Why Jackie Chan Is Estranged From His Real-Life Daughter Etta Ng
Jackie Chan built a million-dollar career by bringing martial arts to the big screen. As his fanbase (and income) grew, he became the world's second highest-paid actor in 2016 – although we rarely hear about him anymore. In addition to sparking controversy with his political views and sketchy behavior, the actor tarnished his reputation by slamming young actors, becoming increasingly anti-American, and even trying to knife a director. Chan also stirred up plenty of drama in his personal life — which did not paint him in a positive light. In his 2018 memoir, "Never Grow Up," the Hong Kong native admitted to partying excessively, driving drunk, sleeping around, and generally neglecting his family.
Chan married Joan Lin in 1982, and they had one child together — a son named Jaycee Chan — that same year. While they're together to this day, their union hasn't been without drama. In fact, it almost fell apart in 1999 when — after months of speculation — the actor admitted to having an extramarital affair with Miss Asia 1990, Elaine Ng. The situation became even messier when it was revealed that Ng was seven months pregnant and awaiting the results of a paternity test. At a press conference, Chan told reporters, per Entertainment Weekly, "If the child is mine, I'll surely take responsibility." Except he never did, even admitting in 2013, telling Cinema Online, "I have neglected her for the longest time." Here's what we know about Jackie Chan's estrangement from his daughter, Etta Ng.
Jackie Chan abandoned Etta Ng early on
Following Jackie Chan's headline-making admission that he did indeed have an affair with beauty queen-turned-actor Elaine Ng, the "Rush Hour" star remained in the news as Ng took a paternity test which proved that the baby she was carrying was inarguably Chan's. In November 1999, he became a father for a second time when Ng gave birth to a daughter named Etta. However, he made it clear from the very start that he was only interested in the well-being of his wife and son. Speaking at a press conference months before Etta's birth, he asked the media to leave Joan Lin and Jaycee Chan alone and professed his devotion to them. "I've let my family down, but I'm very lucky: My wife has forgiven me," Chan said, adding, "My son understands."
Meanwhile, he gave Etta no regard, and she remained with her mother in Hong Kong. There, she grew up not knowing Chan. She told Express in 2015, "He is not my dad — I have no feelings for him." A 15-year-old Etta explained that she hadn't forgiven him for abandoning her and said she had no wish to build a relationship with him. "He is my biological father, but he is not in my life," she slammed. Etta added that she has seen some of his films and only ever thinks of him as an actor, never as a family member.
Time has not healed Jackie Chan's relationship with his daughter
It seems that time may heal all wounds, but it sure doesn't mend all bridges. Jackie Chan's relationship with Etta Ng hasn't fared any better over the years, and the actor's ice-cold attitude towards his daughter definitely hasn't helped. In addition to dismissing his relationship with Elaine Ng as a mistake — "[I] only committed a fault that every single man in the world commits," he once said — Chan has also made a clean break from Etta. In his 2018 memoir, "Never Grow Up," he wrote how he apologized to his wife and son when the truth came out in 1999, then changed his will the very next day to leave everything to his wife.
Indeed, Etta's mother has accused Chan of not giving their child "a single cent," according to Newsweek. Not even when Etta, who came out as gay in 2017, took to social media to reveal that she and her wife, Andi Autumn, were broke. The pair got married in 2018 and posted a since-deleted video in which they claimed, "We've been homeless for a month due to homophobic parents." In addition to being spotted at a food bank, Etta alleged, "We pretty much slept under a bridge."
Chan didn't respond, just like he hasn't responded to questions about Etta in the past. In 2015, he brushed off her very existence, telling the media, "Sometimes it is better to not talk about certain things. Let nature take its course."