Most people know Rosalie Rock simply as Chris Rock’s mom – the one who spoke out after Will Smith slapped her son at the 2022 Academy Awards. Yet, there’s so much more to her story than meets the eye.
Quite frankly, researching Rosalie Rock’s life story, career, and achievements opened my eyes to how amazing this woman is.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into the ten things you should know about Rosalie Rock!
1. She Had a Rough Childhood
Born on February 15, 1945, Rosalie Rock never had an easy childhood. Her teachers didn’t care about her because she only wore run-down clothes. Moreover, her parents implemented strict rules that Rosalie found unreasonable.
That said, Rosalie Rock loved her family. She worked herself to the ground to get her parents out of Jim Crow, South Carolina.
2. She’s a Widower
After graduating, Rosalie Rock quickly fell in love and married Julius Rock, a man who worked as a truck driver.
The couple had seven kids together. However, Julius Rock sadly passed away in 1988 due to diabetes complications. This left Rosalie Rock to raise her kids all by herself.
Image source: Google
3. She’s an Educator
Rosalie Rock first worked as an educator out of necessity. Little did she know that it would be her calling in life!
According to her son’s IMDb page, Rosalie Rock worked as a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped. She also owned and operated a preschool for over 17 years in New York and South Carolina.
4. She Raised 27 Children (And Chris Rock Isn’t the Most Successful!)
Rosalie Rock was left with seven kids after her husband’s passing. Still, those aren’t the only kids she raised.
In addition to her biological children, Rosalie adopted three and fostered over 17 kids!
Rosalie says Chris Rock may be her most famous son, but he isn’t the most successful.
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Her other kids have become business owners, charity workers, ministers, and therapists. Being a social worker herself, Rosalie Rock measures success by how much good you have done for the community.
5. She Does Motivational Speaking
Rosalie has much to share about her past and everything she has learned as a single mother.
What’s impressive is she founded a non-profit organization called Rock This 619. Here, she occasionally acts as a guest speaker to empower the youth of her local community. You can even see photos of her inspirational talks on Instagram!
6. She Wrote a Book
Another surprising fact about Rosalie Rock is she co-authored a book with Valerie Graham! The book, a humorous title called Mama Rock’s Rules, teaches readers how to raise a houseful of successful children.
It’s a fun read with useful strategies to help your kids become self-reliant in today’s society!
Image source: Instagram
7. She Operates a Radio Show
Writing a book, starting a non-profit, and raising 27 kids undeniably sounds like a lot. So, I don’t know how Mama Rock finds the time to run a radio show on top of everything!
Her radio show, The Mom Show, is a weekly program she broadcasts from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
8. She’s a Traditional Parent
Perhaps the most surprising fact I’ve learned about Rosalie is that she’s an incredibly traditional parent. She has confessed to spanking her kids as a form of discipline.
In an episode of the Bryant Park Project, Rosalie says she prefers spanking her children over telling them degrading words.
According to her, if you tell children they’re stupid or not worth anything, those words will stick to them for life. In comparison, spanking a child and allowing them to think for a few minutes is less severe.
9. She Almost Became Biracial
One of the funniest facts about Rosalie Rock is that she was almost portrayed as a biracial woman in her son’s show Everybody Hates Chris. The TV show, based on Chris Rock’s childhood, retells how he grew up in a rough part of Brooklyn.
According to Chris Rock, the network asked, “Does the girl have to be black?” in reference to the actress who was supposed to play the role of Rosalie Rock.
Image source: People
As you can imagine, the comedian had to fight for a black woman to act as the non-biracial Rosalie Rock!
10. She Thought the Infamous Slap Was Staged
Who can forget the unbelievable moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022?
In later interviews, Rosalie Rock revealed that, at first, she thought the slap was staged. Honestly, everyone else thought so too, Mama Rock!
Conclusion
There you have it – ten surprising facts about Rosalie Rock.
From my research, I’ve learned that beyond being Chris Rock’s mom, she is an inspirational woman who cares for her children.
Rosalie Rock continues to inspire her community despite her old age. She truly deserves to be recognized for her work!
Featured image source: Google
