Jackie Chan is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, but he’s landed himself in hot water with his decisions regarding his will. He opted not to leave any money to his son Jaycee Chan. This choice has become even more controversial after it was revealed that his estranged daughter, living homeless in Canada, was also left out of the will. This has left fans wondering if it might be because she’s gay.
Estranged daughter
Jackie Chan’s daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, was born out of a massive Hollywood scandal. Although Chan was married to actress Joan Lin at the time, he had an affair with a young beauty queen named Elaine Ng and got her pregnant with their daughter. She didn’t keep it a secret, announcing it to the press in 1999 after the public began to question it. Chan admitted to his behavior, claiming it was something that many men are guilty of.
Jackie Chan's daughter says she's homeless due to homophobic parents https://t.co/rsMnEkcvqI pic.twitter.com/7D3ORN3z2I
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) April 30, 2018
Etta Ng Chok Lam, who goes by the shorter name Etta Ng, was born on January 18, 1999, and lived with her mother full-time until she was 17 years old. Throughout the years the pair received financial support from the actor, but that was all the contact they had. Otherwise, Chan chose to stay out of both of their lives, not publically acknowledging Etta Ng as one of his children. Tragically when she came out as a lesbian she was disowned by her mom and kicked out of the house.
Homeless and broke
Afterward, she took social media by storm, calling her mom out for being homophobic. She flitted in and out of the public eye every few years. She later posted that she was in a relationship with a social media influencer, Andi Autumn, whom she eventually married. Just before their wedding, they posted a joint video online saying that they were homeless and were forced to sleep under a bridge every night.
Jackie Chan’s lesbian 18 year daughter is homeless and living under the bridge because her parents are 'homophobic' #BIC97FM pic.twitter.com/CfTS2L84C8
— 97FM Radiocity (@97fmRadiocity) May 2, 2018
They blamed this in part on having homophobic parents, although Etta didn’t mention her father by name. In 2018, the couple was kicked out of a Hong Kong hostel for being unable to pay their rent, and they eventually moved back to Canada. The pair were in and out of the news in the years that followed, with Etta being spotted in Toronto on October 9, 2022, lining up to get free food.
Excluded from Jackie Chan’s will
Despite Etta’s apparent financial difficulties, it doesn’t seem as though her father has given her any money to help the situation. In 2017 a producer who knew Chan well said, “How is he supposed to give [Etta money]? When Etta is 21, he’ll definitely give [Etta money], but he will never hand it over to Elaine.” It seems like this might not be true after all, given that Chan refuses to leave anything to the son he actually recognizes, choosing to give it to charity instead.
Jackie Chan’s daughter married her girlfriend earlier this month.https://t.co/kmk77wXrp8 pic.twitter.com/oMVUEioevc
— GAY TIMES (@gaytimes) November 26, 2018
Etta’s mother commented on the video she posted years ago, saying, “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.” It appears as though she thought Etta and Andi were trying to reach out to Jackie Chan directly, hoping he would help them financially.
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It seems as though his refusal to be involved in her life has nothing to do with her sexuality, and everything to do with the fact that she’s estranged from him. When asked about giving her money in 2015, Jackie Chan said, “I believe she does not need my inheritance!”