Ex-TVB star Ai Wai, 66, struggles financially as wife battles liver disease

Hong Kong actor Ai Wai recently revealed that his wife Lisa Chan is currently in hospital battling a serious liver disease.

In an interview with HK01, Ai Wai, 66, shared that Chan is in critical condition and urgently needs a liver transplant.

“She always puts on a brave face around friends, acting like everything is fine. She’s had jaundice (a condition where the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes turn yellow) for a long time, and it just wouldn’t go away – it only started to subside last night,” he said.

The Time Before Time (1997) star then admitted that he’s struggling financially, revealing that he’s been surviving by chasing debts from friends who have yet to repay him.

“Back when my wife and I were doing better financially, we helped out many friends. Now that I’m facing difficulties myself, I’ve started asking those friends to repay me. Some returned the money right away, but others are still struggling themselves,” he added.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Ai Wai recognised the importance of staying resilient, believing it’s the only way to navigate through such a difficult situation.

The former TVB actor also expressed his deep gratitude to actress Yuen Lai King, better known as Kingdom Yuen, who persuaded her boss to give him HK$500,000 (RM288,319) to help ease his financial burden.

“I’ve done all I can. My wife is stronger than me … mentally tougher too. But she’s too optimistic and tends to take things lightly which has worried me for years,” he said.

When asked if the HK$500,000 would be enough to cover the surgery costs, Ai Wai explained that liver transplants in Hong Kong are typically free, though there’s a long waiting list.

“Given my wife’s urgent condition, we may have to consider doing the surgery in mainland China,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Ai Wai has forked out money for his wife’s treatment.

In 2014, the actor spent his savings on his wife’s three surgeries after she was diagnosed with a tumour in her uterus.

According to reports, Ai Wai and Chan, who married in 2002, announced their separation in 2020, though they never legally divorced.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the pair reconciled after participating in the 2022 reality show See You Again 2, which helps couples facing divorce by sending them on an 18-day road trip to either rekindle their relationship or finalise their split.