Jackie Chan, an Oscar star and CCP propagandist, allegedly never paid child support for his daughter who ended up homeless in Canada
The dark side of a super star.
Jackie Chan (成龍) is a famous kung fu movie actor. His incredible stunts and delightful performances have earned him a massive international fanbase and widespread recognition including an honorary Oscar award in 2016.
But what remains less known are the controversies surrounding his personal life and political stances, which don't always align with the heroic image he portrays on the screen.
Jackie Chan ran away from his extra-marital girlfriend when she was pregnant
Jackie Chan, 69, has been married to Taiwanese actress Joan Lin (林鳳嬌) for over 40 years since 1982. They have numerous happy photos with their only son, Jaycee Chan (房祖名).
Jackie Chan also has a daughter, Etta Ng Chok-lam (吳卓林), who was born in 1999 out of wedlock to Elaine Ng Yi-Lei (吴绮莉), a Hong Kong actress and former beauty queen.
In the early months of 1999, 26-year-old Elaine became the extra-marital girlfriend of 45-year-old Chan, who was already a superstar and prominent figure in the movie industry in Hong Kong.
When Elaine was pregnant, Chan suddenly distanced himself from her. In a live interview on October 16, 1999, Elaine confirmed to TV host Carol Cheng (鄭裕玲) that Jackie Chan was the father of her unborn child.
Caught in the midst of this unexpected scandal, Jackie Chan called for a news conference in Hong Kong to address the situation. During the conference, he publicly confessed to having engaged in an extra-marital affair but said it was ‘a fault that many men in the world commit’, as reported by Asia Week magazine (《亚洲周刊》).
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Found in Translation to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.