Chris Rock Getty Images
Chris Rock said he spends around seven hours per week attending therapy sessions, which he started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
  • Comedian Chris Rock, 55, talked about his mental health during an interview with Gayle King on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
  • He said he attends therapy sessions around seven hours per week amid the pandemic, has learned he needs to “take chances,” and has dealt with being his toughest critic.
  • Rock has been publicly candid about his past struggles, including his infidelity during his marriage and self-described porn addiction. 
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Chris Rock spent his time in quarantine grappling with his past and tackling difficult truths in therapy.

During the latest episode of CBS Sunday Morning, the 55-year-old comedian sat outside his New Jersey estate with Gayle King for an interview that delved into his personal life.

Rock, who recently received praise for his role in “Fargo,” told King that he attended therapy before coronavirus, but sessions ticked up when the pandemic began in March.

“I really jumped into it after Covid, and I’m still doing it,” he said. “I do about seven hours a week.”

He admitted that he still struggled with the emotional damage he suffered as a child in Brooklyn, where he was bullied as a Black child in an all-white school.

"You have to tell the truth," Rock said of his time in therapy. "Sometimes I wasn't kind. Sometimes I wasn't listening and sometimes I was selfish. Ultimately, who do you want to be?"

When prompted by King to share some of his personal discoveries, Rock opened up about his "hardest truth."

"On the outside, it looks like I'm this daring person, but, boy, can I play it safe!" he said. "I need to, you know, jump in the pool."

Rock, who's been candid in the past about his infidelity and self-described porn addiction, also said he was self-critical.

"I learned that I could be very hard on myself," Rock said in the interview. "Like really, really hard on myself and I need to relax. And I need to listen, I need to take chance."

Rock previously spoke about his time in therapy with The Hollywood Reporter in September. He said he underwent nine hours of cognitive tests in 2020 and discovered he had a nonverbal learning disorder, or NVLD.

"All I understand are the words," Rock told the outlet, saying his NVLD can cause him to interpret social situations or interactions very literally.

"By the way, all of those things are really great for writing jokes - they're just not great for one-on-one relationships," he said. "And I'd always just chalked it up to being famous. Any time someone would respond to me in a negative way, I'd think, 'Whatever, they're responding to something that has to do with who they think I am.' Now, I'm realizing it was me. A lot of it was me."

In his interview with King, Rock said with a resolute nod that he was "optimistic" and in a "happy place" in his life.

Read the original article on Insider