there's a worst part. I mean I'm a comedian - comedians like to work alone. So maybe I'm not the ideal guy to be married to, in that sense."

Watch Rock joke about marriage below:

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