"You feel like such a failure"— Michelle Yeoh reveals her inability to have biological children broke up her first marriage

Michelle Yeoh, the acclaimed actress and Academy Award winner, recently shared her struggles with infertility and its profound impact on her personal life. During an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Monday, November 18, Yeoh revealed how her inability to conceive affected her first marriage to businessman Sir Dickson Poon, as well as her emotional journey of coming to terms with this challenge.

Michelle Yeoh, 62, explained how the pressure of trying to have children strained her relationship with Poon, to whom she was married from 1988 to 1992.

"The worst moment to go through is every month, you feel like such a failure," she said. You just have to let go and move on. At some point, you stop blaming yourself."

Over time, Yeoh came to accept that her body simply couldn’t function in the way she had hoped. The actress disclosed that the inability to start a family was a key factor in her divorce.

"That also maybe would be the main factor that broke up my first marriage," she said.

Yeoh added that their decision to separate was rooted in fairness, as Poon deeply desired children.

"In 10 years or 20 years, I still can’t give him the family that he craves for," she explained.

Sir Dickson Poon is a Hong Kong-based businessman who was married to Michelle Yeoh from 1988 to 1992, and the couple divorced due to personal differences, including their inability to have children, as Yeoh has shared in interviews. Poon later remarried and had children, with Yeoh serving as the godmother to his first child.

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Michelle Yeoh's continued reflection on motherhood

Despite moving forward, Michelle Yeoh admitted that she still occasionally reflects on not having biological children.

"It’s honestly not for the lack of trying, because I have always and still do love babies," she said.

In an earlier interview with The Times, Yeoh called her infertility "the biggest sadness in my life."

Now married to French motor racing executive Jean Todt, Yeoh expressed gratitude for being a stepmother and a grandmother. Todt’s son, Nicolas, welcomed a son earlier this year, making Yeoh a doting grandparent.

"I’m 62. Of course, I’m not going to have a baby right now, but the thing is we just had a grandchild," she shared. "You feel you’re still very, very blessed because you do have a baby in your life."

Yeoh and Todt began dating in 2004 and got engaged after just a month. They married on July 27, 2023, after a 19-year-long engagement. Todt has a son, Nicolas Todt, from a previous relationship, and the couple recently became grandparents when Nicolas welcomed a son named Maxime.

Michelle Yeoh emphasized the importance of discussing family planning early in relationships. She reflected on her marriage to Poon, noting that couples must be realistic about their future together.

"These are conversations that you really have to have with yourself and be able to look ahead," she said.

Though Michelle Yeoh does not have biological children, she cherishes her role as a godmother to six children and the many nieces and nephews in her life. In 2023, she shared heartwarming photos with her godchildren, captioning the post, "Time flies and so blessed with my beautiful godchildren."

Michelle's career spans decades, marked by notable roles in films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, for which she won an Academy Award.

Michelle Yeoh's upcoming project, Wicked, where she stars as Madame Morrible, is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, November 22.