Why Jackie Chan’s family drama is in a destructive feedback loop with his career

Martial arts legend Jackie Chan is one of those rare pop culture figures who has been able to maintain a persona popular to those in the West and in China alike. But some perceived transgressions in the actor’s personal life that have recently resurfaced may be at risk of destroying his delicate reputational balance in both markets.

Sure, not every one of his films has been a success, such as the Chinese historical drama flop 1911. On the other hand, Chan’s Karate Kid remake — which was co-produced by the U.S. and China, and took place largely in the latter with cooperation from the Chinese government, was a big hit with audiences and critics alike, and a film I have personally enjoyed watching multiple times.

From the U.S.’s perspective, Chan’s voicing a desire to join the Chinese Communist Party is controversial. However, he has not been granted membership yet. Meanwhile, people may be wondering why he has allegedly become estranged from his own daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, who is gay. It turns out, the party does indeed do background checks — not only on the applicants themselves, but their family members. 

Another uncomfortable fact is that China discriminates against LGBTQ people, with the latest example being “a crackdown on advocacy groups by Chinese President Xi Jinping,” according to NBC News. Viewing the actor’s recent viral family drama in this light, Chan continuing to disown his lesbian daughter — who allegedly is homeless and lives in Canada (per BuzzFeed News) — makes all the more sense. It’s worth noting Chan has never been involved in her life ever since she was born, according to Etta herself, who is now married.

When a film career collides with ideological battles

As The Times U.K. put it, “After a year of study, [Chinese Communist Party] applicants need to pass written tests and background checks. Those with criminal records, including in their family, family members may fail the checks.”

In addition, Chan’s son, Jaycee Chan, also has a marijuana charge on his record, leading to another potential hiccup in the action star’s Communist Party application, since drug offenses within the family could crush his chances of being accepted.

When Chan previously applied for Communist Party membership, a smear campaign launched on China’s Weibo social media platform claimed he was not “pure” enough for membership, according to The Times U.K. This campaign against Chan joining the party included social media users citing his family members’ various issues, as well as the fact that Chan confessed to engaging in marital infidelity in the past. 

Chan had an extramarital affair with beauty queen Elaine Ng Yi-Lei, Etta’s mother. Chan has not so much as even offered financial support for Etta’s upbringing, let alone being involved in her life in any way, according to BuzzFeed News. What’s more, Chan has stated in past interviews that he is not planning on passing down any of his wealth to his own son, Jaycee — whose mother is Chan’s wife, Joan Lin — even though the two are not estranged.

All of this is to say that even if Chan wanted to reconcile with his daughter, that would now pose a direct conflict of interest for him as a public figure, and vice versa. Chan’s is a precarious position to be in, even for a man who can dangle from the side of a bus with an umbrella. Meanwhile, the raised awareness about Chan’s past is not doing him any reputational favors from Etta’s supporters, his fans in the U.S., or those who are loyal to the Chinese government.