Earlier this year, Tan Sri Dato’ Michelle Yeoh (杨紫琼) explained why her marriage to her first husband, Hong Kong businessman Dickson Poon (潘廸生), didn’t work out. The Oscar winner revealed that it was due to her inability to have children. The couple at the time tried everything they could to conceive, but sadly, their efforts were unsuccessful.
However, the actress had previously not elaborated much on the process of seeking help to have children, or on the reactions following the test results. During an interview on the BBC Woman’s Hour radio show earlier this week, the host Nuala asked the 62-year-old about how she came to accept the reality of being unable to become a mother. Here’s what she answered:
Michelle Yeoh revealed the overwhelming negative emotions she endured for months after being unable to get pregnant during her first marriage. “You feel like such a failure because it hasn’t happened. Then you’re like; ‘Why is this happening?’ But at some point, you stop blaming yourself and just accept the fact that there are certain things in your body that don’t function a certain way. You just have to let go and move on. You will reach a point where you stop blaming yourself,” she said.
When asked how she reached the point of letting go, the “Wicked” star revealed that she still thinks about the hardship she and her ex-husband faced to this day. “It took a long time. It’s one of the main factors that broke up my first marriage. These are the things you’d need to have a conversation with yourself. Yes, we did love each other very much but in 10 or 20 years, I still wouldn’t be able to give him the family he craves for. You have to be fair,” she elaborated.
Michelle reiterated her previous statement on the matter, confirming that the divorce was a mutual decision, as she and her ex-husband Dickson believed it would be for the best. After the interview snippet was posted on Instagram, fans (particularly mothers) resonated with the Malaysian-born star’s story. Many thanked her for candidly discussing her infertility, a topic that is often considered taboo. Others shared their own struggles with having children and the steps they’ve taken to move forward.
Watch the video below:
Source: Instagram
