Eva Huang admits to marital woes, contemplating divorce
Chinese actress Eva Huang Shengyi has confirmed what many people have suspected, that her marriage with Chinese actor-entrepreneur Yang Zi is on the rocks.
The couple recently went on the fourth season of See You Again, which aired its first episode on Oct 17. The Chinese reality show featured three couples, who are facing a marriage crisis, going on an 18-day road trip together.
The show has an observation team comprising celebrities such as Chinese singer Tiger Hu, Taiwanese TV host Patty Hou and Chinese comedian Jiang Yilei.
Reports of Huang and Yang facing marital issues surfaced during Qixi Festival, more popularly known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, on Aug 4, 2022. They then wrote on their respective Weibo accounts two different posts that read like a poem. Netizens deciphered them as an acrostic which could be interpreted that the couple were going their separate ways.
Huang, 41, shot to fame after playing a mute girl in Kung Fu Hustle (2004), an action-comedy film directed by Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow.
She is also known for starring in the fantasy romance drama Fairy Couple (2007) with Yang and for playing the legendary snake spirit Madam White Snake in the action fantasy movie The Sorcerer And The White Snake (2011).
She married Yang, now 49, in 2007 and they have two sons aged seven and 12. They have attended previous variety shows and were seen as a model couple in the Chinese entertainment industry.
However, the couple painted a different picture on See You Again, acting like strangers when they arrived at the lodging.
“Yes, it’s true, we were separated at that time,” Yang said, referring to their Weibo posts in 2022. “We have no interactions on social media and are not aware of what is happening to each other.”
The couple failed a question-and-answer segment in the show, in which they were each asked 33 questions on the other party. Out of 100 marks, Yang scored 14, while Huang scored 47.
Yang claimed that the the breakdown in their relationship was due to their different living habits.
“Shengyi goes to bed regularly at 10pm, while I will sleep only at 4 to 5am,” he said. “I will end up waking her when I reach home at 3 to 4am after work, and she won’t be able to return to sleep after that.”
Yang said they ended up quarrelling due to the conflict in sleeping hours, resulting in their first separation.
However, Huang claimed that the breakdown in relationship was due to his absence as a father in their children’s upbringing.
“The biggest issue is taking care of the children. As they grow up, I can’t do all the things by myself,” she said. “He has never accompanied the children to the playground or on holidays. It’s all on me.”
Huang said their relationship was more like working partners than a married couple, and that Yang, who acts as her manager, behaved like a senior or father who expected her to follow his instructions.
She cited an example when she was taking part in the first season of Chinese reality show Sisters Who Make Waves in 2020. He took on a project for her which clashed with the show’s schedule, and she was merely informed of his decision.
This resulted in a conflict with Huang’s teammates on the show as she missed some rehearsals, with some teammates saying that they could not believe she had no say in her work.
Huang admitted in an earlier trailer for See You Again that she was contemplating a divorce. “This is the third year since I am considering a divorce,” she said.
Yang said: “Shengyi and I seem to have a successful marriage as seen from the outside world, but it was a mess in reality.”
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