Hong Kong actress Elaine Ng has hit back at a rumour which has been circulating for 27 years.
Ng, now 53, made headlines in 1999 when she disclosed that she was pregnant with action superstar Jackie Chan’s child and gave birth to daughter Etta in November the same year.
For years, it has been widely rumoured that Chan, now 72, has been reluctant to acknowledge Etta, now 26, because Ng refused to allow her daughter to undergo a paternity test.
Ng, a former beauty queen, has now set the record straight during a live-streaming session on Chinese social media platform Douyin on July 15.
“I think that no matter what era it is, if a couple decide to go their separate ways - regardless of whether the woman is pregnant or not - what business is it of the man’s if she decides to keep the child?” she said.
“We should all respect each other’s decisions. I don’t understand why my own daughter would have to undergo a paternity test - and no one has ever asked me about it.”
Chan famously said: “I made a mistake that every man in the world makes” when he admitted his indiscretion with Ng at a press conference in 1999.
Chan is married to former Taiwanese screen idol Joan Lin, 73, and they have a 43-year-old son, singer-actor Jaycee.
Ng has raised Etta alone since her daughter was born. The Hong Kong media said Chan has not provided Ng with any financial support, and she has also not requested child support.
Etta, who runs a design studio, disclosed during a live-streaming session in January that Chan has been looking at the posters she made. The Hong Kong media said then that her studio was invited to design the posters for Chan’s new film.
Ng’s relationship with Etta also looked to have improved after they reached a low point previously. She said during a livestream in May that Etta had sent her well wishes during Mother’s Day and her birthday. - The Straits Times/ANN
