Actress Isabella Leong is believed to be dating Chinese actor and director Marc Ma. Photos: Isabella Leong/Instagram, Sin Chew Daily
Macau-born actress Isabella Leong, the ex-girlfriend of Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, has apparently found love again, Sin Chew Daily reported.
The 36-year-old recently sparked dating rumours after she was photographed attending an event with Chinese actor and director Marc Ma, who’s nine years her senior.
The pair were later seen holding hands as they left the venue, appearing happy and relaxed as they chatted and laughed. It's reported that the two had dinner together later in the day.
According to Hong Kong media reports, speculation about Leong and Ma’s budding romance first surfaced in late 2024, when they were spotted leaving a cafe in Beijing hand-in-hand.
The rumours intensified when netizens noted that Leong has been spending much of her time in Beijing in recent years, suggesting it may be because she wants to be closer to Ma, 45.
Leong met Li on the set of The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor through Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh in 2008. Both Yeoh and Leong starred in that Hollywood movie.
Although she was initially interested in marrying Li – with whom she shares three children – Leong decided to call it quits in February 2011 as she “couldn’t accept” how “popular” the billionaire was with women.
“I needed more security in my life,” she said in a talk show last year.
Meanwhile, Ma began his career as a child actor in the 1991 film Fazike but initially struggled to find a foothold in the industry.
After graduating from high school, he left his hometown of Lanzhou and travelled to Beijing to sit for the entrance exam at the Central Academy of Drama which he unfortunately failed.
In 2000, Ma found work as a production assistant at a drama production company and later starred in the 2003 series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils – a role that opened more doors for casting opportunities.
He gained fame for his performance in the 2013 film The White Storm, which earned him the Best Newcomer prize at the Hundred Flower Awards.
