Hong Kong star Steve Lee Ka Ding has accused his eldest son Augustine of depleting his savings and withholding news of his ex-wife, actress Frances Shi Ming's death.
In an interview with Hong Kong media, Lee said he had been giving Augustine – who's also an actor – a monthly allowance of HK$50,000 (RM25,071) for years to support his family of five.
At the same time, the 81-year-old was also covering Shi Ming’s medical expenses.
He claimed Augustine, 47, only informed him about Shi Ming's death 10 days after she died from pneumonia on March 21, disputing his son's earlier claim that he was notified within two days.
Lee said Augustine delayed the news until after receiving additional funds he had requested.
"I asked him why he only told me now, and he said he was afraid I couldn't accept it.
"He's good at lying! If he hadn't used his mother as an excuse, why would I have given him money?" Lee lamented.
Lee added that he now has little savings left after being treated like a "human ATM", leaving him unable to enjoy retirement and forcing him to continue working to make ends meet.
He estimated that he had been drained of around HK$2mil (RM1mil).
"In the past, people used to borrow money from me. Now, I've fallen so badly that I have to borrow from others," he said.
Lee also revealed that he had previously covered the wages of domestic helpers – one caring for his ex-wife and another assisting Augustine's family.
However, he no longer intends to financially support his eldest son’s household, following Shi Ming's death, adding: "I only endured for Shi Ming and my grandchildren."
For the record, Lee and Shi Ming married in 1977 and divorced in 1994. The former couple have another younger son Gregory, who's also an actor.
