Simone Henault is a Los Angeles-based DJ, creative producer, and content strategist who spent four years as a creative producer on Google's Waze team — and on March 31, 2026, became the most searched name in celebrity news when photos of her kissing Chris Rock on a park bench in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood circulated online. Neither Rock nor Henault has confirmed the relationship, but the images, first reported in People Magazine's April 2026 report, showed a clear, deliberate public display by a comedian who had spent years describing himself as a "lonely man."
The Simone Henault and Chris Rock sighting was not their first. Weeks earlier, the two had been spotted leaving Giorgio Baldi — an upscale Italian restaurant in Santa Monica, California — and climbing into the same car. The SoHo photos on March 31 made it official enough that the internet ran with it.
Who Is Simone Henault? Career, Background, and Education
Simone Henault grew up with roots in New Orleans and New York, though she built her early career in Austin, Texas, where she attended St. Edward's University from 2009 to 2013. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication — a foundation that pointed directly toward the creative production work she would spend the next decade doing.
Her career timeline shows someone who moved deliberately through the music and culture industry before crossing into tech. Her first roles after university were in event production and artist management in Austin, including work at the Texas Concert Group from 2013 to 2015 and artist management at Stay Gold through 2015. She then moved into production coordination at New York-based production company North Six in 2016 and 2017.
From 2018 to 2020, Henault worked as a senior creative producer at The FADER and Cornerstone Agency simultaneously — two of the most culturally connected names in music media and brand strategy. The FADER, known for its deep ties to hip hop, R&B, and emerging music, and Cornerstone Agency, a brand experience firm that bridges music and culture, gave her a window into how brands and artists intersect at the highest level. Her work during this period included executive producing a Pepsi campaign celebrating the Notorious B.I.G.'s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — a project she described as a "dream" on LinkedIn, which involved collaborating with the Christopher Wallace Foundation, DJ Enuff, and visual artist Cey Adams.
She then moved to 19th & Park Inc. as a senior creative producer before her most visible corporate role: four years at Google as a creative producer on the Waze team from 2021 to 2025. At Waze, her work included a major partnership with the Tour de France in 2023, where she helped launch a multi-country in-app experience featuring former race winner Thomas Voeckler. Her client list across her full career includes Amazon, L'Oréal, New Balance, Spotify, Away, Soundcloud, Gap, Buick, Kate Spade, and LinkedIn.
In early 2026, Henault announced she was leaving structured corporate work to go independent. In a LinkedIn post, she wrote: "After years of creating within incredible teams, I'm now focused on connecting brands, artists, and global communities through culture, experience, and vision." She is currently a judge for the Experiential category at the 2026 AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) Awards, representing creative agency Invisible North.
Simone Henault as a DJ — Soho House, Shoreditch, and the Monafide Soul Series
Alongside her production career, Simone Henault has built a separate identity as a DJ, performing at exclusive venues including Soho House locations across Los Angeles and Shoreditch House in London. Her sets draw from a broad range of sounds, and she has shared her musical sensibility publicly through a series of curated playlists on Spotify titled the Monafide Soul Series.
In November 2025, she posted on Instagram: "Looking back on all the sets I had an opportunity to do around LA, and I can't wait for more. Thank you to everyone who danced with me and allowed me to explore a full range of sounds. Feeling invigorated and energized about what's to come."
The DJ work is not a side project in the conventional sense — it appears to be the creative thread that runs through everything else she does. Her LinkedIn describes her as "a multidisciplinary producer and creative consultant," and the music component has been consistent throughout her career rather than something she added on later.
Chris Rock and Simone Henault: What the Sightings Show
The first documented public appearance between Chris Rock and Simone Henault came in early March 2026, when the two were seen leaving Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica together. The restaurant, a longtime favorite of industry figures, is not a low-profile choice — being photographed leaving together there carries a specific signal.
The second, more definitive outing came on March 31, 2026. Rock and Henault were photographed walking through SoHo and then sitting on a park bench, where they kissed. Rock wore a black long-sleeve, matching cargo pants, a leather newsboy cap, and tinted shades. Henault wore a white tank, green cargo pants, black loafers, a plaid hat, and gold jewelry. The images were published by BACKGRID and picked up by People, Complex, AOL, and others within hours.
Neither Chris Rock nor Simone Henault has issued any public statement about their relationship.
For Rock, the sightings mark the first time he has been visibly linked to someone since Lake Bell, with whom he was spotted briefly in New York in mid-2022. Before Bell, Rock was married to Malaak Compton-Rock from 1996 to 2016. They share two daughters: Lola Simone Rock, now 23, and Zahra Savannah Rock, now 21. Rock has spoken publicly about adjusting to life after his marriage ended. On Kevin Hart's Peacock series Hart to Heart in 2022, he said: "I'm by myself. I'm a lonely man." When Hart asked if he would consider getting married again, Rock replied: "I think I'm good. At some point, I'll have a woman and whatever."
For someone who spent his 2023 Netflix special describing himself as single, the Simone Henault and Chris Rock SoHo photos represent a meaningful departure — done publicly, mid-day, in one of the most photographed neighborhoods in New York City.
Why the Simone Henault and Chris Rock Pairing Is Generating Attention
The interest in Simone Henault goes beyond the photos. Rock's previous public relationship with Lake Bell ended in 2023 after less than a year, and he has kept his romantic life tightly private since his 2016 divorce. The combination of Rock's profile and Henault's deliberately low public presence created a vacuum of information that fans immediately moved to fill — hence the search spike around "who is Simone Henault."
Henault is not a public figure in the way that most people linked to A-list celebrities tend to be. She has an Instagram presence and an active LinkedIn, but she is not a performer or an actress with existing name recognition. Her profile — Google creative producer, Soho House DJ, Substack writer, Tour de France campaign lead — is the kind that reads clearly in context but does not mean much to someone outside the music and brand production world.
The comparison with other recent celebrity couple reveals is natural. When Finn Cole and Florence Pugh hard-launched their relationship in Milan at the end of March 2026, it came after 18 months of deliberate ambiguity and simultaneous Instagram posts. Rock and Henault made no such coordinated announcement — they simply appeared together in SoHo on a Tuesday afternoon, which is its own kind of statement. And while the Elias Rønnenfelt and Jenna Ortega situation came with significant controversy attached, the Simone Henault and Chris Rock story has generated curiosity rather than backlash.
Both Henault and Rock appear to be content letting the images speak for themselves.
Simone Henault — Verified Key Facts
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Simone Henault |
| Based | Los Angeles, California |
| Roots | New Orleans and New York |
| Education | St. Edward's University, Austin, TX — B.A. Public Relations, Advertising & Applied Communication (2009–2013) |
| Early career | Texas Concert Group (2013–2015), Stay Gold artist management (2011–2015) |
| Production (NY) | North Six, production coordinator/manager (2016–2017) |
| Major media role | Senior Creative Producer, The FADER + Cornerstone Agency (2018–2020) |
| Brand agency | Senior Creative Producer, 19th & Park Inc. |
| Tech role | Creative Producer, Waze / Google (2021–2025) |
| Current | Independent — cultural strategy, brand partnerships, Invisible North judge |
| DJ venues | Soho House (LA), Shoreditch House (London) |
| Music platform | Monafide Soul Series — Spotify |
| Writing | Substack — most recent post January 2026 |
| Chris Rock linked | March 2026 — Giorgio Baldi (Santa Monica), SoHo park bench (New York) |
| Relationship confirmed | No — neither party has commented |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Simone Henault?
Simone Henault is a Los Angeles-based DJ, creative producer, and content strategist. She graduated from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, in 2013 with a degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication. Her career spans music media, brand strategy, and technology — including four years as a creative producer on Google's Waze team from 2021 to 2025. In early 2026, she announced she was going independent, focused on connecting brands, artists, and global communities through cultural experience. She became widely searched in April 2026 after being photographed with Chris Rock in New York City.
Q: Is Simone Henault Chris Rock's girlfriend?
Neither Simone Henault nor Chris Rock has confirmed they are in a relationship. In March 2026, the two were photographed leaving Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica and later kissing on a park bench in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. The images were published by BACKGRID and reported by People. No statement from either party has addressed the nature of their connection.
Q: What does Simone Henault do for work?
Henault works as a creative producer and DJ. Her professional background includes senior creative producer roles at The FADER, Cornerstone Agency, and 19th & Park Inc., followed by four years as a creative producer on Google's Waze team. Her client list across her career includes Amazon, L'Oréal, Spotify, New Balance, Soundcloud, and LinkedIn. She DJs at venues including Soho House in Los Angeles and Shoreditch House in London, and shares playlists through the Monafide Soul Series on Spotify.
Q: Where did Simone Henault go to college?
Simone Henault attended St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, from 2009 to 2013, earning a bachelor's degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication.
Q: Where was Simone Henault seen with Chris Rock?
Chris Rock and Simone Henault were first spotted leaving Giorgio Baldi, an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica, California, in early March 2026. Later that month, on March 31, 2026, photographers captured the two walking through Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and kissing on a park bench. The SoHo photos were published by BACKGRID.
Q: Did Simone Henault work at Google?
Yes. Simone worked as a creative producer on Google's Waze team from 2021 to 2025. During that period, she led campaigns, including a major Tour de France partnership in 2023 that included a multi-country in-app navigation experience. She announced in early 2026 that she was leaving Google to pursue independent creative and cultural strategy work.
Also read: Finn Cole and Florence Pugh: How Their Relationship Went From Rumor to Instagram Official in Milan
Also read: Elias Rønnenfelt: Who Is Jenna Ortega's Rumored Boyfriend and Why Is He Controversial?