For years the relationship between Jackie Chan and her daughter Etta Ng has been told above all through a word: distance.
Etta was born in 1999 from the relationship between the actor and the former beauty queen Elaine Ng. Jackie Chan, who at the time was already married to Joan Lin, publicly recognized that he had an extramarital relationship with Elaine.
But father and daughter would never have built a real family relationship.
Growing up, Etta spoke openly about his life and distance from the famous father. In 2017 he published his relationship with Andi Autumn, a Canadian woman, and the following year the two announced they were married.
Etta has publicly described Jackie Chan as a father absent from his life, declaring that he does not consider it such and explain that he has practically no relationship with him.
The story becomes even more complex if you look at the other actor's son, Jaycee Chan.
In 2014 Jaycee was arrested in China for a drug case and subsequently sentenced to six months in prison. Jackie reacted publicly to say, as a father, angry, shocked and angry, as well as publicly apologized for what happened.
For a long time there has been a famous statement attributed to the actor that he would rather dedicate his fortune to charity rather than leave it to his children. Jackie Chan had publicly expressed this intention years before the events that would involve Etta and Jaycee. Turning this phrase into proof that he has disinherited both because of their personal choices means going beyond what is documented.
And it is precisely this distinction to make the story more interesting than the versions built to scandalize.
On the one hand there is Jackie Chan, one of the most famous Asian stars in film history.
On the other hand there are two children raised under the weight of a surname known worldwide, but with very different experiences and a family relationship marked by deep fractures.
Success can build an immense heritage and an image capable of crossing generations.
It does not guarantee, however, that behind that image there is a family as simple as to hold together.