Michelle Yeoh Reveals Reason for Divorce in First Marriage

From her stunning action movies in Hong Kong at the outset of her career to now critically-acclaimed status in Hollywood, Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) seems to always be breaking barriers and outdoing her own achievements.  Last year, Michelle won Best Actress at the Oscars for Everything Everywhere All at Once and married longtime partner Jean Todt. She also became a grandmother when Jean’s son welcomed a baby. At the pinnacle of life both career wise and also personally, Michelle recently accepted Gwyneth Paltrow’s interview and shared more about her past.

Oddly, Michelle’s later achievements in Hollywood would likely not have occurred if she did not get divorced in her first marriage. Married to Hong Kong businessman Dickson Poon (潘廸生) from 1988 to 1992, Michelle halted her filming career during that time. She was unable to balance work and marriage simultaneously, so she wanted to prioritize family first. It was not because her husband at the time pressured her into doing so. “I could only pick one and I really wanted a real family life,” Michelle confided.

Although in love for ten years, Michelle and Dickson regrettably agreed to get divorced. She had tried many methods but was unable to conceive. Dickson was very loving, but he needed a son to inherit his business empire. Michelle said, “It wasn’t just one son—two or three would be even better.” She realized, “My ex-husband needed heirs and this was not something love could triumph. Thinking back, I think it was a smart thing for me to do…to step away and not pretend it would work out. We did love each other, but our relationship wouldn’t last if we continued to force things.”

When Michelle started dating ex-Ferrari CEO Jean Todt in 2004, he proposed after two months. The couple was engaged for 19 years before finally getting married in July 2023 in Switzerland.

Source: [1]