Meet Rosalie Rock, Chris Rock's Mother and Parenting Book Author

Rosalie Rock is the woman behind the upbringing of celebrated comedian Chris Rock, one of her seven children with her late husband, Julius Rock.

The Rock family come from humble beginnings, initially living in Andrews, South Carolina, before relocating to the Bedford-Stuyvesant side of Brooklyn, New York. Rosalie worked as a teacher while Julius was a newspaper delivery truck driver.

Besides being the mother of a celebrated author, Rosalie is also an author and a motivational speaker. She is very active in community matters and does not shy away from publicity, having been in the company of some of the most famous people, including former presidents.

Rosalie Rock Has Six Sons and One Daughter

Rosalie was born to Pearl and Wesley Tingman, who she credits with inspiring her to write "Mama Rock's Rules." She is grateful for her parents, who taught her many things about being a parent, including that children deserve security, respect, and love. Furthermore, she learned that a good name is worth more than wealth.

Therefore, when she eventually became a parent, Rosalie adopted those principles. She grew up to be a teacher and was married to Julius, a newspaper delivery truck driver as loosely portrayed by Terry Crews in "Everybody Hates Chris." The show is loosely based on Chris' teenage years. Unfortunately, Julius passed on in 1989.

However, he left behind a massive legacy of eight children, seven of whom he had with Rosalie. Of the seven, there were six boys, Chris, Andre, Tony, Brian, Kenny, Jordan, and one daughter, Andi. Julius' son from a previous marriage was Charles. He died in 2006.

Chris Rock Shares Hilarious Recollections of Rosalie Rock in His Book

Chris' jokes seem to know no boundaries. One of his favorite topics to joke about is his family. He has joked about several individuals in his family, including his mother. In his book "Rock This," the comedian tells stories about his childhood. He mentions that his parents took in foster kids so that they could get money from the government.

One of the funniest things Chris said about his parents was how cheap they were. Their family was not wealthy, and Rosalie tried to save as much as possible. She kept clear of branded products and used coupons, which she had many of, to buy groceries. Rosalie also preferred to avoid paying bills; hence they were usually paid late.

Rosalie Rock Has Her Slice of Fame but Believes Being a Parent Is Her Greatest Achievement

Despite having had the chance to meet some of the most influential and famous in the world, Rosalie remains adamant being a parent is her most outstanding achievement and God-given honor. All her children became relatively successful. For example, Andre owns a logistics company named after his father, and Tony is a comedian and actor.

Rosalie has lived a wholesome life that has seen her having an audience with former US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, whose meeting came before he became president. She has also met Oprah Winfrey and cooked with Paula Deen. In addition to attending the Oscars, Rosalie is a very active community member.

Rosalie is also the author of two books named "Mama Rock's Rules" and "Still Ruling." The first one consists of ten rules for raising children. One of the significant rules is "I am your mama, not a friend."

As a person who has experienced life to the fullest, she has developed a no-nonsense character. She can be described as a very frank person who is not afraid to speak her mind, especially when someone is not being true to themselves or tries to be fake.

One famous instance where she felt offended was when Will Smith slapped her son at the Oscars after Chris Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith. During an interview with WIS News 10 in 2022, she said that the slap felt like Will "slapped us all" and is saddened that he never apologized.