Single mum Chinese actress Huang Yi doesn’t need ‘a man as head of the family’

Huang Yi says being a single mum feels really good. Photo: Huang Yi/Weibo

In April, Chinese actress Huang Yi revealed on a variety show that her ex-husband had hid over 20 CCTV cameras around their house when they were married.

She also disclosed that he had bad temper and constantly lost his cool at the smallest things.

To add to the shock, Huang Yi further said that the abuse started when she was six months pregnant, but she continued to stay with him.

According to a report by 8days, the actress – who’s been married twice – didn’t mention any names.

But it was implied that she was talking about her second husband, businessman Huang Yiqing, from whom she got a divorce in 2014 after three years of marriage.

This was not the first time Huang Yi spoke about her abusive ex-husband.

In 2014, she accused him of hitting her which Yiqing denied although she shared photos of her injuries.

Today, Huang Yi has full custody of their daughter and has built an empire consisting of a beauty company, two confinement centres and a cake business.

Meanwhile, Yiqing – the 8days article stated – is serving a 15-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.

Despite the fact that the My Fair Princess III actress is doing very well, it was reported that some netizens have commented that she “needs a man as the head of the family” and that she "should settle down quickly'.

So when Huang Yi appeared on the talk show Working Mom, she addressed these online comments.

“It would be great if you can have a husband at home, but I’ve never been sad because of the lack of a male figure in our lives," she said.

“I can take on the role of both parents, and there’s nobody to disagree with my parenting methods, so being a single mum feels really good.”

While a few netizens disagreed with her statement, many took her side.

8days highlighted one neutral comment: “Raising a child with both parents around can be a struggle in itself but I also can’t imagine doing it on my own. Rather than criticise her for going against traditional beliefs, I think we should give her credit for proving that women can be strong and independent on their own."