Jackie Chan is one of the biggest names to have emerged from the Asian movie industry, but despite his fame and success, Chan shares a fractured relationship with his children.
Jackie Chan has come a long way as one of the greatest actors of his time. After conquering the Asian movie world, Chan moved to Hollywood and scored a series of hit movies that extended his fame to a new audience.
Chan joins the likes of Jet Li and Bruce Lee to popularize Asian movies. The 69-year-old thrills his fans with his impressive blend of martial arts and physical comedy.
After Lee died in 1973, Chan was widely seen as Lee’s successor. He stepped up to the task with a series of successful movies that captured the viewers’ attention. His first hit movie, 1978’s “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow,” took the Hong Kong movie industry by storm.
Chan released other hits such as “Drunken Master,” “The Fearless Hyena,” and “Half a Loaf of Kung Fu.” As a result, he became the highest-paid actor in Hong Kong and the leading Asian actor at the time.
Aside from his excellent acting skills, Chan was a good stuntman. He reportedly performs his own stunts, which sometimes leaves him with damaging injuries. However, everything worked out for his fame.
Away from his career, Chan is a well-known philanthropist. The “Rush Hour” star plans to give half of his wealth to charity after he dies. However, there are many claims that Chan’s decision stems from his poor relationship with his kids.
With his fame and wealth came a great love for women. Chan was a popular figure with the ladies. Unfortunately, these affairs sometimes went beyond a one-night stand, leaving him with kids he never planned to have.
THE BIG AFFAIR
By the late 1990s, Chan’s success had spilled into the American market, and he was already a renowned global star. However, according to the “Drunken Master” actor, it was during this period that he made a “big mistake.”
In his book, “Never Grow Up,” Chan opened up about a secret affair in 1999 that he considers a big mistake. The Hong Kong icon had an affair with Elaine Ng, which resulted in a daughter.
Chan was married to Taiwanese actress Joan Lin at the time of the affair. When the news of his affair hit the media, Chan confessed to feeling helpless on saving his marriage.
Surprisingly, Lin showed him support. After having an honest conversation with her, the actor took a hard look in the mirror and told himself, “All these years, you were so careful to close yourself off from her, and she’s completely open with you.” Etta was born in 1999.
ETTA AND CHAN’S DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP
Although her father is a popular martial artist and actor, 23-year-old Etta saw little of him in her childhood. So, according to the celebrity kid, she grew up without Chan playing a role in her life.
Etta sees her father as a stranger and is far from having a stable relationship with him. Her mother, Elaine, was a beauty queen in Hong Kong when she met Chan in 1998. They had gone their separate ways by the time Etta was born.
Etta suffered from bullying during her school days and could not count on her father for support or protection during her difficult days. Now grown up, she has no intention of mending fences with him, insisting, “I would not say that he is my dad. I would say, ‘Oh, Jackie Chan, an actor.’”
Despite his cold treatment, Elaine says she has no regrets about sharing Etta with Chan. However, she admitted that being a single mother was a stressful experience that sometimes got the best of her.
The former model also clarified rumors that she accepted a heavy allowance from Chan and chose to stay in Shanghai after Etta’s birth. However, the single mother claimed her decision was in her daughter’s best interest.
For Chan, this affair remains one of his biggest regrets. However, his empathy lay more with his wife, Lin, whom he felt he had treated poorly and did not deserve her forgiveness.
Etta is not the only child Chan had out of an affair. However, his first child led him to walk down the aisle with Lin. The actor confessed that his eldest son, Jaycee, was not planned for and was a “mistake.”
Chan said he was pressured to marry Lin after learning of her pregnancy. The Hong Kong star never planned to get married but had to take quick steps. In his all-revealing book, Chan said he sent Lin to the United States to avoid the prying eyes of the media. Instead, the couple got married in a coffee shop in Los Angeles.
Chan’s parenting skills have been questioned frequently by the media. The actor does not only ignore them; he sometimes gets physical with his son.
In his confessional memoir, “Never Grow Up,” Chan told the story of how he once hit his young son, lifting him and throwing him on the sofa. The incident was a scary experience for little Jaycee and his mother.
Speaking of how he felt afterward, Chan wrote, “That time I really scared him and his mother to death, and I myself was very regretful.” Despite his regret, Chan was also not available for Jaycee.
The actor kept a busy schedule, making it difficult for his son to see him and bond with him. Chan was busy making movies worldwide but left little time for his family.
Despite having one of the richest actors as her father, Etta was reported to be living on the street with her wife. The 23-year-old announced that she and her partner, Andi Autumn, lived on the street and did not get help from friends or family due to their sexual preference.
Etta said she was confused over the lack of help she received from the police and other gay communities. She also branded her father “homophobic.” However, her mother, Elaine, was quick to refute such claims. She asked the two lovers to find work rather than wait for approval.
Elaine later suggested that Autumn was an improper influence on Etta, who is 12 years younger. Chan’s former mistress implied that Etta’s wife was lazy and unwilling to get a job.
Chan barely speaks of Etta in public or acknowledges her. However, when asked what he felt about her coming out as gay, the actor said he was okay with it if that’s what she wanted.
Chan shared a piece of heartbreaking news with his family when he revealed that all his wealth would be given to charity when he dies. The actor once planned to give half of it to his son, Jaycee but had a change of heart.
Rather than pass down his wealth to his children, Chan wants them to work hard for theirs. The actor believes if they cannot make wealth themselves, they would be unable to manage his lifetime income worth about $400 million.
Chan continues to be one of the highest-paid actors in the world, racking up $40 million throughout 2020. His wealth comes from his endorsement deals, movies, and other business ventures.
