ackie Chan visits 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 5, 2017 in Universal City, California© Getty Images

Jackie Chan's complicated relationship with his two children explained

The Rush Hour star has made family his priority

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
Updated: April 7, 2024

Jackie Chan may be one of the world's most recognizable names thanks to his legendary acting career as a martial artist, comedian, action star, and all around Hollywood hero.

However, a recent viral clip from his 2032 film Ride On, in which he and his on-screen daughter tear up over his character's film legacy, has shed some light on his private life as a father to his own two children, son Jaycee Chan and daughter Etta Ng Chok Lam.

Read on to learn more about the 70-year-old's near-estranged relationship with his children and what they've said about their father.

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Jackie Chan's relationship with son Jaycee Chan

Jackie and wife Joan Lin have been married since 1982, secretly wedding in Los Angeles and welcoming their son Jaycee the day after they tied the knot in December.

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Jaycee, now 40, has followed in his father's footsteps as an actor and musician, although has experienced limited commercial and critical success in comparison.

© Getty Images

Jackie and wife Joan Lin share son Jaycee, born 1982

While the two have often appeared on screen together (most notably co-starring in 2011's box office bomb 1911, Jackie's 100th film), their off-screen relationship has been rocky.

In 2014, Jaycee was arrested by Beijing police on charges of drug possession and hosting others in his home for illegal drug use.

The actor was detained for six months, during which he was visited frequently by his mother, although neither of his parents were present for his hearing.

© Getty Images

Jaycee was arrested in 2014 on charges of illegal drug possession, straining his relationship with his parents

His father publicly denounced his son for his actions and apologized on their behalf in messages posted to the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, saying he was "extremely furious" and "extremely shocked."

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An anti-drugs ambassador in China since 2009, the Police Story star continued: "I hope that young people will see Jaycee as a cautionary tale and stay away from drugs.

© Getty Images

The actor has kept a low public profile since his detention

"I failed to teach my son and I should also bear responsibility. Jaycee and I deeply bow in apology to society." Jackie has also publicly spoken about not leaving any money for his son in his will, stating: "If he is capable, he can make his own money."

Jaycee was quietly released in February 2015 and at a press conference immediately after, apologized for his actions and stated that he would be spending more time in Taiwan with his parents, predominantly his mother Joan.

© Getty Images

Jaycee was last seen at a film festival in Taiwan in 2022

Jaycee has since maintained a low public profile, and it was believed that his relationship with his father was estranged due to the arrest. However, soon after the release, Jackie shared photographs on Weibo of himself giving his son a haircut, and stated that while they had been distant for a while, they were making efforts to reconnect. Both remain quiet about their personal lives.

Jackie Chan's relationship with daughter Etta Ng Chok Lam

Jackie's daughter Etta, now 24, was born in January 1999 after an affair with Hong Kong pageant queen and actress Elaine Ng Yi-Lei.

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The affair was treated as a major scandal at the time, seen as a departure from the actor's family-friendly image, since Elaine was 19 years Jackie's junior.

© Getty Images

Jackie revealed in 1998 that he had an affair and had fathered a son with beauty queen Elaine

He confirmed that she was expecting his child in a press conference at the time, stating: "I'm not a saint. I've done something wrong. I've done something that many men in the world have done." He mentioned it once more in his 2015 memoir Never Grow Up, stating that he was very apologetic to his wife and son, after which it was "never mentioned again."

Jackie immediately distanced himself from Elaine and Etta, maintaining no relationship with them. Elaine raised her daughter as a single mother and lived a private life in Hong Kong.

Etta moved to Toronto when she was a teenager and in 2015, told E! News that she and her famous father were and always have been estranged.

© Instagram

Etta came out as a lesbian in 2017 and married girlfriend Andi Autumn the following year

"He is my biological father but he is not in my life. He never existed in my life. I will never regard him as a father," she said. "I am not angry with my father, and have never wished to see him. As long as I have my mother with me, I don't need my father."

READ MORE: Jackie Chan's estranged daughter Etta Ng comes out as a lesbian

In 2017, Etta came out as a lesbian on her Instagram account and revealed that she was in a serious relationship with social media influencer Andi Autumn, who was 12 years her senior.

© Instagram

The couple had shared a YouTube claiming that they were "homeless" and disowned by their "homophobic parents"

The following year, the two posted a now-deleted video on YouTube, claiming they were homeless and were staying with a friend of Andi's, with Etta stating that she was "Jackie Chan's daughter" and they were homeless because they were disowned by their "homophobic parents."

Elaine spoke to Hong Kong publication Coconuts in April 2018, where she denounced the clip and hinted that she was not in contact with her daughter, saying: "It's wrong.

© Getty Images

The martial artist refrains from talking about his daughter and affair

"I feel that if they have no money, they should go find work. They shouldn't film a clip telling others they are broke and who Etta's father is. People all over the world work hard and don't rely on someone else's fame to get money."

Etta and Andi shared on social media later that year that they had gotten married, but have maintained a low profile since then, with Etta deleting her social media accounts. Jackie has refused to comment on his daughter or her private life.

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